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Rothschild & Co has hired the former Moelis investment banker who quit last year after a viral video showed him punching a person in the face during a New York City Pride event.
Jonathan Kaye, a senior investment banker who worked at Moelis for 11 years before resigning last June, is joining Rothschild in the US as global co-head of its business services team, advising clients such as consultancies and logistics firms.
The announcement by Rothschild comes days after Kaye pleaded guilty to misdemeanour assault and harassment charges in a deal with prosecutors.
His appointment at Rothschild, which has hired 18 senior bankers in North America since 2020, marks a rehabilitation for Kaye’s investment banking career.
Kaye previously founded and then ran the global business services franchise at the independent Wall Street investment bank founded by dealmaker Ken Moelis.
But Kaye quit Moelis in June after a backlash prompted by a video clip showing an altercation at a New York City LGBTQ Pride event in Brooklyn went viral online.
New York, which has the largest Jewish population in the US, has become a hotbed for tense political exchanges around the Israel-Hamas war during the past year.
The video of Kaye served as a lightning rod for debate, fuelling further arguments about the war and stances on Wall Street.
The fight broke out after Kaye, who is Jewish, told four individuals with a Palestinian flag that they were “on the wrong side”, the Financial Times previously reported.
Kaye has maintained that he was acting in self-defence, and that the video circulated on social media did not show him being pushed to the ground and doused with unidentified liquid.
The plea deal struck last week involves 25 days of community service, three anger management sessions, and a payment of as much as $50,000 to the two individuals who were injured during the dispute, according to a person familiar with the arrangement.
If Kaye fulfils those conditions, his criminal record will be cleared. He is next scheduled to appear in court in June, when the case is expected to formally close, the person added.
If he is arrested for new charges or violates a protection order for the two individuals he was accused of assaulting, Kaye could face up to a year in jail.
Rothschild said: “A settlement has been reached that will resolve the outstanding legal proceedings against Jonathan Kaye and result in the dismissal of all charges.
“We are confident that Jonathan will be a strong addition to our team and live up to our values as a firm.”
