The married law partner caught in a steamy smoochfest with a much younger associate in Central Park could lose tens of millions of dollars after a lucrative job offer was reportedly rescinded, legal sources told The Post Wednesday.
Hotshot attorney Nathaniel Cullerton, 45, likely makes at least $4 million as a partner at the white shoe law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, the sources said.
He was placed on leave amid an investigation into the viral canoodling clip, according to the Financial Times.
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.
The FT reported that his hiring at Gibson Dunn was scrapped after the kissing video went viral last week — 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.
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.
The “mastermind” of that successful defense, renowned attorney Bill Savitt, was recently lured away by Gibson Dunn and took a handful of senior trial lawyers with him.
Cullterton was meant to be part of the defection, as well, according to the FT.
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.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Cullerton was placed on a paid leave, or what his fate will be.
Cullerton and Borenzweig were caught on camera passionately making out on a bench in the park as camera-wielding TikTok user Jay Guapõ interrupts them by scolding, “Get a room. There’s kids around.”
They then look up in embarrassment and shield themselves from the camera.
Social media users went wild for the footage, with some comparing it to the Coldplay concert cheating scandal last year.
The video has been viewed nearly 6 million times on TikTok 4 million views on Instagram.
Neither Watchell Lipton nor Gibson Dunn responded to a request for comment. Cullerton and Borenzweig also did not respond.
