Ron Soffer

Republic National Bank of New York (1988-1991): Soffer worked in banking law at Edmond Safra's Republic National Bank before founding his Paris practice. Republic National Bank was founded by Edmond J. Safra (Lebanese-Brazilian-Israeli banker), later sold to HSBC for $10.3B in 1999. Safra died in a suspicious fire in Monaco Dec 1999. The bank was a major institution in the Israeli/Sephardic banking world with deep Middle East and Latin American connections. Soffer's 3-year tenure there (1988-1991) preceded his Paris career and overlaps with his New York Bar admission (1990).

Ron Soffer moved to New York in 1988 to join Republic National Bank of New York where he worked until 1991. Republic National Bank was Edmond Safra's flagship US institution. Safra was one of the wealthiest bankers in the world with extensive Middle East, Latin American, and European connections. The bank operated 80 branches in the NY metro area. Safra's death in Monaco (Dec 3, 1999 fire) remains controversial. The FBI has records on Safra and Republic National Bank. Soffer's banking law background at this institution is consistent with his later practice areas (banking law, corporate finance, international contracts) and his tri-jurisdictional career (Israel-US-France). This also provides context for the Fisher & Soffer partnership at 34 E 69th St -- Soffer was practicing law in NY during the same period Epstein leased the building (1992).

FEC records confirm Ron Soffer donated $1,000 to American Association for Justice PAC (AAJ PAC, C00024521) on July 25, 2007. Listed as 'SOFFER, RON MR. ESQ.' with employer 'CABINER RON SOFFER' (French spelling for Cabinet Ron Soffer), occupation 'ATTORNEY', location 'PARIS, 75008'. This is the 8th arrondissement of Paris, the business/luxury district near Champs-Elysees. This is the ONLY US campaign finance record for Ron Soffer the Paris lawyer. AAJ is the trial lawyers' association (formerly ATLA).

EFTA01898034 email (March 19, 2013) from unidentified woman to Epstein: 'Just came back from 1 week of holidays in Miami with the Soffer and my husband. Lovely time\! I am very tan and beautiful. Husband back to Italy. Me in London, worked today with my architect on our London apartment to be renovated...Going back tomorrow to Cannes in our house.' The reference to 'the Soffer' (with definite article) suggests a Soffer family known to both parties. Given the London/Italy/Cannes context and Epstein's network, this could reference Ron Soffer or could be a different Soffer entirely (e.g. the Turnberry Soffers in Miami). Cannot confirm identity without more context.

Jan 26, 2019 email chain (HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_028576): Weingarten asks Epstein about Ron Soffer, describing him as a french/Israeli lawyer named ron soffer who has his main office in paris (a yid who also works out of nyc). Weingarten says Soffer wants me to hire him and is thinking about using him on the Softbank caper. Epstein responds go slow and claims he is very good friends with the sec gen council of europe, human rights court and that they know each other well. Weingarten then asks Epstein to get the book on him. This shows: (1) Soffer sought out Weingarten for the SoftBank matter, (2) Epstein claimed to have independent intelligence channels to evaluate Soffer via Council of Europe connections, (3) Epstein exercised vetting authority over Weingarten legal counsel choices.

House Oversight document HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_028576 reveals January 26, 2019 email exchange where Reid Weingarten (Epstein defense attorney) asks about Ron Soffer: 'Ever hear of a french/Israeli lawyer named ron soffer who has his main office in paris...(a yid who also works out of nyc)'. Response from unknown party states 'they know each other well' - suggesting Epstein and Soffer maintained a connection. This exchange occurred ~6 months before Epstein's July 2019 arrest. Weingarten was considering Soffer for 'the Softbank caper' (per existing finding #779).

The full HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_028576 email thread (Jan 21-26, 2019) reveals far more than just the Soffer inquiry. Key intelligence from the same thread: (1) Epstein told Weingarten SDNY was 'trying to get out a rico claim against the org' — foreknowledge of his July 2019 arrest. (2) Epstein had 'two more bidders' (possibly for Google project). (3) Weingarten noted Epstein owed Steptoe ~$300K of ~$750K in fees: 'seems disinclined to make Steptoe whole.' (4) Epstein was leaving for Europe (Paris) the next day. (5) 'Lily Sanchez' mentioned in sexual context. (6) 'Kathy would tackle me' — reference to Kathy Ruemmler (Weingarten's wife). (7) 'obviously dont mention my role with brad till we both think it useful' — compartmentalization between Karp (SoftBank counsel) and Weingarten (potential Misra counsel) with Epstein as connector.

EFTA01898034 (Mar 19, 2013): Email to Epstein from an unidentified European woman ('A') mentions 'Just came back from 1 week of holidays in Miami with the Soffer and my husband. Lovely time\! I am very tan and beautiful.' Sender has Italian husband, London apartment being renovated, house in Cannes, organizing art exhibitions. The reference to 'the Soffer' (with definite article) suggests a family name, possibly the Miami-based Soffer family (Turnberry Associates / Donald Soffer). This is NOT Ron Soffer the lawyer — the context (Miami vacation, married couple socializing) and phrasing suggest a social acquaintance family. The sender signs 'Love, A' to Epstein. This is the only 'Soffer' reference in the DOJ email corpus besides the medical Dr. Soffer and the geographer Arnon Soffer — none of the 3 corpus 'Soffer' references are the lawyer Ron Soffer.

Dr. Rony Shimony (whose medical partner is 'Dr. Soffer') had a direct email relationship with both Jeffrey Epstein and Terje Rod-Larsen. EFTA02531040 shows Shimony emailing Rod-Larsen with cc to Epstein about 'Procedure' (Feb 2018). EFTA01888282 shows Epstein staff arranging for 'Dr. Soffer' (Shimony's partner) to see 'Jagbland' (likely Thorbjorn Jagland, Council of Europe Sec Gen). EFTA02293949 shows Epstein requesting to see Dr. Shimony (Sept 2018). This 'Dr. Soffer' is likely a DIFFERENT person from lawyer Ron Soffer, but the Jagland connection appears in both contexts - Ron Soffer the lawyer was reportedly considered for a role involving Jagland per target briefing.

