Viral TikTok video derails Wachtell partner's Gibson Dunn move

Nathaniel Cullerton, a litigation partner at Wachtell in New York, reportedly missed out on joining Gibson Dunn after a viral video showing him kissing a colleague in New York's Central Park upended one of the year's biggest Big Law lateral moves.

Cullerton was set to join Gibson Dunn alongside prominent trial lawyer and Wachtell co-chair William Savitt and five other litigation partners last week, according to the Financial Times.

However, Cullerton was not among the group announced by Gibson Dunn and it is understood that his planned move fell through after the video which spread widely across social media.

The footage showed Cullerton kissing a Wachtell associate on a park bench as the pair were approached by a TikTok creator filming the encounter. The clip has since been viewed nearly nine million times.

The FT reported that Wachtell placed Cullerton on leave pending an internal investigation.

Wachtell and Gibson Dunn did not respond to requests for comment and have not publicly commented on Cullerton's employment status or the reported change to his planned move.

Major raid

Cullerton had been expected to join the group of Wachtell litigators moving with Savitt, who last week became co-chair of Gibson Dunn's litigation practice after reportedly being lured from Wachtell with a package worth at least $20 million a year.

Savitt was joined by partners Sarah Eddy, Randall Jackson, Ryan McLeod, Anitha Reddy and Bradley Wilson in a rare loss of senior talent for the Wall Street firm, which has traditionally retained partners for much of their careers.