Wachtell Lipton pushes partner Nathaniel Cullerton out after viral Central Park kiss

Wachtell Lipton has placed partner Nathaniel Cullerton on leave and is preparing to sever his ties after a widely shared TikTok video captured him and 29-year-old associate Kelsey Borenzweig kissing on a Central Park bench. The public spectacle halted Cullerton’s planned transition to rival firm Gibson Dunn, a move that had been expected alongside other litigation partners. While Cullerton remains technically employed, sources say his status has not changed since July and his compensation during leave is unclear.

The episode adds to a series of upheavals in Wachtell’s high-profile litigation team, which recently lost Bill Savitt and several colleagues to Gibson Dunn after their own personal relationships became public. The firm reportedly has no policy prohibiting consensual relationships among lawyers, but the hierarchy between a partner and a junior associate intensified scrutiny. The broader fallout highlights the fragile nature of reputation and mobility within elite “Big Law” circles.