Founded in May 2025, Dunn Isaacson Rhee is the collective entity forged upon the three DC-based star trial lawyers –
Karen Dunn, Bill Isaacson and Jeannie Rhee – decamping from Paul Weiss to launch their own agenda-driven venture dedicated to thorny, contentious disputes, investigations and crisis management. The firm’s appearance on the scene, described by one observer as “a pretty seismic event” immediately grabbed headlines and generated buzz among the legal community, which continues. “All eyes are on them, you cannot ignore it if you tried. Everyone’s talking about it,” testifies one peer. Additionally, it’s noted that “They are growing, like gangbusters! They went from just recently even getting an office in DC to expanding into New York and even California – they also added [another Paul Weiss alumnus, based in San Francisco]
Meredith Dearborn!” Adding further to its Paul Weiss pedigree, DC’s
Jessica Phillips also joined. One peer quips humorously, “They seem to be adding associates left and right, and I’m paranoid they’re going to come after some of mine next. I’m getting to the point where I’m taking my associates out for lunch regularly and saying, ‘So…please tell me you’re not sending resumes to Dunn Isaacson.” The firm’s inexorable and rapid growth, usually seen at larger and more established firms, has been equally a subject of speculation. “Normally, if I see that kind of growth right away, I say ‘Whoa, Nellie! You’re taking on big bites pretty quickly, there – is that sustainable?’ But these people seem to be doing it the right way. They’ve been around ‘Big Law’ so they’ve learned the pitfalls and the parts of the system that are broken and avoided them. I think they have too much talent and too much rainmaking potential there not to succeed.” Indeed, the firm’s three name partners alone boast a healthy log of newsworthy trial wins – in both the plaintiff and defense capacities – that collectively span the spectrum from commercial to antitrust to social justice. Dunn and Rhee have appeared regularly on Benchmark’s Top 250 Women in Litigation list, both making another showing in 2025. Dunn is an all-purpose generalist trial lawyer. “Karen Dunn needs no introduction,” quips a peer. “Just read the news.” Rhee lays claim to a white-collar and investigations background. Isaacson has been a nationally ranked star in the antitrust category since 2015. “He is one the top antitrust minds out there,” declares a contemporary, “and he’s not someone you would only call if you wanted to surrender and make a sweet deal with the government. He can try a case!”
