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Leader of Paul Weiss Resigns Over Epstein Ties

Newly released messages show Brad Karp exchanged emails about client, son with convicted sex offender

By Erin Mulvaney, WSJ

Updated Feb. 4, 2026 9:27 pm ET

Brad Karp, the leader of Paul Weiss, one of the country’s biggest law firms, resigned as chair in the wake of new revelations about his association with Jeffrey Epstein.

Karp is an influential lawyer in corporate circles, who advised boards of directors and business leaders, including Apollo co-founder Leon Black. He faced criticism in legal circles last year after he brokered a deal with President Trump to resolve an executive order that cracked down on law firms.

The 1,200-lawyer firm said it appointed Scott Barshay, one the firm’s most prominent rainmakers, as its new chairman.

In a statement Karp said, “Leading Paul Weiss for the past 18 years has been the honor of my professional life. Recent reporting has created a distraction and has placed a focus on me that is not in the best interests of the firm.”

Newly released Epstein files showed that Karp communicated with Epstein about Black, one of his top clients. Emails from 2016 show Karp asking Epstein to find a role for his son on a coming Woody Allen film.

Earlier this week, Karp dropped out of a Wall Street Journal event where he was scheduled to speak about leadership in uncertain times.

In his nearly two decades as chair, Karp has led Paul Weiss to become a major player in corporate dealwork. Karp previously led the firm’s litigation department, and has spent his entire career at Paul Weiss, beginning as a summer associate.

Black hired Paul Weiss to negotiate a series of fee disputes with Epstein over several years. The firm said that it was “adverse to Epstein” and at no point did Karp or the firm represent him.

The new emails show a seemingly cozy relationship between Karp and Epstein that lasted years and included dinners at the financier’s mansion and facilitating his family attending Woody Allen movie screenings.

A 2019 exchange shows Epstein asking Republican strategist Steve Bannon to help Karp become a member at the exclusive Augusta National Golf Club. Epstein was arrested on federal child sex-trafficking charges three months later.

In response to the Epstein emails, a Paul Weiss spokesman previously said, “Mr. Karp never witnessed or participated in any misconduct. Mr. Karp attended two group dinners in New York City and had a small number of social interactions by email, all of which he regrets.”

Last year, Trump issued a string of executive orders against law firms that threatened their business, ordering federal agencies to strip clients of government contracts and ban lawyers from federal buildings.

Karp negotiated with Trump to avoid the order, promising $40 million in pro bono work. Several other large firms followed and made similar deals to avoid the punitive orders totaling nearly $1 billion in pro bono work.

That decision angered some clients and several Paul Weiss partners left the firm after the deals were struck, including several high-profile litigators.