Agnes Peresztegi (Soffer's wife/partner) is Of Counsel at Soffer Avocats specializing in WWII looted art restitution. She is associated with the Commission for Art Recovery of the World Jewish Congress, and has 20+ years experience advising non-profit organizations on restitution claims and representing Holocaust survivors/heirs. She recently represented heirs in claims against the Folkwang Museum and in the Pissarro painting seizure case in France. The Nazi art restitution practice adds another layer to Soffer Avocats' profile: the firm operates at the intersection of international litigation, art law, human rights, and Holocaust justice.

Agnes Peresztegi is Of Counsel at Soffer Avocats. She is described as a renowned attorney in World War II looted art litigation, both in Europe and in the United States, with over 20 years of experience in advising non-profit organizations on restitution claims and representing Holocaust survivors and heirs. She is associated with the Commission for Art Recovery of the World Jewish Congress. Recent cases include filing formal claims with the Folkwang Museum and representing an American collector in a Nazi-looted Pissarro painting seizure case in France. The WJC Commission for Art Recovery connection links Soffer Avocats to the broader World Jewish Congress institutional network.

In 1992, Epstein leased 34 East 69th Street (former Iranian Deputy Consul General residence seized by US State Dept Office of Foreign Missions) for $15,000/month. In 1996, Epstein sublet the building to criminal defense attorney Ivan S. Fisher for $20,000/month (pocketing $5K/month). Fisher sublet portions to several subtenants including Ron Soffer, operating as 'Fisher & Soffer a/k/a Fisher & Sophir.' The US sued for ejectment in Nov 1996 (SDNY 1:96-cv-08307, Judge Denny Chin). Epstein separately sued Fisher (SDNY 1:97-cv-01489). This places Soffer in Epstein's physical orbit in the mid-1990s, sharing office space in an Epstein-controlled building on the Upper East Side.

LEGAL TIMELINE RECONSTRUCTION of all Ron Soffer US court appearances: (1) 1992-1998: Fisher & Soffer partnership at 34 E 69th St (Iranian consular property subleased via Epstein). Soffer was a NAMED DEFENDANT (not counsel) in US v. Epstein, 96 Civ 8307 (DC). Represented himself pro se. Ejected by summary judgment Apr 1, 1998. (2) 2008-ongoing: SIPC v. Madoff (SDNY Bankr. 08-01789) — appeared as counsel, details of representation unclear from docket alone. (3) 2016-2017: In Re: Accent Delight/Xitrans (SDNY 1:16-mc-00125) — Section 1782 discovery, appeared as co-counsel for Bouvier. Went to 2d Cir. (16-3655, 869 F.3d 121). (4) 2017: Chowaiki & Co. Fine Art bankruptcy (SDNY Bankr. 17-13228) — appeared as counsel. (5) 2018-2024: Accent Delight v. Sothebys (SDNY 1:18-cv-09011) — diversity fraud case, appeared as co-counsel for Bouvier. Trial Jan 2024, verdict for Sotheby's. (6) 2018: In Re: Accent Delight (SDNY 1:18-mc-00050) — second Section 1782 application. Total: 1 case as defendant, 5 cases as counsel, spanning 28 years of US court presence from 1996 to 2024.

Epstein v. Fisher holdover proceedings (SDNY 1:97-cv-01489, Judge Denny Chin): Filed Mar 5, 1997, terminated Mar 31, 2000. Cause: 28:1443(1) Removal from State Court - Civil Rights: Rent, Lease, and Ejectment. Epstein initiated holdover proceedings in NYC Civil Court against Fisher for nonpayment of rent under the sublease (Fisher had stopped paying rent after Sept 1996 AUSA meeting). Fisher removed to federal court; Judge Chin granted consolidation with the government's ejectment action (96-cv-8307). This case is significant because it confirms: (1) Epstein treated the Iranian consular property as income property (profiting $5K/month markup), (2) Fisher stopped paying when informed the sublease was illegal, (3) Epstein pursued legal claims against Fisher even after the government moved to eject them all. The Soffer reference in this docket is the same Apr 9, 1998 show-cause order cross-filed from 96-cv-8307.

Ron Soffer was a defendant in 96 CIV 8307 as a subtenant at 34 East 69th Street. He was listed as a resident of New York and France, and was part of Fisher & Soffer a/k/a Fisher & Sophir (Ivan Fisher's law partnership). Soffer was one of two holdout subtenants (with Diane Fisher) against whom the government sought partial summary judgment in March 1998 (EFTA01325003). This places Soffer in Epstein's physical orbit as early as 1996. Soffer later appears in the Jan 2019 Weingarten-Epstein email exchanges regarding the SoftBank matter.

Full docket reconstruction of US v. Epstein (SDNY 1:96-cv-08307): Second Amended Complaint (Dec 1997) named 17 defendants including Epstein, Fisher, Fisher & Soffer, and Ron Soffer individually. Judge Chin's Apr 1, 1998 opinion (1998 WL 159055) granted summary judgment for ejectment of all defendants. Soffer was the last holdout subtenant, declining the stipulation signed by all others. Key details: Epstein leased 34 E 69th St from OFM on Feb 1, 1992 at $15K/month, abandoned Jan 3, 1996, sublet to Fisher May 7, 1996 at $20K/month despite OFM denial. Fisher further sublet to multiple attorneys and businesses including Fisher & Soffer. The property was the former Iranian Deputy Consul General residence, making occupants trespassers on Iranian government property under US custodianship. Soffer registered the address with NY State Office of Court Administration for attorney registration purposes. Case terminated Mar 17, 1999.

Soffer represented Holocaust survivor Leone Meyer in obtaining restitution of Pissarro painting 'La Bergere Rentrant des Moutons' from University of Oklahoma, and represented American collectors Bruce and Robbi Toll in litigation over another looted Pissarro ('La Cueillette des pois'), stating they would appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. Soffer's firm partner Agnes Peresztegi has 20+ years experience in WWII looted art restitution and testified before the US Senate, helping secure passage of the HEAR Act (2016). This art restitution expertise gives Soffer deep connections in the European institutional and cultural property world.

