Brad Karp Resigns as Chairman of Paul Weiss Amid Epstein Controversy

Brad Karp has stepped down as chairman of the prominent New York law firm Paul Weiss, following heightened scrutiny regarding his connections to convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Karp stated, “Recent reporting has been distracting and focused on me, which is not in the best interest of the company,” acknowledging the revelations about his interactions with Epstein that have surfaced.

In the aftermath of Karp’s resignation, Scott Barshay, the former head of the firm’s corporate division, has been appointed as the new chairman effective immediately.

Karp, who has dedicated his 40-year legal career to Paul Weiss and became chairman in 2008, expressed, “It has been the honor of my professional life to lead Paul Weiss for the past 18 years.”

Documents released by the Justice Department show a longstanding relationship between Karp and Epstein, describing it as more extensive than Paul Weiss had characterized to Leon Black, co-founder of Apollo. In March 2019, emails revealed that Karp had aided Epstein in defending his plea deal against sex trafficking charges.

Karp reportedly reviewed a court filing drafted in 2019 that argued against reopening Epstein’s decade-long plea deal, which was later cited in a lawsuit from two women claiming they were trafficked as minors.

In an email discussing the draft, Karp described it as “overwhelmingly persuasive.” He added that he appreciated the claim that the “victims” effectively ambushed Epstein for strategic advantage. It seems, from Karp’s comments, he believed he would have had a stronger position had he known about the legal issues earlier.

Additionally, in April 2019, just months before Epstein’s arrest, Epstein reportedly used former White House strategist Steve Bannon’s influence to gain Karp access to the exclusive Augusta Golf Club.

Karp also arranged for his children to attend a film screening hosted by Woody Allen, facilitated through Epstein’s assistant. In a follow-up email, Karp expressed his gratitude for what he termed a “once in a lifetime” event.

Further investigations revealed plans for Karp’s son to attend additional Woody Allen screenings in subsequent years. Moreover, documents indicated that Epstein had sought Karp’s assistance regarding financial disputes involving Leon Black, who had previously resigned from Apollo due to his ties with Epstein.

A representative for Paul Weiss had earlier clarified that while the firm worked with Black on compensation matters concerning Epstein, neither the firm nor Karp ever represented Epstein directly.

Karp faced backlash previously when Paul Weiss reached a settlement connected to an executive order from President Trump that could potentially harm the firm. As of now, Paul Weiss has not provided further comments following Karp’s resignation.