Nathaniel Cullerton has learned the hard way that Central Park has eyes.
The married Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz partner is on leave after a video showed him getting cozy with a much younger associate. The clip quickly went viral. Apparently, private moments are not so private when the internet gets involved.
Cullerton, 45, is a successful attorney at one of New York’s most prestigious law firms. He reportedly rakes in at least $4 million a year as a partner.
That is a lot of money to potentially put in danger over a few minutes of questionable decision-making.
According to The Post, legal sources say Cullerton could lose tens of millions after a lucrative job offer was reportedly pulled following the viral video.
TOP NEW YORK LAWYER’S AFFAIR VIDEO GOES VIRAL, CAREER MOVE COLLAPSES @elonmusk
Footage of Wachtell partner Nathaniel Cullerton, 45, kissing junior associate Kelsey Borenzweig, 29, on a Central Park bench was captured by a TikTok creator.
The recorder confronted the couple,… pic.twitter.com/8pHJxdnWMN
— Russian Market (@runews) July 31, 2026
The lawyer has been placed on leave while the firm investigates the situation.
Footage of Cullerton sucking face with 29-year-old co-worker Kelsey Borenzweig, came at the worst possible time for the legal whiz — who was reportedly set to jump ship to rival Manhattan firm Gibson Dunn this week as part of a major Big Law shakeup, insiders said.
His hiring at Gibson Dunn was scrapped after the kissing video went viral last week, sources said — even though many commentators have been more critical of the TikTokker who filmed them than the pecking legal eagles.
The average pay for a partner at Wachtell Lipton is a jaw-dropping $12 million — making them the most handsomely paid partners in the world, according to BCG Attorney Search.
Cullerton’s predicament is especially awkward because of his position. Working at a major “white-shoe” law firm comes with plenty of prestige. It also comes with plenty of scrutiny.
Experts said that as a junior partner, Cullerton would be on considerably less.
But, he presumably would have been offered even more after being poached by Gibson Dunn.
Both Cullerton and Borenzweig were part of the Wachtell Lipton team that repped OpenAI and beat Elon Musk’s $150 billion lawsuit in a California court this year.
Cullerton is married to prosecutor Moira Kim Penza, who was lead attorney on the federal case that convicted NXIVM sex cult founder Keith Raniere. They share an Upper East Side apartment, according to records.
For now, the lawyer’s professional future appears uncertain. His reported income is huge and his reputation is valuable. And both may now be taking a serious hit.