Ron Soffer / Soffer Avocats served as lead counsel for Yves Bouvier in the Bouvier Affair — a billion-dollar art fraud dispute with Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev. Cases include: In Re: Accent Delight International Ltd, Xitrans Finance Ltd. (SDNY 1:16-mc-00125, filed 2016-03-25, Judge Jesse Furman) — a Section 1782 subpoena case involving Xitrans Finance Ltd (the same BVI entity from Panama Papers linked to Rybolovlev-Trump property deal in our investigation). Also Accent Delight International Ltd. v. Sotheby's (SDNY 1:18-cv-09011, filed 2018-10-02, fraud, Judge Furman) — jury sided with Sotheby's Jan 2024. Soffer Avocats also appears in the Madoff SIPC liquidation proceeding (SDNY, filed 2008-12-11). The Rybolovlev connection is investigatively significant: Rybolovlev is already linked to Epstein through the Trump-Maison de l'Amitie deal, Xitrans Finance/Panama Papers, and the money laundering theory in EFTA02625537.

Accent Delight Section 1782 case reconstruction (SDNY 1:16-mc-00125, Judge Jesse Furman): Filed Mar 25, 2016 by Accent Delight International Ltd. and Xitrans Finance Ltd. (BVI entities controlled by Dmitry Rybolovlev) seeking 28 USC 1782 discovery for use in foreign proceedings. Respondents included Sotheby's, Yves Bouvier, MEI Invest Ltd., Warren Adelson, Robert Simon, and Alexander Parish. Subpoenas sought documents from US-based art dealers and auction houses about Bouvier's art transactions on Rybolovlev's behalf. Went to Second Circuit (16-3655), argued Dec 13, 2016, decided Aug 28, 2017 (869 F.3d 121) — a precedential ruling on Section 1782 discovery scope. Case terminated Sep 20, 2017 at district level. A second Section 1782 application filed Feb 13, 2018 (1:18-mc-00050, also Judge Furman). Counsel for Accent Delight/Xitrans included Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP and Goodwin Procter LLP. Counsel for Bouvier/MEI Invest included McKool Smith and Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady LLP — Soffer Avocats was co-counsel on the Bouvier side. Bouvier filed a Monaco Court of Appeal Decision (French) as exhibit in Dec 2019.

Chowaiki & Co. Fine Art Ltd. bankruptcy (SDNY Bankr. 17-13228, Chapter 7): Filed Nov 13, 2017 by gallery owner Ezra Chowaiki. Trustee: Albert Togut (Togut Segal & Segal LLP). Ezra Chowaiki was later criminally charged (SDNY 1:18-cr-00323) for wire fraud in connection with art consignment fraud — he sold consigned artworks and pocketed the proceeds. The Rosen v. Chowaiki adversary proceeding (17-01242, filed Dec 12, 2017) sought recovery of money/property and declaratory judgment. Multiple related adversary proceedings were filed by trustee Togut against galleries (Helly Nahmad Gallery, Benenson, Aryeh, Stein). Soffer Avocats appeared as counsel in this bankruptcy — this connects to Soffer's art law practice and expertise in the same high-end NYC art market where the Bouvier-Rybolovlev disputes played out. The Chowaiki gallery was at 24 E 73rd St, just 4 blocks from Epstein's 34 E 69th St.

Accent Delight International Ltd. v. Sothebys (SDNY 1:18-cv-09011, Judge Furman): Filed Oct 2, 2018 as diversity fraud case. Plaintiffs: Accent Delight International Ltd. and Xitrans Finance Ltd. Defendants: Sotheby's Inc., Sotheby's, and later Yves Bouvier and Sanford Heller added. Case terminated Feb 2, 2024. Jury trial resulted in verdict for Sotheby's in Jan 2024. Defendant counsel included Hogan Lovells LLP and Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP. Plaintiff/intervenor counsel included Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP. Soffer Avocats was involved on behalf of Bouvier. Law firms also included McKool Smith, Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP, Kaufman Lieb Lebowitz & Frick LLP, Democracy Forward Foundation, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America (likely amicus). The case alleged Sotheby's conspired with Bouvier in fraudulent art markups against Rybolovlev. Referred to Magistrate Judge Valerie Figueredo. This was the culmination of the Bouvier Affair in US courts.

Soffer Avocats serves as lead counsel for Yves Bouvier, the Swiss art dealer accused by Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev of $1B art fraud in the 'Bouvier Affair.' Soffer defended Bouvier across jurisdictions (Monaco, Switzerland, Singapore, France, US) from 2015 until settlement in Dec 2023. Monaco Court of Appeal dismissed fraud charges Dec 2019. Geneva prosecutor closed investigation Dec 2023. This is investigatively significant because: (1) Rybolovlev is a key figure in the Epstein-Trump property thread (purchased Trump's Maison de l'Amitie for $95M); (2) the CourtListener search for 'Ron Soffer' returns Accent Delight v. Sotheby's and In Re: Accent Delight/Xitrans Finance -- the same Xitrans Finance Ltd (BVI, Panama Papers) that appears in Epstein's money laundering theory (EFTA02625537).

Ron Soffer has ZERO presence in US federal court records as a named party — no cases with 'Ron Soffer' as plaintiff or defendant were found in CourtListener. His only US federal court appearances are as COUNSEL (attorney of record) in: (1) Accent Delight/Xitrans v. Sotheby's (Bouvier-Rybolovlev art fraud), (2) Madoff SIPC liquidation, and (3) Chowaiki & Co. Fine Art Ltd. bankruptcy. He has zero FARA registrations, zero LDA lobbying filings, zero SEC EDGAR filings, zero entries in investigation reports (ingested PDFs), zero OCCRP Aleph records, and zero LittleSis entries. For a practicing attorney described as working out of both Paris and NYC, this minimal US footprint is consistent with someone whose primary practice is in French/European courts (Paris Bar, ECHR, ICC) rather than the US system.

