Brad Karp Resigns as Paul Weiss Chairman Amid Epstein Fallout

Brad Karp, the longtime chairman of Paul Weiss, one of the nation’s top corporate law firms, suddenly resigned on Wednesday evening after a series of embarrassing emails between him and Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier, became public in recent days.

The law firm’s statement announcing Mr. Karp’s resignation as chairman gave no explanation for his decision. But it included a quote from him saying, “Recent reporting has created a distraction and has placed a focus on me that is not in the best interests of the firm.”

In recent weeks, top business executives, academics and politicians have faced negative attention because of email and text conversations they had with Mr. Epstein long after he pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from a minor girl and registered as a sex offender.

Paul Weiss, with more than 1,200 lawyers, represents some of the biggest companies in the world, such as Amazon, Exxon Mobil and the National Football League. The firm also has a reputation for providing pro bono work to organizations that support the indigent and immigrants.

Mr. Karp’s resignation, after 18 years as chairman, ends a tough stretch for one of Wall Street’s most influential and well-connected lawyers.

Last March, Mr. Karp faced intense scrutiny within the legal community and Paul Weiss after the firm reached a deal with President Trump to sidestep an executive order that could have harmed its business by effectively barring the firm from representing clients before the federal government.