Brad Scott Karp (born July 25, 1959) is an American lawyer and a litigation partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. He was the chairman of Paul, Weiss from 2008 until his resignation in 2026, after his ties with child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was revealed.
Karp is also a bundler for Democratic Party presidential candidates in the United States, having raised sums for the presidential campaigns of Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Joe Biden, Amy Klobuchar, and others. In 2025, Karp quickly settled with the second Donald Trump administration when Trump made threats against law firms perceived to be associated with his political opponents.
In January 2026, newly unsealed documents showed that Karp was a frequent correspondent of Jeffrey Epstein. He stepped down from his position as chairman of Paul, Weiss on February 4, 2026, after the correspondence with Epstein became public.
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Early life and education
Karp was raised on Long Island. He graduated with a B.A. in political science from Union College and a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1984. Aside from a clerkship under Judge Irving R. Kaufman at the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Karp has worked continuously at Paul, Weiss since he began as a summer associate.
Career
Karp was named chairman of Paul, Weiss in 2008 and served in the role until 2026. Prior to his election, he co-chaired the firm's litigation department.
Karp has represented a wide range of clients in his career, including many financial services firms. His clients include JPMorgan Chase, Wachovia, Morgan Stanley, Apollo Global Management, Merrill Lynch, Deloitte, MacAndrews & Forbes, ING, Bear Stearns, Ericsson, Hexion, Scottish Power and Eton Park in securities, commercial and regulatory matters.
Karp serves as a director of the Legal Action Center, a non-profit law and policy organization in the U.S. whose mission is to fight discrimination against people with histories of addiction, HIV/AIDS, or criminal records.
Karp will be featured as one of eight business and political leaders profiled in the book, Profiles in Cowardice, written by journalist Jacob Weisberg, to be published in September 2026.
Negotiation with Second Trump Administration
In March 2025, President Donald Trump issued executive orders aimed at Paul Weiss and two other law firms. Those orders targeted firms that employed attorneys who participated in legal actions and investigations against Trump. Trump's stated goal was to identify and root out law firms that engaged in anti-government activities.
Paul Weiss decided to negotiate. Karp, as head of the firm, flew to Washington and met with the Office of the President and the chairman of Sullivan & Cromwell. The Administration and Karp entered into an agreement with five terms:
Today, President Donald J. Trump agreed to withdraw his March 14, 2025 Executive Order regarding the Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP law firm (*Paul, Weiss*), which has entered into the following agreement with the President:
1. Paul, Weiss agrees that the bedrock principle of American justice is that it must be fair and nonpartisan for all. Our justice system is betrayed when it is misused to achieve political ends. Lawyers and law firms play a vital role in ensuring that we live up to that standard as a Nation. Law firms should not favor any political party when it comes to choosing their clients. Nor should firms make decisions on whom to hire based on a person's political affiliation. To do otherwise is to deny some Americans an equal opportunity for our services while favoring others. Lawyers abandon the profession's highest ideals when they engage in partisan decisionmaking and betray the ethical obligation to represent those who are
unpopular or disfavored in a particular moment.
2. Paul, Weiss affirms its unwavering commitment to these core ideals and principles and will not deny representation to clients, including in pro bono matters and in support of non-profits, because of the personal political views of individual lawyers.
3. Paul, Weiss will take on a wide range of pro bono matters that represent the full spectrum of political viewpoints of our society, whether "conservative" or "liberal."
Association with Jeffrey Epstein and resignation
In January 2026, newly unsealed documents showed that Karp had corresponded by email with Jeffrey Epstein on personal matters. One such correspondence involved Karp asking on behalf of his son, a filmmaker, for an opportunity to work with Woody Allen. He wrote to Epstein in 2015, "I can't thank you enough for including me in an evening I'll never forget... It was truly 'once in a lifetime' in every way, though I hope to be invited again", and praised Epstein in an email, saying, "you're amazing." Karp also reportedly attended "dinner gatherings" at Epstein's home.
Paul, Weiss stated that Karp did not have a professional relationship with Epstein and that neither Karp nor the firm represented Epstein as a client. The firm said it had been retained by Leon Black and Apollo Global Management to negotiate fee disputes with Epstein and that its role was adverse to Epstein's interests. Karp also corresponded with Epstein as part of an attempt to surveil an unspecified woman and have her deported.
On February 4, 2026, Karp resigned from his chairmanship at Paul, Weiss after his connection with Epstein was made public. He remains a partner in the litigation department at Paul, Weiss.
Awards
Under Karp's leadership, Paul, Weiss has won numerous awards for legal accomplishments, including receiving the New York Law Journal's first Impact Award in 2013, for "innovations to the partnership model … outstanding representation of clients during the financial crisis … and commitment to public service that has boosted the firms' pro bono hours." In 2012, his firm was named by Financial Times as among the 25 firms that are "agents for change," placing 9th.