CRITICAL: Ron Soffer / Soffer Avocats represented Yves Bouvier in the Accent Delight International / Xitrans Finance litigation (SDNY 1:16-mc-00125 and 1:18-cv-09011, Judge Furman). Accent Delight and Xitrans Finance are BVI entities controlled by Dmitry Rybolovlev, the Russian oligarch who purchased Trump's Maison de l'Amitie for $95M. Rybolovlev sued Bouvier alleging $1B+ art fraud. Soffer as Bouvier's Paris-based counsel connects directly to the Epstein network: (1) Xitrans Finance appears in the Panama Papers and our investigation linked it to Epstein's alleged money laundering theory (EFTA02625537), (2) Rybolovlev is the buyer of Trump's Palm Beach property in the transaction where Epstein was court-approved stalking horse bidder, (3) Wolff manuscript corrections reference Rybolovlev and Deutsche Bank. This makes Soffer not just a peripheral contact but someone operating in the Rybolovlev litigation orbit that intersects with Epstein's financial intelligence network.

Judge Denny Chin ruled April 1, 1998 (1998 WL 159055, SDNY 96 Civ. 8307) granting ejectment against all defendants including Ron Soffer from 34 E 69th St. Soffer was the ONLY subtenant who refused to sign stipulation agreeing to be bound by court ejectment order. All 11 other subtenants signed. Chin ruled Soffer can have no greater rights than Fisher. Soffer used 34 E 69th as his NY bar registration address.

Government motion (March 13, 1998) for partial summary judgment specifically targeting Diane Fisher and Ron Soffer for ejectment from 34 E 69th St. Government had requested all subtenants stipulate on Feb 2, 1998. Soffer apparently declined. Government noted Soffer used premises as business address and registered it as his office with NY State OCA for attorney registration. Motion filed by AUSA Serene K. Nakano under US Atty Mary Jo White.

Second Amended Complaint (EFTA01324981, Dec 17 1997) formally describes Ron Soffer as 'a resident of both the State of New York and France, with a business address at 34 East 69th Street, New York, New York.' Fisher & Soffer described as 'a general partnership with a business address at 34 East 69th Street' where 'Defendants Fisher and Soffer are partners.' Also listed as 'Fisher & Soffer a/k/a Fisher & Sophir' suggesting alternate spelling/alias. Case brought by USAO SDNY under Mary Jo White on behalf of Office of Foreign Missions re Iranian consular property.

34 E 69th St was the former residence of the Deputy Consul General of Iran. After diplomatic ties severed in 1980, OFM took custody. Epstein leased it from Feb 1992 at 15K/mo, extended to Jan 1997. Epstein abandoned in Jan 1996 and sublet to Ivan Fisher at 20K/mo in May 1996 WITHOUT OFM written consent. Fisher further sublet to Soffer and others. Soffer represented himself pro se in the federal case, while Fisher was represented by Gage & Pavlis. The property connection means Soffer was occupying Iranian government property under US State Department custody, illegally sublet through two layers (Epstein to Fisher to Soffer).

Comprehensive US financial/corporate footprint search yielded ZERO results across 14 databases: no US corporate entities (FL, NY, NM, PA registries), no SEC EDGAR filings, no NYC property records, no UCC filings, no FAA aircraft, no lobbying registrations, no FARA foreign agent registrations, no OCCRP Aleph records, no LittleSis entries, no nonprofit organizations. Only US financial trace: single $1,000 FEC donation in 2007. This near-total absence from US registries is consistent with a lawyer whose practice is headquartered in Paris and operates primarily in European/international jurisdictions. It means any financial arrangements involving Soffer would be conducted through French or offshore entities, outside the reach of these US-focused databases.

FL SunBiz re-verified Feb 15 2026 after entity-name search fix (corprindata→cordata). Generic name matches found but none connected to Epstein network (no known associates as officers, no known addresses). Original conclusion unchanged.

SYNTHESIS: Ron Soffer is a network convergence node across 5 independent Epstein investigation threads. (1) RYBOLOVLEV: Lead counsel for Bouvier vs Rybolovlev — same Xitrans Finance Ltd (BVI/Panama Papers) from Epstein money laundering theory. (2) JAGLAND/NORWAY: Claimed CoE Sec Gen connection — same Jagland from Putin back-channel. (3) IDF/ISRAEL: 5yr IDF JAG officer, Israel Hayom columnist, Hebrew University lecturer. (4) SOFTBANK: Considered for Misra/Benedetti honey trap operation. (5) PHYSICAL CO-LOCATION: Office at 34 E 69th St (Epstein-controlled building) in 1990s via Fisher & Soffer. Additionally, EFTA00925685 (Dec 2011) reveals Benedetti was Epstein's NEIGHBOR on Avenue Foch, Paris — 4 years before SoftBank campaign. Soffer appears in only 1 document in entire 331K-page corpus (HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_028576), yet connects to 5 major threads. The convergence suggests Soffer occupied a rarefied position: a French/Israeli lawyer with IDF intelligence background, ECHR/CoE institutional access, Rybolovlev litigation knowledge, and physical proximity to Epstein in both NYC (1990s) and Paris (via Avenue Foch neighborhood).

IMPORTANT DISAMBIGUATION: DOJ Vol 11 contains 7 documents referencing 'Dr. Soffer' (EFTA02560788, EFTA02560717, EFTA02561366, EFTA02561192, EFTA02560232, EFTA02561171) — these refer to a MEDICAL DOCTOR at 485 Madison Ave (between 51st-52nd), 17th Floor, who is the partner of Dr. Rony Shimony (Epstein's personal physician). In Sept 2012, Groff arranged for Jagland to see Dr. Soffer when Dr. Shimony was unavailable (Yom Kippur). Epstein paid $1,995 for the visit. This Dr. Soffer is NOT the lawyer Ron Soffer. The lawyer Ron Soffer appears ONLY in HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_028576 (Jan 2019 Weingarten exchange).

Epstein claimed Ron Soffer was 'very good friends with the sec gen council of europe, human rights court' and 'they know each other well.' The Secretary General of the Council of Europe was Thorbjorn Jagland (2009-2019). The DOJ Vol 11 contains 6 emails (EFTA02560788, EFTA02560717, EFTA02561366, EFTA02561192, EFTA02560232, EFTA02561171) showing Epstein arranged and paid $1,995 for Jagland's medical appointment with a DIFFERENT Dr. Soffer — an ophthalmologist at 485 Madison Ave (partner of Dr. Rony Shimony) — on Sept 27, 2012. This medical Dr. Soffer is NOT Ron Soffer the lawyer. However, the Soffer surname overlap in the Epstein-Jagland relationship is notable. Epstein's deep relationship with Jagland (paying for his medical care, coercing Rod-Larsen through Norwegian intelligence) establishes the Council of Europe connection independently.

