One of New York's most storied law firms, long known for taking on President Trump, has now become a case study in how corporate ambition can collide with institutional ideals, reports the New York Times. The investigation traces how Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison—once celebrated for civil rights work, LGBTQ milestones, and courtroom fights against Trump's first-term policies—shifted over the past decade as chairman Brad Karp aggressively built a lucrative corporate practice, powered by private equity deals and star M&A recruit Scott Barshay. As corporate lawyers gained clout, internal critics say, pro bono and social-justice work was increasingly treated as a business risk rather than a point of pride.
That tension came to a head after Trump's 2024 return to the White House, when he issued an executive order targeting Paul Weiss with punishing sanctions. While other firms sued and quickly won injunctions, Karp quietly negotiated a deal: the firm would provide tens of millions in free legal work for causes acceptable to the administration. The New York Times details the backlash, a concealed $3.5 million pact with the firm's first openly trans partner, and Karp's eventual ouster amid revelations about his advice to Jeffrey Epstein—all culminating in Barshay's rise to chairman. For the deeply reported narrative and documents behind it, read the full Times piece. Or read five takeaways here.
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