“No American President has ever before issued executive orders like the one at issue in this lawsuit targeting a prominent law firm with adverse actions to be executed by all Executive branch agencies but, in purpose and effect, this action draws from a playbook as old as Shakespeare, who penned the phrase: ‘The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers,’” Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said in her Friday ruling in favor of Perkins Coie.

Perkins Coie celebrated the ruling as affirming the “core constitutional freedoms all Americans hold dear,” in a statement after the ruling.

“Today, the Court permanently blocked the unlawful Executive Order targeting our firm. This ruling affirms core constitutional freedoms all Americans hold dear, including free speech, due process, and the right to select counsel without the fear of retribution. We are pleased with this decision and are immensely grateful to those who spoke up in support of our positions,” the law firm said.

“As we move forward, we remain guided by the same commitments that first compelled us to bring this challenge: to protect our firm, safeguard the interests of our clients, and uphold the rule of law,” the statement added.

TRUMP’S PERKINS COIE ORDER IS ‘NOT DESIGNED TO PUNISH’: DOJ

The Justice Department previously defended the order as “not designed to punish” but rather “designed to fulfill the concerns that were laid out” in the executive order.

The executive order was one of several targeting law firms linked to the Democratic Party and firms that had been adversarial toward Trump. Some law firms negotiated with Trump either after being targeted or to avoid being targeted, while others, like Perkins Coie, challenged the orders in court.