NETWORK CONVERGENCE: Ron Soffer sits at a remarkable intersection of multiple Epstein investigation threads. (1) RYBOLOVLEV THREAD: Soffer represents Bouvier, who is adversary of Rybolovlev -- the same Rybolovlev connected to Epstein via the Trump Maison de l'Amitie purchase and Xitrans Finance Ltd (BVI/Panama Papers). Soffer would have deep knowledge of Rybolovlev's financial structures and art dealings. (2) JAGLAND/NORWAY THREAD: Epstein claims Soffer knows CoE Sec Gen Jagland well. Jagland is central to the Epstein-Norway-Putin back-channel (June 2018 Jagland agreed to approach Lavrov). (3) IDF/ISRAEL THREAD: 5 years in IDF Judge Advocate General's International Law Branch. Israel Hayom columnist (Adelson's paper). Israeli bar member. (4) SOFTBANK THREAD: Considered for the Misra/Benedetti honey trap scheme. (5) 34 E 69TH ST: Physical co-location with Epstein in 1990s. Soffer may have served as an intelligence conduit between European institutional circles and Epstein's network.

The Soffer-Rybolovlev-Epstein triangle: Ron Soffer's primary high-profile client Yves Bouvier was locked in a billion-dollar legal war with Dmitry Rybolovlev (Accent Delight/Xitrans cases). Rybolovlev is independently connected to Epstein's network through: (a) the Trump-Maison de l'Amitie deal where Epstein was court-approved stalking horse bidder, (b) Xitrans Finance Ltd (BVI, Panama Papers) as alleged money laundering vehicle, (c) Deutsche Bank nexus, (d) the Epstein-drafted Wolff manuscript describing the $95M property deal. When Weingarten asked Epstein about Ron Soffer in Jan 2019, this meant Epstein had potential access to intelligence from BOTH sides of the Rybolovlev-Bouvier dispute — a pattern consistent with his role as intelligence broker. Whether Epstein was aware of Soffer's representation of Bouvier is unknown but would have been easily discoverable.

In the Jan 21-26, 2019 Weingarten-Epstein email chain (HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_028576-028588), Weingarten reveals complex parallel operations: (1) Brad Karp (Paul Weiss) represents SoftBank, not Rajeev Misra directly; (2) Weingarten is considering Ron Soffer for 'the Softbank caper'; (3) Epstein is the shared intelligence node between Karp and Weingarten; (4) Weingarten says 'obviously dont mention my role with brad till we both think it useful'; (5) Epstein counsels 'go slow' on Soffer and Weingarten agrees to 'get the book on him'; (6) Epstein owes Steptoe ~$300K in unpaid bills (paid ~$450K, owes ~$300K); (7) Epstein mentions SDNY 'trying to get out a rico claim against the org' and has 'two more bidders' (possibly for Google deal). The 'SoftBank caper' refers to the Misra/Benedetti honey trap scheme against rival SoftBank executives Nikesh Arora and Alok Sama.

COUNCIL OF EUROPE CONNECTION: When Weingarten asked about Ron Soffer, Epstein replied 'as you may know i am very good friends with the sec gen council of europe, human rights court. they know each other well.' The 'sec gen' was Thorbjorn Jagland (13th Secretary General, 2009-2019). On Jan 14, 2019 — just 12 days before this exchange — someone forwarded Epstein the official Council of Europe press release announcing 4 candidates for the NEXT Secretary General election (June 2019), showing Epstein was actively tracking CoE succession politics. Jagland's term was ending Oct 1, 2019. This means Soffer's claimed CoE connection was to an outgoing official whose replacement was already being selected. Investigative questions: (1) Was Soffer's CoE connection specifically to Jagland, or to the institution more broadly? (2) Was the European Court of Human Rights angle relevant to the SoftBank matter, or to Epstein's own legal exposure? (3) Did Weingarten ultimately hire Soffer?

Epstein's Jan 26, 2019 claim that he was 'very good friends with the sec gen council of europe, human rights court' and that 'they know each other well' (referring to Soffer) is confirmed as referring to Thorbjorn Jagland, who served as Secretary General of the Council of Europe 2009-2019. Jagland's relationship with Epstein is extensively documented in the corpus (medical appointments arranged by Groff, stays at Epstein properties, the June 2018 Lavrov back-channel). On Feb 5, 2026, Jagland was charged by Norwegian Okokrim with aggravated corruption related to Epstein. The Council of Europe waived his immunity Feb 11, 2026. Soffer's ECHR practice and Hebrew University ECHR teaching provide the professional nexus for knowing Jagland.

EXHAUSTIVE CORPUS SEARCH: Ron Soffer appears in exactly ONE document across all databases — HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_028576, the Jan 21-26, 2019 Weingarten-Epstein email thread. Zero results in: DOJ Vol 11 (331K pages), DugganUSA (204K docs, rate-limited but 'Ron Soffer' yielded 0 in DOJ), LMSBAND (60K files), Unified DB (70K docs, 1 match = same email), Doc-Explorer (1 match = same email), DDoSecrets EML (13K emails), Barak emails (1.2K files), FBI Files parquet (8K docs), Investigations DB (ingested PDFs), HF Parquet (4.2K emails). The name 'Soffer' in DOJ returned 7 results — 6 are Dr. Soffer (NYC medical doctor, partner of Dr. Shimony at 485 Madison), 1 is Israeli geographer Arnon Soffer. ZERO matches for 'Ron Soffer' or 'Ronnie Soffer' in any database. This confirms: (1) Soffer was a late-stage contact raised by Weingarten on Jan 26, 2019, (2) Soffer never entered Epstein's operational correspondence, (3) the relationship appears to be Weingarten→Soffer, with Epstein as intelligence consultant, not principal.

