{"id":2430622,"date":"2025-05-04T05:11:02","date_gmt":"2025-05-04T09:11:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/microsoft-touts-support-for-europe-hires-anti-trump-law-firm\/"},"modified":"2025-05-04T05:13:37","modified_gmt":"2025-05-04T09:13:37","slug":"microsoft-touts-support-for-europe-hires-anti-trump-law-firm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/microsoft-touts-support-for-europe-hires-anti-trump-law-firm\/","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft touts &#8216;support for Europe,&#8217; hires anti-Trump law firm"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmicrosoft-touts-support-for-europe-hires-anti-trump-law-firm%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2430622&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Microsoft is making headlines for expressing strong support for Europe considering tariff negotiations and recent tensions with teh Trump administration. The tech giant has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/seattle-suburb-backs-down-from-ban-on-abortion-clinic-protesters\/\" title=\"Seattle Suburb Backs Down From Ban on Abortion Clinic Protesters\">threatened legal action<\/a> against the U.S. government if it attempts to suspend Microsoft&#8217;s cloud operations in Europe. This aggressive stance follows the company&#8217;s decision to replace its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-taps-sanctuary-city-supporter-to-oversee-ice-prosecutions\/\" title=\"Biden Taps \u2018Sanctuary City\u2019 ...er To Oversee ICE Prosecutions\">previous law firm<\/a>, aligned with Trump, with a firm that is actively opposing him in court.<\/p>\n<p>microsoft\u2019s President Brad Smith emphasized the company&#8217;s commitment to European digital operations, stating the firm is prepared to ensure the continuous function of its European data centers, which account for a important portion of its business. The company plans to increase its data center capacity in Europe by 40% in the coming years, underscoring its long-term investment in the region. This move marks a departure from the trend of other U.S. corporations strengthening ties to the Trump administration.<\/p>\n<p>Critics, including consumer watchdogs, have pointed out that Microsoft&#8217;s favorable rhetoric toward Europe may come at the expense of American consumers, suggesting the company is favoring foreign interests over its home market. Despite these criticisms,Microsoft maintains that its commitment to Europe does not undermine its operations in the U.S., reiterating its past presence and ongoing support for American customers.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Microsoft touts &lsquo;support for Europe,&rsquo; hires anti-Trump law firm<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2109859\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/microsoft\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Microsoft<\/a> is touting &ldquo;support for Europe&rdquo; amid tariff negotiations, going so far as to threaten to sue the Trump administration if it is ordered to suspend European cloud operations. The tech titan&rsquo;s apparent threat comes after Microsoft dropped a Trump-allied law firm for an anti-Trump litigator <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3393783\/judge-grills-doj-suspend-security-clearance-big-law-firm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">currently fighting an executive order from the president<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Microsoft&rsquo;s latest move cuts against President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Donald Trump<\/a>&lsquo;s agenda at a time when other major American corporations, especially technology companies, have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/technology\/3248435\/zuckerberg-active-role-crafting-trump-tech-policy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">worked to strengthen their relationship<\/a> with the Republican commander in chief.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/finance-and-economy\/3400181\/buffett-us-trade-weapon-trump-tariffs\/\">Buffett says US shouldn&rsquo;t use &#8216;trade as a weapon&#8217; as Trump has done with tariffs<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/finance-and-economy\/3400086\/second-may-social-security-direct-payment-27-days\/\">Second May Social Security direct payment worth $967 goes out in 27 days<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/finance-and-economy\/3400090\/first-round-may-social-security-payment-11-days\/\">First round of May Social Security payments goes out in 11 days<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.microsoft.com\/on-the-issues\/2025\/04\/30\/european-digital-commitments\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">a blog post<\/a> Wednesday announcing &ldquo;new European digital commitments,&rdquo; Microsoft&rsquo;s president and chief legal officer, Brad Smith, suggested that the company would consider launching legal action against the Trump administration, if &ldquo;necessary.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Microsoft has a demonstrated history of pursuing litigation when that has been needed to protect the rights of our customers and other stakeholders &hellip; When necessary, we&rsquo;re prepared to go to court,&rdquo; Smith said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We are confident of our legal rights to ensure continuous operation of our datacenters in Europe,&rdquo; the Microsoft head added. &ldquo;And we are prepared to back this confidence with our contractual commitments to European governments.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Microsoft vowed, among other reassurances, to &ldquo;uphold Europe&rsquo;s digital resilience even when there is geopolitical volatility.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>At an event in Brussels, according to <em>Politico<\/em>, Smith addressed concerns over whether Trump could cut off <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.eu\/article\/microsoft-pitches-european-data-center-expansion-amid-tense-transatlantic-tech-ties\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">European access to U.S. cloud services<\/a> as leverage in a trans-Atlantic trade war.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/restoring-america\/courage-strength-optimism\/3390357\/trump-tarrifs-negotiating-strategy-eu-uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">DON&rsquo;T BET ON TRUMP TO SURRENDER ON TARIFFS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The European market <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/66708fed-ec05-42a6-ab30-dadbb3fecaf3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">reportedly<\/a> comprises more than a quarter of Microsoft&rsquo;s business. Microsoft plans to increase its European datacenter capacity by 40% over the next two years, with &ldquo;tens of billions of dollars&rdquo; spent annually on this expansion.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;To further cement the nexus between Microsoft and Europe,&rdquo; the U.S. software giant also pledged to have its&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-lawmakers-call-for-investigation-into-amazons-alleged-bribery-of-defense-official\/\" title=\"GOP Lawmakers Call for Investigation Into Amazon\u2019s Alleged Bribery of Defense Official\">cloud computing services<\/a> in the continent overseen by a European board of directors, consisting exclusively of European nationals and operating under European law.