Nathaniel Cullerton, a partner at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, faces forced departure from the elite Manhattan law firm following a viral TikTok video showing him kissing associate Kelsey Borenzweig in Central Park, according to reports that also derailed his planned move to rival firm Gibson Dunn.
A viral social media moment in New York City has upended the careers of two high-powered attorneys at one of the nation’s most prestigious corporate law firms. Nathaniel Cullerton, a 45-year-old partner at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, is being pushed out following an internal leave and investigation into his relationship with 29-year-old litigation associate Kelsey Borenzweig, according to industry sources. The 45-year-old lawyer has been married to Moira Penza, 42, who is a partner at another Big Apple firm, since 2016 and share a $2.3 million luxurious Upper East Side co-op apartment together, according to the Daily Mail. Borenzweig was recently in a relationship with a fellow lawyer, but the pair recently split, a source told the Mail.
The Central Park Encounter That Triggered a Big Law Fallout
The controversy began when a TikTok creator captured the legal duo sharing a passionate embrace on a park bench. The video quickly amassed millions of views, thrusting the private lives of corporate attorneys into public view.
“Get a room,” implores Guapõ. “There’s kids around.”
Jay Guapõ, TikTok creator
Wachtell is forcing out canoodling Central Park lawyer Nathaniel
When the creator approached, the two lawyers attempted to shield their faces. Cullerton is shown standing up with a smile and trying to shoo the TikToker away as Borenzweig calmly tells him to put the phone down,
according to published video accounts.
Gibson Dunn Scraps Lucrative Partner Hire
The public spectacle carried immediate professional consequences beyond Wachtell’s offices. Prior to the incident, Cullerton had been preparing to make a high-profile lateral move alongside several colleagues to rival firm Gibson Dunn. Sources familiar with the matter reported that Gibson Dunn scrapped Cullerton’s planned hiring after the video circulated widely online. Cullerton was also slated to join more than half a dozen prominent attorneys from Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz who jumped ship to rival firm Gibson Dunn this week, according to the Times.
Hierarchical Pressures and Internal Investigations
NYC lawyer caught canoodling with his much-younger colleague in
Beyond the embarrassment of a viral video, the relationship drew scrutiny because of the professional structure inside the firm. Cullerton operated as a partner while Borenzweig worked as a more junior associate within the same litigation department, creating an internal supervisory dynamic that complicated their employment status. Both Cullerton’s and Borenzweig’s attorney profiles remained on Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz’s website as of Tuesday.
While Wachtell had no policy prohibiting consensual relationships between colleagues, the public visibility and the power imbalance inherent between a partner and a junior associate prompted weeks of leave and a formal internal review.
Wider Upheaval in a High-Stakes Litigation Group
Cullerton’s departure coincides with a remarkable wave of departures from Wachtell’s powerhouse litigation group. Cullerton and Borenzweig had previously worked alongside legal teams that successfully defended OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman against a high-profile $150 billion lawsuit filed by Elon Musk earlier in the year. Savitt, 63, helped lead OpenAI’s successful defense before leaving Wachtell last month with five partners — Sarah Eddy, Anitha Reddy, Randall Jackson, Ryan McLeod and Brad Wilson — for Gibson Dunn’s New York office.
That same litigation unit saw star litigator Bill Savitt depart alongside multiple partners for Gibson Dunn’s New York office.