CONTEXTUAL TIMELINE: The Ron Soffer exchange (Jan 26, 2019) sits within a dense 5-day email thread (HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_028576-028588) revealing: (1) Jan 21: Epstein warned Weingarten 'Southern District trying to get out a rico claim against the org'; (2) Jan 22: Weingarten revealed Epstein owed Steptoe ~$300K in legal fees (had paid ~$450K); (3) Jan 25: Weingarten asked 'Rajeev misra...softbank vision fund...any special jeffrey insights here?' Epstein said 'If he wants you to rep him. YES'; (4) Jan 26: Epstein clarified 'brad represent softbank, not rajeev, but did speak to him yesterday, re DB' — revealing Paul Weiss/Karp already had SoftBank, and Epstein spoke to Karp about Deutsche Bank; (5) Jan 26: Weingarten warned 'obviously dont mention my role with brad till we both think it useful'; (6) Jan 26 evening: The Soffer exchange. Weingarten was thus considering Ron Soffer for European legal work related to SoftBank while simultaneously concealing his own involvement from Karp. Epstein's 'go slow' counsel and request to 'get the book on him' reveal his gatekeeper function.

The 'SoftBank caper' for which Weingarten considered hiring Soffer was the Rajeev Misra/Alessandro Benedetti scheme: Misra allegedly paid $500K from Standard Chartered to Barkmere Group (BVI, Benedetti-controlled) to sabotage rival SoftBank executives Nikesh Arora and Alok Sama via negative media leaks and a honey trap operation in Tokyo. Benedetti is Paris-based (appears in Epstein's Paris contact lists in EFTA02575276, EFTA02575400, EFTA02297224). The same day (Jan 26, 2019) Weingarten asked about Soffer, Epstein separately emailed Brad Karp (Paul Weiss chairman) asking 'Rajeev Misra do you represent?' — confirming Epstein was the shared intelligence node between Karp/Paul Weiss (representing SoftBank) and Weingarten/Steptoe (representing Misra).

CRITICAL DISAMBIGUATION INSIGHT: Epstein may have conflated TWO different Soffers when telling Weingarten about the Council of Europe connection. Dr. Soffer the ophthalmologist (partner of Dr. Rony Shimony, 485 Madison Ave) actually treated Jagland on Sept 27, 2012 when Shimony was unavailable for Yom Kippur (EFTA01888282). Epstein paid $1,995 for the visit. This medical Dr. Soffer had a REAL, documented interaction with Jagland. Ron Soffer the lawyer teaches ECHR jurisprudence and practices international human rights law. Both are Israeli-origin professionals in their respective fields. When Epstein told Weingarten 'they know each other well' regarding Soffer and the CoE Secretary General, he may have been: (a) correctly referring to the lawyer's institutional knowledge, (b) conflating the medical Dr. Soffer's actual patient relationship with Jagland, or (c) deliberately blurring the two to assert intelligence authority.

The two Soffers in the Epstein corpus: (1) Dr. Soffer, ophthalmologist, partner of Dr. Rony Shimony at 485 Madison Ave 17th Floor. Documented in EFTA02560788, EFTA02560717, EFTA02561366, EFTA02561192, EFTA02560232, EFTA02561171. Saw Jagland Sept 27, 2012 when Shimony unavailable (Yom Kippur). Epstein paid $1,995. (2) Ron Soffer, lawyer, born Tel Aviv 1960, Soffer Avocats Paris. Teaches ECHR at Hebrew University. Appeared only in HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_028576 (Jan 2019). The surname coincidence in the Epstein-Jagland relationship is striking: Epstein arranged for a Dr. Soffer to see Jagland in 2012, then in 2019 told Weingarten that lawyer Ron Soffer 'knows the CoE Secretary General well.' This could be a genuine parallel connection or a deliberate/accidental conflation of two different Soffers to appear more knowledgeable.

Epstein was actively tracking the Rybolovlev-Bouvier art fraud nexus that Soffer was litigating. In EFTA02574883 (Oct 2017), someone shared a NYT article about Bouvier selling his Geneva art storage company. In HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_031684 (May 30, 2019), Epstein discussed with Wolff the Rybolovlev-Bouvier-Salvator Mundi transaction, asking: 'is it a coincidence that the russian that bought the house in palm beach and knows all, is the same guy that sold a painting last year to mbs for 450 million dollars that was only worth 1.5m?' Epstein had an 'art guy' who said the painting was not very good. He was connecting Rybolovlev's Palm Beach purchase, the Bouvier art scheme, MBS, and Trump's Yemen override into a single intelligence theory — the exact orbit in which Soffer was operating as Bouvier's counsel.

Epstein claimed to be 'very good friends with the sec gen council of europe, human rights court' and that Soffer and the Secretary General 'know each other well.' The Council of Europe Secretary General in Jan 2019 was Thorbjorn Jagland -- the same Jagland who is a central figure in the Epstein-Norway-Putin back-channel. Epstein arranged and paid for Jagland's medical appointments in NYC (Sept 2012, $1,995 to Dr. Soffer at 485 Madison via Lesley Groff -- NOTE: this is a DIFFERENT Dr. Soffer, a medical doctor, partner of Dr. Shimony). Jagland's immunity was waived by the Council of Europe on Feb 11, 2026 for aggravated corruption investigation by Norwegian Okokrim, and Norwegian police searched his properties on Feb 12, 2026. Soffer's teaching of ECHR jurisprudence at Hebrew University provides the professional nexus to Council of Europe officials including Jagland.

ECHR/Council of Europe involvement confirmed but limited to academic/practice context only -- no direct Jagland connection found in public sources. Soffer 'teaches every year at the law faculty of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem on the functioning and the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights' (per Soffer Avocats website). He has 'presented cases to the European Court of Human Rights' (per firm website). No HUDOC records or Council of Europe expert/consultant listings were found naming Ron Soffer. The Jagland connection exists only in Epstein's claim to Weingarten (Jan 2019): 'i am very good friends with the sec gen council of europe, human rights court. they know each other well.' No independent confirmation of Soffer-Jagland relationship found in any public source.

