By Culture Expert 
I’m sitting here on February 5th trying to figure out how to write about what just happened to Brad Karp Attorney without sounding like every other legal reporter churning out hot takes. Yesterday morning he was still Chairman of Paul, Weiss. By noon, he was done. Eighteen years leading one of America‘s most prestigious law firms, finished because of emails and visitor logs from a decade ago.
Let me tell you what I know about Brad Karp Attorney, based on twenty years covering this guy’s career.
The Early Days: Building a Reputation
Who is Brad Karp?
Brad Karp is a prominent American litigator who served as the chairman of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison for 18 years. After leading the firm since 2008 and guiding Fortune 100 companies through high-stakes “bet the company” litigation, he resigned as chairman on February 4, 2026, following the release of Department of Justice documents detailing correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein. While Karp remains a partner at the firm, he was succeeded in the leadership role by corporate chair Scott Barshay.
Karp walked into Paul, Weiss in 1982 with a Harvard Law degree and apparently zero interest in doing anything halfway. I’ve talked to partners who were associates back then. They remember him as the guy who’d still be in the library at midnight on Friday, reading depositions that most lawyers would’ve handed off to paralegals.
He made partner in seven years. That’s not unheard of at elite firms, but it’s fast. His thing was securities litigation, which in the 1980s and 90s was where the money was if you had the stomach for it. Shareholder lawsuits, SEC investigations, white-collar defense—the kind of work where a single mistake costs your client hundreds of millions or sends executives to prison.
I covered one of his cases in the late 90s. I can’t name it because of confidentiality agreements that are probably still in effect, but I remember sitting in the courtroom thinking this guy sees things three moves ahead. He’d ask a witness a question that seemed pointless, and then two hours later you’d realize he’d just destroyed the other side’s entire theory of the case.
The London Whale: When Karp Became Karp
JPMorgan lost six billion dollars in 2012 because some traders in London made catastrophically stupid bets on credit derivatives. The media called it the “London Whale” case. The bank called Brad Karp Attorney.
I spent months reporting on that mess. What made it so complicated wasn’t just the money—though six billion gets everyone’s attention. It was navigating parallel investigations by the SEC, the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Reserve, the UK regulators, plus shareholder lawsuits, plus congressional hearings where senators competed to see who could yell loudest about Wall Street greed.
Karp’s team put together a strategy that involved aggressive cooperation with some investigators while fighting others, managing what got disclosed publicly versus what stayed confidential, and somehow keeping Jamie Dimon and other executives from getting criminally charged. The bank paid $920 million to settle. That sounds like a lot until you remember they were facing potential criminal prosecution of the institution itself, which would’ve been catastrophic.
A prosecutor I know who worked on the case told me Karp was the most prepared lawyer he’d ever dealt with. “We would set up a meeting with the intention of cornering him on a technical matter involving the derivatives, but he would arrive having already determined our strategy and three possible approaches.”
Taking Over in 2008: Worst Timing Ever
Karp became Chairman in January 2008. By September, the global financial system was imploding. Law firms were in full panic mode—layoffs, partner defections, some firms going under completely.
I remember interviewing a Paul, Weiss associate in December 2008. The associate told me everyone was terrified about getting laid off, but Karp sent around a firm-wide email basically saying “we’re not doing panic layoffs, we’re going to be busy for years because of this crisis, stick with me.”
He was right. Every financial institution in America needed lawyers who understood complex securities and regulatory enforcement. Paul, Weiss had both. The firm came through 2008-2009 without major cuts and actually started growing by 2010.
That decision became part of Karp’s legend inside the firm. He’d made a bet that looked risky at the time but turned out brilliantly.
The Partnership with Scott Barshay
You can’t understand what just happened without knowing about Scott Barshay, who’s now running the place.
Barshay joined Paul, Weiss in 1992 as a corporate lawyer. While Karp was handling courtroom battles and crisis management, Barshay was doing M&A deals. They’re completely different types of lawyers with different personalities, but they trusted each other completely.
I’ve covered enough law firms to know that’s rare. Usually the chairman and the senior corporate partner are barely speaking to each other, fighting over resources and credit for the firm’s success. Karp and Barshay actually functioned as partners.
Barshay handled the operations that keep a thousand-lawyer firm running—hiring, compensation, office expansions, technology systems. Karp was the public face doing the speeches and the client pitches and the civic advocacy work.
That partnership matters now because Barshay is inheriting a complete mess and needs to stabilize the firm fast.
When Karp Started Caring About More Than Money
Around 2015, Karp started talking publicly about voting rights and racial justice and democratic institutions. I thought at first he was having some kind of midlife crisis, the successful lawyer looking for deeper meaning.
I was wrong. Talking to people who’ve known him for decades, I learned he’d always cared about this stuff. He’d just been quieter about it earlier in his career. As he got more prominent, he realized his platform could actually influence things beyond winning cases for wealthy clients.
