The Former Biglaw Partner In Jeffrey Epstein’s Private Calendar

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Jeffrey Epstein

The Wall Street Journal did a deep dive on the private documents and calendars of Jeffrey Epstein. The documents span 2013 to 2017 — well after Epstein was already a convicted sex offender for crimes involving a teenage girl. The list of folks seemingly happy to give Epstein reintegration into polite society is long, with notable names from government, academia, and finance. But what caught Above the Law’s attention is a former Biglaw attorney’s name.

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Kathryn Ruemmler has had quite the legal career. The former White House counsel under President Barack Obama, she was a partner at Latham & Watkins and co-chair of its white-collar defense group. In 2020 Ruemmler left Biglaw for the in-house world at Goldman Sachs, where she currently serves as Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel. And in the 2010s she repeatedly met with Epstein.

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According to a spokesperson at Goldman, Epstein and Ruemmler’s relationship was a professional one that she maintained in connection with her role at Latham. Though a spokesperson for the Biglaw firm says Epstein was never a client of Latham’s, Ruemmler says he was a professional contact and Epstein introduced her to potential clients. She now says, “I regret ever knowing Jeffrey Epstein.”

Over the next few years, Ms. Ruemmler, then a partner specializing in white-collar defense at Latham & Watkins, had more than three dozen appointments with Epstein, including for lunches and dinners.

“In the normal course, Epstein also invited her to meetings and social gatherings, introduced her to other business contacts and made referrals,” the Goldman spokesman said. “It was the same kinds of contacts and engagements she had with other contacts and clients.”

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Ruemmler first met Epstein when he called and asked if she’d be interested in Bill Gates and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. A Gates spokesperson now says Epstein misrepresented their relationship and that he regrets ever meeting him. However, at least one of the introductions Epstein facilitated led to a representation for Latham:

Epstein also connected Ms. Ruemmler with Ariane de Rothschild, who is now chief executive of the Swiss private bank Edmond de Rothschild Group. The bank hired Ms. Ruemmler’s law firm, Latham & Watkins, after the introduction to help with U.S. regulatory matters, according to the bank and the Goldman spokesman.

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According to the reporting, Epstein appeared to have taken the time and effort to cultivate his relationships with the elite:

The documents show that Epstein appeared to know some of his guests well. He asked for avocado sushi rolls to be on hand when meeting with Ms. Ruemmler, according to the documents. He visited apartments she was considering buying. In October 2014, Epstein knew her travel plans and told an assistant to look into her flight. “See if there is a first class seat,” he wrote, “if so upgrade her.”

In 2014, Epstein called Ms. Ruemmler within weeks of her leaving the Obama White House. Epstein planned a lunch in August 2014 at his townhouse, followed by a series of meetings to introduce her to a wider circle of his acquaintances.

Which seems to have included hiding away aspects of Epstein’s life that could be troubling:

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Epstein and his staff discussed whether Ms. Ruemmler, now 52, would be uncomfortable with the presence of young women who worked as assistants and staffers at the townhouse, the documents show. Women emailed Epstein on two occasions to ask if they should avoid the home while Ms. Ruemmler was there. Epstein told one of the women he didn’t want her around, and another that it wasn’t a problem, the documents show.

Ms. Ruemmler didn’t see anything that would lead her to be concerned at the townhouse and didn’t express any concern, the Goldman spokesman said.

Epstein’s documents also show he planned to fly with Ruemmler and in 2017 even planned a stop at his home in the U.S. Virgin Islands for the day. But Ruemmler never visited his island and “never accepted an invitation or an opportunity to fly with Jeffrey Epstein anywhere,” according to the Goldman rep.

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Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @[email protected].

Topics

Biglaw, Jeffrey Epstein, Kathryn Ruemmler, Latham & Watkins