The Extreme Price of a High Profile: Pain, Personal and Institutional, Doesn't Let Up for Paul, Weiss

In a poignant snippet during his speech at the bar association gala last night Paul, Weiss chair Brad Karp shared his pain. That was both for his own professional life/personal health and for the elite institution at which he has been a lifer. Bloomberg Law captures that: 

"Karp said he had a major heart attack in January, 'and then in March, my firm and I faced something even worse. We were targeted by the current administration in large part because of our lawyers’ high-profile work on pro bono matters. We ultimately resolved that existential threat.'”

Despite that intimate sharing, unusual for a seasoned lawyer trained to withhold verbally, some in attendance heckled him. There were also signs vilifying the March dealmaking with the Trump administration. 

All this has been a continuation of the default of targeting Paul, Weiss for the controversial negotiations with the White House. Those were to do pro bono work in the public interest. Other firms not only followed in this, ranging from Skadden to Kirkland & Ellis. They also ponied up siginficantly more pro bono hours. Paul, Weiss arranged $40 million. Other firms agreed to up to $100 million.

Anyone who understands the dynamics of public opinion knows this won't let up. Both Karp and Paul, Weiss are the designated scapegoats for rage about where America has been since last January. That was when the new administration took power. Their high profile did them in. Even as hope rises among progressives after Tuesday's election results, they will remain the unforgiven. That's just the way it is.

The man caught in this unraveling has shown himself to be a good human being. There are so many touching anecdotes. One is the paralegal who asked for career guidance. Karp stopped his day and gave it. Law is among the sectors holding up in the perfect storm of cost-efficiency, uncertainty and AI. My industry, where I worked 40 years, wasn't. Karp was there for me. He even stopped his day and read something I had published which won recognition. That gave me the lift I needed, at the time.

Although the youngest of the boomers - he's only 65 - Karp has crossed the line like too many of us older boomers. It's to never again be able to trust his body. That's more an upheaval than any career challenge. I know. On April 27, 2024, I crossed that same line. For me it was a stroke. Everything is now different. The line crossed, you go to bed not knowing if you'll wake up.  

My Ph.D. is in literature. I had taught Shakespeare at the University of Michigan. The history plays depict how cursed are those with power. Mostly that's because those without it envy it. Judge it. Chase after it. As a tarot reader I advise Karp to reach toward the light far far away from professional life. He can embrace joy again.