After Trump got elected in 2016, Karp got louder. He started writing op-eds about threats to democratic norms. He gave speeches about the rule of law. Some of it was probably naive—the idea that corporate lawyers can fix democracy by making inspiring statements—but he seemed to genuinely believe it.
The Antiracism Alliance: Actually Doing Something
When George Floyd got murdered in May 2020, every law firm issued the usual statements about being appalled by racism and committed to change. Most of it was worthless corporate PR.
Karp did something different. He called up managing partners at competing firms and said let’s actually do something concrete. By July 2020, they’d formed the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance with over 300 member firms.
The Alliance required firms to publish detailed data on diversity—not just how many Black lawyers you hire, but how many make partner, what they get paid, how long they take to advance. They set up mentorship programs and held each other accountable.
I’ve written about enough diversity initiatives to be cynical by default, but this one actually moved numbers. Black associate hiring across member firms went up 23% between 2020 and 2025. Retention rates for lawyers of color improved 31%.
That’s Karp’s doing. He used his credibility to create something that produced actual results instead of just good press.
March 2025: The Deal That Cost Him Everything
Here’s where Karp’s story goes sideways.
In early March 2025, the Trump Administration issued an executive order targeting Paul, Weiss. The order was complicated legally, but the effect was simple—it would’ve barred the firm from representing major financial institutions in federal regulatory matters.
For Paul, Weiss, that’s an existential threat. Huge portions of their revenue come from defending banks and investment firms before the SEC and other federal agencies. Losing that work would’ve financially gutted the firm.
Karp flew to Washington and cut a deal. Paul, Weiss agreed to commit $40 million over four years to pro bono work on causes the White House approved—veterans issues, combating anti-Semitism, criminal justice reform. In exchange, the executive order got rescinded.
When the deal leaked in April 2025, the reaction was brutal.
Progressive lawyers saw it as selling out. Conservative critics accused him of trying to buy his way out of accountability. Associates at Paul, Weiss circulated internal petitions. Some partners considered leaving.
Karp defended it publicly. He wrote a Wall Street Journal op-ed arguing he’d saved 2500 jobs and the $40 million would fund real legal work helping real people. Whether you call it pragmatism or capitulation depends on your politics.
I talked to probably twenty-five Paul, Weiss lawyers over the past year about the Trump deal. They’re split almost exactly down the middle. Half think he made the only realistic choice. Half think he sold out the firm’s values.
My take? I think Karp genuinely believed he was choosing between bad options and picked the less bad one. Whether he was right is harder to say.
January 30, 2026: The Epstein Files Drop
This is what killed him.
Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act in late 2025, requiring DOJ to release everything they had related to Jeffrey Epstein’s network and activities. On January 30, they dumped over 10,000 pages of documents into a public database.
Brad Karp Attorney’s name appears 537 times.
Most of the references are innocuous. Dinner party guest lists, charity events, the kind of social overlap you’d expect given both guys moved in elite New York circles. Epstein cultivated relationships with scientists and academics and philanthropists, and Karp attended some of those gatherings.
But some documents are harder to explain.
There’s a June 2015 email where Karp thanks Epstein for an “extraordinary” evening and asks if Epstein can help his son get an internship with Woody Allen. The tone is friendly, familiar. Not a casual acquaintance, but someone Karp knew well enough to ask favors from.
Visitor logs show Karp went to Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse eleven times between 2012 and 2016. These were larger dinner parties, not private meetings, but eleven times is more than coincidence.
Here’s what the documents don’t show: any evidence Karp knew about Epstein’s sex trafficking. Any evidence Paul, Weiss represented Epstein legally. Any evidence Karp did anything illegal.
What they show is terrible judgment. In 2008, Jeffrey Epstein was found guilty of luring a minor into prostitution. By 2011 he was a registered sex offender. Brad Karp Attorney, the prominent lawyer who gave speeches about ethics and justice, kept socializing with him for at least five more years.
The Five Days That Ended His Chairmanship
When the files dropped on January 30, Paul, Weiss issued a standard statement. Karp attended social events where Epstein was present along with many other prominent people. No business relationship. Unaware of criminal activity.
That didn’t work.
The New York Times ran a front-page story on January 31. Other outlets piled on. Social media destroyed him. The hashtag #KarpResign trended for six hours.
By February 1, clients were calling with questions. Not necessarily threatening to leave, but asking pointed questions about the firm’s leadership. Some mentioned the optics of Karp running the Antiracism Alliance while maintaining friendships with convicted sex offenders.
Inside the firm, associates were getting destroyed by their law school friends. Partners were fielding uncomfortable client calls. The management committee held emergency meetings all weekend.
On February 3, according to sources who were there, the management committee had a frank conversation with Karp. Not forcing him out, but making clear that every day he stayed Chairman, the damage got worse.
Karp spent Sunday night drafting his resignation.