<\/p>\n<p>A spokesperson for Microsoft told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that the U.S. company has had an enduring foothold in Europe and remains steadfast in supporting operations there.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We have operated in Europe for more than 40 years, and our company has grown along with our customers,&rdquo; the Microsoft spokesperson said. &ldquo;We are committed to supporting across Europe a trusted, world-class cloud and [artificial intelligence] platform that serves as an engine of job creation, economic opportunity, and cybersecurity on both sides of the Atlantic.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/premium\/3393218\/tech-right-artificial-intelligence-trump-administration-china\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">TECH SHIFTS RIGHT, SOMEWHAT, BUT MINUS THE OLD GUARD&rsquo;S VIEWS ON TRADE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Some consumer watchdogs have sounded the alarm on what they see as misplaced priorities catering to foreign interests.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Microsoft&rsquo;s recent love note to Europe is a master class in flattery and currying favor,&rdquo; Will Hild, the executive director of Consumers&rsquo; Research, said in a statement shared with the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;It would be nice to see an American-first commitment from the tech giant, but sadly I do not foresee that ever happening.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Hild said that Microsoft, which has stood by its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/diversity\/default\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives<\/a>, &ldquo;seems bent on undermining the Trump Administration while peddling a divisive woke agenda full of [environmental, social, and governance factors] and DEI.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;American consumers should be insulted by Microsoft&rsquo;s two-faced act: a facade of respect overseas and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/elon-musk-at-its-heart-wokeness-is-divisive-exclusionary-and-hateful\/\" title=\"Elon Musk: \u2018At Its Heart Wokeness Is Divisive, Exclusionary And Hateful\u2019\">woke mind virus<\/a> at home,&rdquo; Hild said.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">Fortune reported Thursday that Microsoft&rsquo;s quarterly earnings show <a href=\"https:\/\/fortune.com\/article\/microsofts-q3-quarterly-earnings-beat-shows-no-sign-of-ai-disillusionment-or-trump-tariff-impact\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">no sign of a Trump tariff hit<\/a><\/span>  and handily surpassed Wall Street forecasts for revenue and profit growth.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Microsoft said the government&rsquo;s recent expansion of the &ldquo;joint employer standard&rdquo; &mdash; when one business is equally liable for a related business&rsquo;s workplace violations &mdash; would create a legal minefield for corporate social responsibility programs. (David Paul Morris\/Bloomberg, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Microsoft has <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.microsoft.com\/datalaw\/initiatives\/#initiative-area-legal-cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">a long-standing history<\/a> of engaging in legal proceedings, including against various U.S. administrations. Microsoft filed four lawsuits against former President Barack Obama&rsquo;s executive branch, including litigation concerning <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">protecting customer data privacy<\/a> in the United States and Europe. During Trump&rsquo;s first term, Microsoft brought an immigration-related discrimination case before the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n<p>This week, the <em>New York Times<\/em> reported that Microsoft <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/05\/01\/business\/microsoft-drops-trump-compliant-law-firm.html\">swapped law firms<\/a> in a significant shareholder case, dropping Simpson Thacher &amp; Bartlett, which recently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3378554\/5-law-firms-deal-trump-600-million-pro-bono-work-avoid-punishment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">reached an agreement with the Trump administration<\/a> to perform $125 million in pro bono work for causes that the president supports, in favor of Trump adversary Jenner &amp; Block, one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3378728\/susman-godfrey-sues-trump-executive-order-usha-vance-law-firm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">four Big Law firms fighting Trump&rsquo;s executive orders<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Court filings confirm the switch-up. More than a week ago, several attorneys at Simpson Thacher &amp; Bartlett informed a Delaware court that the firm will no longer be representing Microsoft in a major acquisitions case related to the purchase of Activision Blizzard, maker of the bestselling video game <em>Call of Duty<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>On the same day the Simpson Thacher &amp; Bartlett lawyers filed the withdrawal paperwork, at least three partners at Jenner &amp; Block announced they would take on Microsoft&rsquo;s case.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3393783\/judge-grills-doj-suspend-security-clearance-big-law-firm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">JUDGE GRILLS DOJ OVER TRUMP DECISION TO SUSPEND SECURITY CLEARANCES OF BIG LAW FIRM<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Microsoft&rsquo;s award of business to Jenner &amp; Block signals that the Big Law firms opposing Trump can still attract clientele, given that the ones that ended up inking deals with the Trump administration cited a fear of losing clients in their decisions.<\/p>\n<p>Without elaborating, Microsoft told <em>Reuters<\/em> that Simpson Thacher &amp; Bartlett would <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/microsoft-swaps-law-firms-shareholder-case-hiring-trump-adversary-2025-05-01\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">continue to represent the company<\/a> in other matters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2109859\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2109859\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Microsoft emphasizes &#8220;support for Europe&#8221; and hires an anti-Trump law firm<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3767,"featured_media":2430623,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Microsoft-Trumps-Inauguration-scaled-1024x683.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[6430,44714,8447,33074,51522],"class_list":["post-2430622","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-anti-trump","tag-corporate-strategy","tag-europe","tag-law-firm","tag-microsoft-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Microsoft-Trumps-Inauguration-scaled-1024x683.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2430622","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3767"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2430622"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2430622\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2430626,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2430622\/revisions\/2430626"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2430623"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2430622"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2430622"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2430622"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}