William "Bill" Savitt, a prominent corporate litigator who supervised the lawyers recently filmed kissing in Central Park, was reportedly involved in a romantic relationship with senior partner Sarah Eddy, according to legal sources.
Savitt, 63, recently moved from the white-shoe firm Wachtell Lipton to rival Gibson Dunn, bringing Eddy and four other senior litigation partners with him. His new compensation package is reportedly worth $96 million over three years, with one source suggesting the figure is significantly underestimated.
The relationship between Savitt and Eddy, who worked on the same team as the viral Central Park couple, is said to have begun after Savitt separated from his wife, designer Nazak Savitt. The sources indicated that the relationship did not violate Wachtell Lipton's policies, as the firm does not have a non-fraternization rule. Eddy, a divorced Canadian and Harvard Law School lecturer, was not Savitt's subordinate, sources said.
Savitt denied that his relationship with Eddy constituted an affair when contacted by The Post. Eddy divorced her husband 10 years ago and was reportedly single when the relationship with Savitt began.
Savitt and Eddy were previously recognized for their roles in securing a jury verdict for OpenAI in the lawsuit brought by Elon Musk. Savitt was identified as the mastermind behind Wachtell Lipton's successful defense of OpenAI in that case. IMAGE1
The viral incident involved lawyers Nathaniel Cullerton, 45, and Kelsey Borenzweig, 29, who were captured on video kissing in Central Park while allegedly filing private motions. Cullerton, a junior partner at Wachtell Lipton, was also expected to join Gibson Dunn but the offer was rescinded after the video surfaced. IMAGE3
Sources stated that Cullerton's offer was rescinded not only due to the video but also because of the power imbalance it highlighted, as Borenzweig was a junior associate working directly under him. Cullerton has been placed on leave from Wachtell Lipton pending an investigation.
Gibson Dunn and Wachtell Lipton both declined to comment on the matter. Savitt had no comment regarding his payout from Wachtell Lipton.