Nathaniel Cullerton, a partner at Wachtell Lipton, is being pushed out of the firm following a scandalous moment in Central Park with junior associate Kelsey Borenzweig. This incident, which caught significant attention online, has already derailed his anticipated move to the competing law firm Gibson Dunn, according to sources familiar with the situation.
At 45, Cullerton is currently on leave as Wachtell investigates the nature of his relationship with the 29-year-old Borenzweig. While insiders say he is in the process of leaving the firm, there has been no official change in his employment status since July. One source clarified that stating Cullerton was terminated would not be accurate.
Officially, Cullerton is still on leave and employed at Wachtell, though there’s uncertainty regarding his pay during this period. However, sources suggest it’s only a matter of time before he is completely distanced from the firm.
When his separation will be finalized remains unclear.
Wachtell Lipton, Cullerton, Borenzweig, and Gibson Dunn have yet to comment on the matter.
Cullerton and Borenzweig gained instant fame last month after a TikTok clip showed them kissing on a park bench, interrupted by a passerby. The video sparked immediate and serious repercussions for Cullerton; he was slated to leave Wachtell with several prominent litigation figures, including star litigator Bill Savitt, to join Gibson Dunn—until the video altered those plans.
Gibson Dunn decided against hiring Cullerton after the footage went viral, as sources revealed. The concern extended beyond the embarrassing nature of the video; it highlighted the professional hierarchy since Cullerton held a partner position while Borenzweig was a junior associate.
It’s uncertain what Borenzweig’s employment status is at this moment.
The drama surrounding Cullerton’s potential exit marks a notable chapter in the ongoing upheaval at Wachtell’s high-stakes litigation department, where both he and Borenzweig worked alongside lawyers who represented OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, in a significant legal battle against Elon Musk.
Last month, Savitt, aged 63, led the successful defense for OpenAI before departing from Wachtell, along with five partners—Sarah Eddy, Anitha Reddy, Randall Jackson, Ryan McLeod, and Brad Wilson—to join Gibson Dunn’s New York branch. Cullerton was expected to follow this group to Gibson Dunn until his park encounter changed everything.
Interestingly, Savitt’s departure has also unveiled a web of personal relationships within the same litigation team. Revealed last month, he and partner Sarah Eddy, who had been romantically linked, began their relationship after Savitt separated from his wife, while Eddy had been divorced for about ten years.
Wachtell reportedly has no policies forbidding consensual relationships among colleagues.
Sources close to the situation noted that Savitt and Eddy’s relationship ended around the same time they transitioned to Gibson Dunn.
Moreover, Savitt’s move to the rival firm reportedly came with a substantial financial incentive, estimated at $96 million over three years, which translates to about $32 million annually. However, the new firm’s representatives have disputed this figure, claiming it is not accurate.