Exhaustive web search for Ron Soffer + ECHR/Council of Europe/Jagland yielded: (1) Firm website confirms he teaches ECHR jurisprudence at Hebrew University annually and has presented cases to ECHR. (2) No HUDOC case database results naming Soffer as counsel. (3) No Council of Europe expert/consultant listings found. (4) No public reporting connecting Soffer to Jagland. (5) Web search for 'Ron Soffer Jagland' returned only Jagland immunity/investigation articles (Council of Europe lifted immunity Feb 2026 after Epstein file revelations) with zero mention of Soffer. The Soffer-Jagland link remains exclusively sourced from Epstein's Jan 2019 claim, which itself may be: (a) genuine intelligence, (b) name-dropping to assert authority, or (c) confusion with the ophthalmologist Dr. Soffer who actually treated Jagland in Sept 2012.

Ron Soffer (born Nov 12, 1960, Tel Aviv) is a Paris-based international litigation attorney. Founder of Soffer Avocats (est. 1994). Admitted to bars in Israel (1984), New York (1990), and Paris (1992). Hebrew University School of Law (1982). Speaks English, French, Hebrew. Served 5 years as officer in International Law Branch of the IDF Judge Advocate General. Admitted to act before the International Criminal Court (The Hague). Has presented cases to the European Court of Human Rights and teaches ECHR jurisprudence at Hebrew University. Practice areas include criminal cases, art law, international human rights, European law, securities litigation, banking law.

Ron Soffer identified: born Nov 12, 1960 in Tel Aviv, Israel. Founded Cabinet Ron Soffer (now Soffer Avocats) in Paris 1994. Admitted to bars in Israel (1984), New York (1990), Paris (1992). Served 5 years as officer in International Law Branch of IDF Judge Advocate General. Teaches ECHR jurisprudence at Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Practice includes multi-jurisdictional criminal/civil litigation across France, US, Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Hungary, Morocco, Hong Kong, Singapore. Firm handles ECHR litigation, art law (Nazi restitution via Agnes Peresztegi), criminal defense, antitrust, securities.

Ron Soffer (born Nov 12, 1960, Tel Aviv) is the founder of Soffer Avocats, a Paris-based international litigation boutique established in 1994. Member of Paris (1992), New York (1990), Israel (1984), and Split (Croatia) bars. Admitted to practice before the ICC at The Hague. Hebrew University law degree (1982). Served 5 years as officer in the International Law Branch of the IDF Judge Advocate General. Teaches annually at Hebrew University on ECHR jurisprudence. Member of scientific committee of criminal law institute of Paris Bar. Writes for Israel Hayom and JNS.org.

IDF JAG background: Soffer served 5 years as officer in the International Law Branch of the Judge Advocate General of the IDF. He 'worked on dozens of cases presented to the Israeli Supreme Court on issues of laws of war' (per firm website). No specific cases, units, or commanding officers identified in public sources. No public reporting links Soffer to intelligence work (Mossad, Shin Bet, AMAN) -- search for 'Ron Soffer intelligence OR Mossad' returned zero results. The IDF JAG International Law Branch handles laws of armed conflict, Geneva Conventions compliance, and represents IDF in Supreme Court petitions -- a legal rather than intelligence function, though personnel may have security clearances and work with classified material.

IDF Military Advocate General's Corps (MAG Corps) International Law Branch is responsible for advising IDF on international humanitarian law, laws of armed conflict, rules of engagement, and representing the military in Supreme Court proceedings. Soffer served there approximately 1982-1987 based on his Israel Bar admission (1984) and move to New York (1988). This was during the 1982 Lebanon War and its aftermath -- a period of intense international law challenges for the IDF including the Sabra and Shatila massacre inquiry and numerous Supreme Court petitions. No public source identifies specific cases Soffer worked on. Web search for intelligence connections (Mossad, national security) returned zero results linking Soffer to any intelligence agency. However, IDF JAG officers routinely work with classified information and maintain security clearances.

Ron Soffer full profile from Soffer Avocats: Born Israel 1960. Hebrew University School of Law 1981. Israel Bar 1984. Served 5 years as officer in International Law Branch of the Judge Advocate General of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF JAG). Moved to New York 1988, worked at Republic National Bank of New York until 1991. New York Bar (state 1990, federal 1994). Paris Bar 1992. Founded Cabinet Soffer (now Soffer Avocats) in Paris 1994. Member of Paris/NY/Israel bars. Admitted to act before International Criminal Court in The Hague. Teaches at Hebrew University of Jerusalem on European Court of Human Rights. This IDF JAG + Republic National Bank + tri-bar background makes him a significant figure in the Fisher-Epstein nexus.

Ron Soffer Israel Hayom and JNS column topics focus on ICC proceedings against Israel, positioning him as pro-Israel legal commentator. Described as 'Dr. Ron Soffer' in publications — authorized to appear before ICC at The Hague. Israel Hayom (Sheldon Adelson's newspaper) and JNS.org are both part of pro-Israel media ecosystem.

Ron Soffer writes opinion columns for Israel Hayom and JNS.org. JNS article titled 'Irresponsible ICC rulings could trigger further conflict' and 'Israel faces an uncertain path in the wake of the ICC arrest warrants' reflect his ICC expertise. He is described as 'Dr. Ron Soffer, member of the Bar Association of Israel, Paris and New York, authorized to appear before the International Criminal Court in The Hague.' The Dr. title is notable -- his prabook.com and Martindale profiles do not mention a doctoral degree. Column work positions him within pro-Israel advocacy/commentary ecosystem alongside his litigation practice.

NEGATIVE RESULT: Ron Soffer does NOT appear in ICIJ offshore leak databases (Panama Papers, Paradise Papers, Pandora Papers). 17 'Soffer' results returned but none match Ron Soffer. Notable: 'GIL SOFFER' from France appears as officer in Paradise Papers - Malta corporate registry (node 56039854), but this appears to be a different person (possibly Gil M. Soffer, managing partner of Katten's Chicago office). 'David Soffer' from Israel appears in Panama Papers. Ron Soffer also ABSENT from OCCRP Aleph (0 results for Person, Company, or LegalEntity matching Ron Soffer or Soffer Avocats), ABSENT from LittleSis power network database, and ABSENT from GDELT article database.

