Paul Weiss Chairman Brad Karp Resigns Amid Escalating Epstein Revelations

United States - Ekhbary News Agency

Paul Weiss Chairman Brad Karp Resigns Amid Escalating Epstein Revelations

In a dramatic turn of events, Brad Karp, the long-serving and influential chairman of elite law firm Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison, has resigned from his leadership post. The departure follows intense internal deliberations among senior partners, prompted by the surfacing of extensive new details regarding Mr. Karp's connections to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. These revelations, emerging from a trove of Justice Department documents, painted a far more intricate and troubling picture of their relationship than previously understood, leading to a swift and decisive move by the firm's leadership to protect its reputation and future.

The week began with an expectation that Mr. Karp would weather the storm, despite his name appearing in the initial batch of Epstein-related documents released last Friday. Senior partners at Paul Weiss were already aware of Mr. Karp's past representation of Leon Black, the private equity billionaire who maintained a complex and long-standing relationship with Epstein. However, as the week progressed, additional documents came to light, significantly deepening the concerns within the firm's upper echelons. These new disclosures suggested a level of involvement with Epstein that many partners, including some whose careers were significantly shaped by Mr. Karp, found untenable.

A particularly damaging piece of evidence emerged in the form of a 2019 email. This communication revealed that Mr. Karp had provided legal counsel to Jeffrey Epstein concerning a plea deal from approximately a decade prior, which involved soliciting a minor for prostitution. The gravity of this finding was amplified by the fact that Mr. Epstein was not, at the time, a formal client of Paul Weiss. This advisory role, outside the conventional client-attorney framework, raised profound ethical questions and sparked alarm among the firm's partners, who are custodians of its prestigious legacy and stringent professional standards.

The escalating crisis culminated on Wednesday evening when a select group of senior partners, informally known as the "deciding group" — responsible for critical personnel decisions including hiring and firing — convened a conference call. The urgent agenda was to strategize the firm's response to these latest, more damaging revelations. Discussions during the call reportedly featured palpable disappointment from several lawyers, who felt Mr. Karp should have already tendered his resignation. The consensus quickly formed: Mr. Karp's continued chairmanship was untenable, and he must step down.

The group moved swiftly to appoint a successor, deciding that Scott Barshay, widely recognized as one of the firm's most successful and high-earning partners, would immediately assume the role of chairman. Mr. Barshay, himself a member of the influential deciding group, was tasked with relaying this critical decision to Mr. Karp. While specific details of these internal deliberations had been previously hinted at by outlets such as The Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal, the full scope of the partners' coordinated action underscores the seriousness with which Paul Weiss viewed the unfolding situation.

Neither Mr. Karp nor a spokesperson for Paul Weiss offered comment on the resignation, and Mr. Barshay did not respond to requests for comment, maintaining a discreet silence around a highly sensitive internal matter. The issues surrounding Mr. Karp's association with Epstein are not entirely new; preliminary revelations from the Justice Department's files began to surface months ago, causing initial discomfort within the firm. In recent weeks, Paul Weiss had reportedly conducted informal surveys among its clients to gauge their reactions to Mr. Karp's mentions in the Epstein documents. A small but significant number of clients conveyed their concerns, indicating a potential reconsideration of future business due to the mounting reputational risk associated with the firm.

Further insights into the depth of Mr. Karp's interactions with Epstein were revealed in other newly released emails. One such exchange showed Epstein suggesting to Mr. Karp that Leon Black, a co-founder of Apollo Global Management and a significant Paul Weiss client, should hire a private investigator to surveil a former mistress. Another email indicated Mr. Karp advising Epstein on a case involving some of the women who had accused him. These communications collectively paint a picture of an advisory relationship that extended beyond typical legal representation, intertwining Mr. Karp with the controversial figure of Epstein in ways that ultimately proved too damaging for his leadership position at one of the world's most prestigious law firms. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the intense scrutiny and ethical demands placed upon leaders in the legal profession, especially when associated with figures embroiled in high-profile scandals.

Ekhbary News Agency