Brad Karp, the longtime chairman of powerhouse Wall Street law firm Paul Weiss, has resigned his leadership role, effective immediately. The move follows the release of emails revealing extensive communications between Karp and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, sparking scrutiny and raising questions about the firm’s judgment.
Paul Weiss announced Karp’s resignation on Wednesday, . Scott Barshay, previously chair of the firm’s corporate department, has been appointed as his successor. Karp, who has led the firm since , will remain at Paul Weiss, focusing on client service, according to the firm’s statement.
The catalyst for Karp’s departure was the release of documents by the U.S. Department of Justice on . These documents included numerous email exchanges between Karp and Epstein, spanning multiple years, including between and . The firm acknowledged on Tuesday that Karp “regrets” his interactions with Epstein.
The emails detailed a relationship extending beyond Paul Weiss’s representation of Apollo Global Management co-founder Leon Black. Correspondence revealed Karp’s efforts to assist Epstein with his plea deal on sex trafficking charges in March , just months before Epstein’s death in jail. Specifically, Karp reviewed a draft court filing arguing against reopening Epstein’s decade-old plea deal, a document later used by Epstein’s legal team.
Beyond legal matters, the released emails also showed Karp attempting to leverage his position to benefit his son, seeking to secure him a job with a Woody Allen film production. The correspondence also indicated plans for Karp to meet with Epstein at his New York City townhouse.
Karp’s resignation comes at a pivotal moment for Paul Weiss, a firm renowned for representing major financial institutions like Apollo and Citigroup in complex deals and litigation. Under Karp’s leadership, the firm grew its annual revenues to over $2.6 billion in .
The situation highlights the increasing pressure on prominent figures to distance themselves from associations with Epstein, whose crimes continue to generate legal and reputational fallout. The release of these files has already prompted calls for resignations in other sectors, such as the recent calls for the chair of the 2028 Olympics to resign over emails with Ghislaine Maxwell.
Karp’s career at Paul Weiss spanned four decades, during which he cultivated a reputation as a defender of Wall Street while also publicly supporting social justice causes. He was a significant fundraiser for the Democratic party, actively rallying lawyers in support of Kamala Harris’s unsuccessful presidential campaign.
The firm’s handling of the situation has also drawn attention, particularly a prior agreement reached in March to provide tens of millions of dollars in pro bono legal work to causes favored by the White House in exchange for then-President Trump rescinding an executive order targeting Paul Weiss. The executive order had restricted the firm’s access to government contracts and federal work, citing its connections to Trump’s political opponents and its diversity initiatives.
Paul Weiss defended the deal with the Trump administration, arguing that the executive order threatened the firm’s survival. Eight other firms subsequently entered similar pro bono agreements to avoid similar measures, pledging nearly $1 billion in combined legal services. However, four rival firms challenged the executive orders in court and ultimately won rulings striking them down.
The appointment of Scott Barshay as chairman signals a continuation of Paul Weiss’s focus on its core strengths in corporate law. Barshay previously led the firm’s corporate department, a key driver of its financial success. The firm employs over 1,000 lawyers and remains a dominant force in the legal landscape, despite the recent controversy.