Exhaustive search of offshore leak and network databases: ICIJ Offshore Leaks (17 Soffer results, none matching Ron), OCCRP Aleph (0 results for Ron Soffer or Soffer Avocats), LittleSis (0 results for Ron Soffer or Soffer Avocats), GDELT (0 article results for Ron Soffer or Soffer Avocats). The GIL SOFFER from France in Paradise Papers Malta registry is likely a different person. This negative result is significant: for a Paris-based international litigator handling billion-dollar art fraud cases across multiple jurisdictions, the absence from offshore databases suggests either: (a) clean operations with no offshore structure involvement, or (b) any offshore activity conducted through client entities rather than personal/firm names.

Soffer Avocats firm team composition reveals multilingual multi-jurisdictional practice: Zorica Percobic (b. 1971, Paris; Sorbonne masters; multi-jurisdictional litigation, competition law, art law, human rights, Serbo-Croatian); Axelle Zenati (b. 1974, Lyon; German LLM Munster magna cum laude; German law, competition, European law); Sarah Chanu (UK-trained; criminal/civil litigation, labor law, international law, Spanish). The firm operates from 4 rue Quentin Bauchart, Paris 75008 (8th arrondissement, near Champs-Elysees). The team's language capabilities (French, English, Hebrew, German, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish) and bar admissions across France, NY, Israel, Split (Croatia) enable the multi-jurisdictional litigation practice described in the Bouvier Affair cases.

Firm details from multiple sources: Address: 4 rue Quentin Bauchart, Paris 75008. Team members include associates Zorica Percobic (Sorbonne, art law expertise, speaks Serbo-Croatian), Axelle Zenati (German legal education, Munster LLM magna cum laude), Sarah Chanu (UK-trained, criminal/labor law). Agnes Peresztegi is Of Counsel (Nazi art restitution). Practice areas span criminal, commercial, antitrust, IP, securities, civil, administrative, human rights. Sectors include banking, investment funds, distribution, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, IT/software, health services, infrastructure, real estate, art. The firm has conducted litigation in US, Germany, Greece, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Liechtenstein, Hungary, Morocco, Hong Kong, Singapore, Israel.

Soffer Avocats practice areas include European Court of Human Rights litigation, criminal litigation, antitrust, art law, commercial litigation, and enforcement of foreign judgments in France. The firm has conducted multi-jurisdictional litigation in US (including 2nd Circuit), Germany, Greece, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Liechtenstein, Hungary, Morocco, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Israel. Soffer is a member of American Bar Association, NY State Bar, International Bar Association, American Chamber of Commerce in France, Union Internationale des Avocats (UIA). Also listed as lecturer in Commercial Law at University of Le Havre. The firm previously operated from ronsoffer.com as 'Cabinet Ron Soffer' before rebranding to sofferavocats.com as 'Soffer Avocats.'

FEC records confirm Ron Soffer Paris office address as 8 Rue Magellan, Paris 75008, France. Employer listed as 'CABINER RON SOFFER' (French phonetic spelling of Cabinet). Donation of 1000 USD to American Association for Justice PAC on July 25, 2007. Listed as 'RON MR. ESQ.' occupation 'ATTORNEY'. This is the only itemized FEC donation from this individual.

EFTA01888282 email (Sept 26, 2012) references 'Dr. Soffer' as partner of 'Dr. Shimony' who could see 'Jagbland' (likely Thorbjorn Jagland, Council of Europe Secretary General). Lesley Groff wrote to Epstein: 'Dr. Shimony is out today for Yom Kippur...Dr. Shimony s partner, Dr. Soffer, will be in tomorrow after 2pm however and could see Jagbland.' NOTE: This 'Dr. Soffer' appears to be a MEDICAL doctor (dentist/physician), NOT lawyer Ron Soffer. The medical office context distinguishes this from the lawyer. However, both Soffer connections appear in Epstein's orbit, and both involve the Jagland connection.

Duggan corpus search for 'Soffer' returns 1000 hits across the Epstein document corpus but ONLY 4 are relevant to Ron Soffer the lawyer: EFTA01324981 (Second Amended Complaint, 96 Civ 8307, Dec 1997), EFTA01325003 (Gov motion for summary judgment against Fisher and Soffer, Mar 1998), EFTA01325008 (Judge Chin opinion granting ejectment, Apr 1998, cited as 27 F.Supp.2d 404). Plus EFTA01888282 referencing a DIFFERENT Dr. Soffer (ophthalmologist seeing Jagland). The remaining results reference Donald Soffer (Miami), Arnon Soffer (geographer), and the Terje Rod-Larsen newsletter series. Confirms the known corpus baseline of 3 legal documents plus the HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_028576 Weingarten email.

Complete Duggan/LMSBAND/Unified corpus audit: (1) EFTA01324981 - Second Amended Complaint naming Epstein, Fisher, Fisher & Soffer, Ron Soffer, and 13 other defendants. (2) EFTA01325003 - Government memo seeking summary judgment specifically against Diane Fisher and Ron Soffer, the two holdout subtenants. (3) EFTA01325008 - Judge Chin's April 1, 1998 opinion (1998 WL 159055, 27 F.Supp.2d 404) granting ejectment of all defendants. Soffer was last holdout; court ruled he can have no greater rights than Fisher. (4) HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_028576 - Jan 2019 Weingarten email already documented. LMSBAND returned 1 result (Arnon Soffer the geographer). Unified returned 2 results (the Weingarten email and same Arnon Soffer). DOJ search for 'Ron Soffer' returned 0 (name-indexed search misses OCR).

Comprehensive negative results across US regulatory databases: Zero SEC EDGAR filings for Ron Soffer or Soffer Avocats. Zero FARA registrations. Zero LDA lobbying records. Zero NYC ACRIS property records. Zero UCC filings. Zero FAA aircraft registrations. Zero GLEIF legal entity identifiers. Zero OpenSanctions hits. Zero USVI corporate registrations. Zero DS10 financial transactions. Zero corporate registrations in investigation registry.db matching Ron Soffer specifically (all FL Soffer entities are Turnberry/Aventura Soffer family, unrelated). No UK Companies House results (API key issue). This pattern of zero regulatory footprint despite confirmed bar admissions in NY, Israel, and Paris is notable for a tri-jurisdictional lawyer.