Goldman Sachs Group Inc. general counsel Kathryn Ruemmler, who resigned last week after revelations about her prior professional relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, will remain with the bank as a senior adviser, the company confirmed on Tuesday.
Ruemmler, 52, stepped down from her role as general counsel on April 28, 2026, following an internal review that examined her interactions with Epstein while she served as a partner at a law firm that represented him years before joining Goldman. The bank said she will now advise on litigation and regulatory matters, reporting directly to CEO David Solomon.
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Background and internal fallout
The controversy stems from Ruemmler’s work at the law firm Kirkland & Ellis, where she provided legal advice to Epstein between 2010 and 2012, according to people familiar with the matter. Epstein died by suicide in a federal jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Goldman’s board conducted a review of Ruemmler’s past ties after the Wall Street Journal reported on them earlier this month. The review concluded that her work for Epstein did not violate any firm policies, but the negative attention prompted her to step aside as the bank’s top lawyer.
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Ruemmler joined Goldman in 2021 after serving as White House counsel under President Barack Obama. She oversaw the bank’s legal and regulatory affairs, including its response to probes related to the 1MDB scandal in Malaysia.
Why this matters for the bank
Goldman Sachs has sought to distance itself from Epstein, who was a client of the bank from 2002 to 2019. The bank has faced regulatory scrutiny and lawsuits over its continued business with Epstein despite internal warnings about his behavior. In 2023, Goldman agreed to pay $79 million to settle a lawsuit filed by Epstein’s accusers, without admitting wrongdoing.
Retaining Ruemmler in an advisory capacity allows Goldman to maintain continuity on key litigation matters while avoiding the disruption of a full departure. It also signals to regulators and investors that the bank has taken the matter seriously without losing a senior legal executive with deep institutional knowledge.
Shares of Goldman Sachs were little changed in afternoon trading on Tuesday, suggesting investors view the resolution as a manageable distraction rather than a governance crisis.
