Simone K. Lelchuk
Snapshot
| Field | Summary |
|---|---|
| Name | Simone K. Lelchuk, Esq. |
| Profession | Mediator and settlement fund administrator |
| Documented Epstein-related work | Claims administration for the JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank survivor settlements; administration of the USVI Mental Health Fund and 2026 settlement funds. |
| Decision-making role | Reviews claims and determines allocations within each program’s rules and applicable court supervision. |
| Important distinction | The original Epstein Victims’ Compensation Program was administered by Jordana H. Feldman. |
| 2026 estate settlement | Proposed: $35 million with at least 40 eligible class members, otherwise $25 million. |
| Status date | October 19, 2026 |
Simone K. Lelchuk is a lawyer who mediates disputes and manages settlement funds. Her work includes several funds for survivors of Jeffrey Epstein. She reviews claims and decides awards under each fund’s rules. Her public biography also identifies her as the mediator in the Deutsche Bank survivor class action. Professional biography.
These records concern civil claims and settlement funds. They document her work on those claims. Being named in them does not, by itself, show a personal relationship with Epstein or a role in his abuse.
Key takeaways
- She administered the separate $290 million JPMorgan and $75 million Deutsche Bank survivor settlements.
- She decides individual awards under rules set by settlement agreements and court orders.
- The USVI fund pays for approved mental-health care.
- The original estate program is separate from the later bank funds.
- A settlement’s total value is not her pay or the net sum paid to survivors.
Professional background
Lelchuk earned her law degree at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in 2010. Her biography lists an undergraduate degree from Ohio University in 2005. It records work at Kasowitz Benson Torres from 2010 to 2014 and earlier work as a KPMG consultant. Her practice focuses on mediation and settlement funds. Professional biography.
The professional group PLUS describes her work in sexual-misconduct disputes and other complex civil cases. It also lists her service as an independent claims examiner for a Harvey Weinstein fund. She has mediated sexual-abuse claims concerning the Albany Catholic Diocese. These were separate roles outside the Epstein cases. PLUS professional conference biography.
On November 13, 2023, Columbia University and its medical center announced that Lelchuk would run a separate $100 million fund for survivors of Robert Hadden’s abuse. The announcement said she would develop the fund’s rules in consultation with Columbia. Columbia’s fund announcement.
JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank settlement roles
Two separate survivor settlements
JPMorgan’s 2023 financial filing records a $290 million payment to a survivor fund. It also records a separate $75 million settlement with the U.S. Virgin Islands government. These sums concern two different cases. JPMorgan third-quarter 2023 Form 10-Q.
Her fund biography confirms that Judge Jed Rakoff appointed her to manage claims for both bank settlements. The $290 million JPMorgan fund and $75 million Deutsche Bank fund were run separately. Bank of America fund administrator biography.
Eligibility, notice and individual awards
On June 27, 2023, the amended preliminary approval order in the Deutsche Bank case assigned her two tasks: oversee notice and process claims. The fund had two tiers. Eligible claimants could receive $75,000 through Tier One. A Tier Two claim could support a total award of up to $5 million, including that first payment. The cap was not a promised award for each applicant. Deutsche Bank amended preliminary approval order, June 27, 2023, ECF 95.
Rakoff’s January 5, 2024 order explains how she assessed claims in both funds. Factors included the harm, the relationship with Epstein, its effect on the claimant and any award from the other bank fund. Rakoff kept an oversight role. He reviewed her confidential reports on the proposed awards and the reasons for them. He then allowed payments based on those decisions. Rakoff allocation order, January 5, 2024.
USVI Mental Health Fund
Lelchuk also manages the USVI Mental Health Fund. It received $10 million from the separate September 2023 settlement between JPMorgan and the Virgin Islands government. It pays for approved mental-health care for eligible survivors. USVI Mental Health Fund: current rules.
The rules updated August 4, 2025 require written approval before treatment. The cap is $50,000 per person for each year from July through June. Approved care can be funded through June 30, 2028. Under the fund’s rules, it may pay a care provider or repay an applicant who has paid the bill. The benefit is restricted to covered care. USVI Mental Health Fund: current rules.
Bank of America settlement in 2026
The official website for Doe v. Bank of America, No. 1:25-cv-08520, names her as the court-appointed Fund Administrator. The settlement totals $72.5 million. She decides whether an applicant receives an award and how much. Bank of America settlement website.
The court-authorized notice of April 13, 2026 sets out the plan for dividing the fund. It also addresses legal fees, costs and court approval. Lawyers for the class represent the claimants. The Fund Administrator has a separate role in reviewing claims. Bank of America settlement notice, April 13, 2026.
Reuters reported that Rakoff said at the August 27, 2026 hearing that he would grant final approval. As of October 19, the fund homepage still described that hearing as a future event. The hearing report establishes the judge’s announced decision. It does not establish that all claimants have been paid. Reuters: Bank of America approval hearing, August 27, 2026.
The proposed 2026 estate and co-executor settlement
The case known as Doe 3 v. Indyke also appears in settlement papers as Ward v. Indyke. It names Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn as defendants and bears No. 1:24-cv-01204. In her sworn statement of February 18, 2026, Lelchuk says she mediated the dispute. The formal session took place on October 28, 2025. The parties agreed on the money terms on December 19, 2025. Lelchuk declaration, February 18, 2026, ECF 416-2.