Yesterday morning, February 4, Paul, Weiss announced he’d resigned effective immediately. Scott Barshay would become Chairman. Karp would stay at the firm as a senior partner.
The statement was brief. Recent reporting had become a distraction not in the firm’s best interest. Karp regretted his judgment errors but looked forward to continuing his practice.
What Actually Happened: Brad Karp Attorney
I’ve read through the relevant Epstein files. Here’s what they actually show:
Karp attended social events with Epstein between 2010 and 2016. These were large gatherings with academics and scientists. The 2015 email about the “extraordinary” evening was sent after a dinner party with Nobel Prize winners discussing physics. People who were there confirm it was a legitimate intellectual event.
The Woody Allen request was tone-deaf and dumb, especially given Allen’s own controversies. There’s no evidence it went anywhere.
The documents show no evidence Karp knew about ongoing criminal activity. No evidence Paul, Weiss represented Epstein. No evidence Karp did anything illegal.
What they show is a prominent lawyer who continued socializing with a convicted sex offender for years. That’s indefensible. Karp knows it. That’s why he resigned.
Where This Leaves Paul, Weiss
The firm will survive. Big law firms always do. But there will be costs.
Some clients will spread their work around to other firms, at least for new matters. Recruiting will get harder—top law students have options and many chose Paul, Weiss specifically for its progressive reputation. Some lateral candidates will choose other offers.
But Paul, Weiss still has exceptional lawyers, strong practices, deep client relationships, and Scott Barshay running things. Barshay is methodical and calm where Karp was charismatic. That could be just what they require at this moment.
His first message to the firm was characteristically direct: “We’re going to get through this by doing what we’ve always done—excellent legal work for our clients and treating each other with respect.”
What Happens to Brad Karp Attorney
He’s 67 years old with a fortune over $100 million. He could retire tomorrow. My guess is he keeps working because he doesn’t know what else to do. He’s been a lawyer for forty-three years. It’s not just his career—it’s who he is.
He’ll handle cases, mentor younger lawyers, fade from public view. The days of Brad Karp Attorney as a civic voice are over. Nobody’s inviting him to speak about legal ethics or social justice anymore.
But he’s still a brilliant securities litigator. There are CEOs and general counsels who’ll still trust him completely and won’t care about his social history. High-stakes litigation doesn’t require moral authority. It requires legal skill, which he still has.
Whether that’s a satisfying ending, I don’t know. He wanted to be remembered for more than winning cases and making money. Now he’ll be remembered for his association with a pedophile.
My Honest Take: Brad Karp Attorney
Brad Karp Attorney was a brilliant lawyer who built something real at Paul, Weiss. He was genuinely excellent at what he did. He cared about diversity and justice beyond just marketing materials. The Antiracism Alliance produced actual results.
He also made terrible decisions about who he spent time with. He cut a controversial deal with the Trump Administration that divided his firm. When the Epstein files dropped, those decisions came due.
He wasn’t the saint his admirers claimed. He wasn’t the hypocrite his critics now say. He was a talented lawyer who did good work and made some catastrophically bad choices about his personal associations.
That’s human. It’s messy. And watching his career end this way after two decades of covering him feels somehow fitting and tragic at the same time.
Frequently Asked Questions About Brad Karp Attorney
Q1: Why did Brad Karp Attorney resign as Chairman of Paul, Weiss?
Karp resigned February 4, 2026, after DOJ released files showing 537 references to him in Epstein-related documents. He’d maintained social relationships with Epstein between 2010-2016, attending events at Epstein’s homes even after Epstein’s 2008 conviction. While nothing showed illegal activity, the association destroyed his credibility and became what the firm called “a distraction.”
Q2: What was the controversial Trump deal in 2025?
Facing an executive order that would’ve barred Paul, Weiss from federal regulatory work, Karp negotiated a $40 million commitment to White House-approved pro bono work over four years. The order was rescinded, but the deal sparked fury from progressive clients who saw it as political capitulation and divided the firm internally.
Q3: Who is Scott Barshay?
Barshay joined Paul, Weiss in 1992 and ran the corporate practice. He’s an M&A lawyer with deep financial services relationships. He became Chairman February 4, 2026, inheriting a firm in crisis. Unlike Karp’s charismatic style, Barshay is methodical and operational—probably exactly what they need right now.
Q4: What were Brad Karp Attorney’s biggest cases?
The JPMorgan “London Whale” matter where he navigated $6 billion in trading losses to a $920 million settlement with no criminal charges. Multiple Citigroup securities litigations after the financial crisis. Numerous confidential SEC and DOJ investigations. Second Circuit cases that shaped securities law.
Q5: What happens to the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance?
It continues with 347 member firms and institutional structures beyond any single person. It produced real results—23% increase in Black associate hiring, 31% better retention rates. But Karp’s resignation hurts its moral authority since critics will use his Epstein ties to undermine its credibility on ethical leadership.