How Brad Karp lost his grip on Paul Weiss

05:05 |

The Daily Docket

A newsletter by Reuters and Westlaw

By Shruthi Krishnamurthy.

Good morning. Today, we dive into the fall of Brad Karp's reign at Paul Weiss. Opening statements are set in California's social media addiction trial and New Mexico's child sexual exploitation case against Meta. An appeals court rejected a challenge to Trump's DEI ban efforts. Plus, we have photos from the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics. It's Monday! — Please read responsibly and with caffeine.

From Trump to Epstein, how Brad Karp lost his grip on law firm Paul Weiss

REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

In 2024, Paul Weiss chairman Brad Karp helped raise money for Kamala Harris from hundreds of elite lawyers, giving her presidential campaign a significant boost.

After Harris' defeat, he cut a deal with President Trump to undo an executive order targeting the firm — sparking backlash and partner departures.

Though he has not been accused of wrongdoing, Karp this week stepped down as chairman following revelations of ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

"If you were going to write a Greek tragedy about a law firm leader, this is it," a former senior Paul Weiss lawyer said.

Here's how Karp's leadership unraveled.

Follow up: On Friday, U.S. District Judge Jeanette Vargas in Manhattan heard an emergency request by New York and New Jersey to force the restoration of funding for the $16 billion Hudson Tunnel Project. Here's what unfolded.

Coming up today

Litigation: Opening statements are set to begin in a California state court trial accusing Meta and Google's YouTube of harming children's mental health through addictive platforms. Also today, a separate landmark trial kicks off in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where the state attorney general has accused Meta of exposing children and teens to sexual exploitation on its platforms and profiting from it.
Immigration: A federal court in D.C. will hold a hearing in a lawsuit challenging President Trump's unlawful and unprecedented invocation of the Alien Enemies Act. In December, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ruled that the removal of 137 Venezuelan men to El Salvador's CECOT prison violated due-process rights and that they are entitled to return to court to contest their deportation.
Policy: The American Bar Association's House of Delegates meets today in San Antonio to consider nearly 30 policy matters, including resolutions supporting the independence of the U.S. Department of Justice; opposing threats to judges; and preserving the government's Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

Court calendars are subject to last-minute docket changes.

More top news

Industry insight

The D.C. Circuit rejected a bid by the U.S. Justice Department to delay a hearing on President Trump's bid to revive executive orders he issued against four major law firms that were struck down by judges last year. Read the order.
The Superior Court of New Jersey Appellate Division barred plaintiffs' firm Beasley Allen from representing plaintiffs in a consolidated group of lawsuits in the state brought against Johnson & Johnson, alleging its baby powder causes cancer. Read more here.

In the courts

The 4th Circuit rejected a challenge to a move by the Trump administration to ban DEI programs at federal agencies and businesses with government contracts. Read the order.
U.S. District Judge Georgia N. Alexakis in Illinois lifted the protective order on bodycam footage, text messages and other evidence in the case of a Chicago woman who was shot multiple times by a Border Patrol agent during the Trump administration's immigration enforcement operation last fall. Read the decision.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Gregory Como struck down three Arizona laws that limited access to abortion, saying the restrictions violated a right to abortion that was added to the state's constitution in 2024. Read more here.
Burford Capital convinced the 7th Circuit to throw out a $50 million antitrust settlement involving its former client Sysco in a case one judge called a "cautionary tale" about the influence of third‑party litigation financing. Read the order.
U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas in Manhattan rejected a bid by real estate brokerage Compass for an injunction requiring Zillow to list more homes on its real estate platforms. Read the order.
Timothy Busfield, the U.S. actor and director known for his role in "The West Wing," was indicted by a New Mexico grand jury on charges of child sex abuse. Read more here.
Paramount Skydance and film producer Spyglass Media Group sued Hollywood makeup and special-effects studio Alterian in California federal court to defend their rights to the "Ghostface" mask made popular by the "Scream" horror movie series. Read the lawsuit.
Suffolk County Superior Court Judge Christopher Barry-Smith in Massachusetts rejected a request by prediction-markets operator Kalshi to allow it to keep offering sports-events contracts in the state while it appeals an injunction that will lead to it being banned from operating there without a state gaming license in 30 days. Read more here.

Attorney Analysis

Attorneys at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom examine the FTC's approach to AI enforcement efforts, which set aside some orders while continuing enforcement related to false statements about the capabilities of AI products. Read today's Attorney Analysis.

Contact

Caitlin Tremblay

caitlin.tremblay@thomsonreuters.com

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