The March 3, 2026 preliminary approval order named Simone Lelchuk, Resolution Services LLC, as Fund Administrator. Paragraph 8 covers notice and claims. Paragraph 15 sets out the factors for awards. Her role is to manage the settlement fund. She is not named as an executor of Epstein’s estate. Ward v. Indyke preliminary approval order, March 3, 2026, ECF 419.
The deal provides $35 million if at least 40 class members qualify, or $25 million if fewer qualify. Section 4 places the process under court supervision. It directs her to review evidence, assess whether claims are credible and decide who qualifies and how much they receive. It also says eligibility decisions are final and not subject to review, reconsideration or appeal. Section 4.8 also keeps disputes over claims within the court’s jurisdiction while waiving rights to appeal or review. These terms give her broad authority within a court-supervised process. Ward v. Indyke settlement agreement, February 19, 2026, ECF 416-1.
The official website’s October 5 update still calls this a proposed settlement. It lists November 23, 2026 as the deadline for claims, opt-outs and objections. The hearing is set for December 2. The site says people who already settled through the original estate program or privately released the estate cannot take part. The current official notice sets out the terms for potential claimants. SDNY Settlement Fund 2026: October 5 update.
Why the original estate program is different
The original Epstein Victims’ Compensation Program was separate. Its November 14, 2019 announcement named Jordana H. Feldman as administrator. Kenneth Feinberg and Camille Biros helped design it. Feldman had independent control of its operations and claims. That record does not name Lelchuk as its administrator. Original program announcement, November 14, 2019, Virgin Islands judiciary.
Some survivors took part in more than one fund. The funds still had separate rules and staff. A later claim may refer to an earlier estate payment. That does not mean the same person decided both awards.
Document appearances and what they establish
The document beginning at EFTA00146735 is a JPMorgan questionnaire and release. Its second page, Bates EFTA00146736, names Lelchuk as Claims Administrator. It says she assigns settlement amounts and describes optional meetings with applicants. These details appear in the linked public text mirror; the original scan was not available for verification. EFTA00146735–EFTA00146744, questionnaire and release, public text mirror.
The court orders independently confirm her role. The Deutsche Bank order appoints her; the January 2024 order reviews her awards; her signed 2026 statement describes her mediation work. The questionnaire records a claims process. Its presence in the released files does not itself establish wrongdoing.
Judicial oversight, public discussion and limits
An April 23, 2026 opinion in Doe v. Black describes the review of a disputed JPMorgan claim. It explains that Rakoff kept oversight and later examined the claim. The opinion imposed sanctions on the litigant and her former counsel. It did not impose sanctions on Lelchuk. The court also kept the claimant’s identity protected. Doe v. Black, April 23, 2026 opinion, ECF 388.
Lelchuk has written about her approach to this work. In a Winter 2026 article in The Judges’ Journal, she stresses that each survivor should have a chance to be heard. She describes this as part of the task of dividing a fund fairly. The article sets out her own view of the role. Lelchuk, The Judges’ Journal, Winter 2026.
The public record does not reveal every interview or the reasons for each award. The total value of a settlement also differs from the sum left for claimants after allowed fees and costs. Fund rules, award decisions and court review are separate parts of the process.
Timeline
- 2010: Lelchuk’s biography dates her Cardozo law degree and the start of her work at Kasowitz.
- 2014: Her sworn declaration dates the transition from private practice to mediation.
- 2023: Court appointments place her in charge of claims administration for the Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan survivor settlements.
- January 5, 2024: Rakoff authorizes distributions following review of her allocation reports.
- October 28, 2025: Formal mediation takes place in the Indyke and Kahn litigation.
- February 19, 2026: Her supporting declaration and the proposed estate settlement are filed.
- March 3, 2026: The estate settlement receives preliminary approval and she is appointed Fund Administrator.
- 2026: The Bank of America settlement website confirms her separate administrator appointment.
- October 2026: The estate settlement website continues to describe a proposed settlement with a December hearing.
Conclusion
The records show Lelchuk’s work as a mediator and claims administrator. Her power to decide individual awards makes her an important figure in the settlement process. That power has defined terms. Each fund has its own rules, court record and stage of approval.
Questions and answers
Did Simone Lelchuk decide individual compensation amounts?
Yes. The bank allocation order and later fund materials assign that work to her, within the rules and oversight applicable to each settlement.
Did she administer the original Epstein Victims’ Compensation Program?
The original program’s announcement identifies Jordana Feldman as administrator. Lelchuk’s documented appointments discussed here concern later settlements and the mental-health fund.
Was she an estate co-executor?
The reviewed appointment makes her Fund Administrator. The defendants in the 2026 case are Indyke and Kahn; their roles should not be assigned to her.
Is the 2026 estate settlement an unconditional $35 million fund?
No. Its stated amount is $35 million for at least 40 eligible class members, otherwise $25 million, and final approval remained pending in the latest official update reviewed.
Do the settlement totals show her fees or survivors’ net payments?
No. Gross settlement amounts, administrative expenses, legal fees and individual distributions are different figures.
Does being named in an Epstein document establish wrongdoing?
No. The document’s content and context must support any such claim. The records used here document claims administration and mediation.
Sources
- Professional biography
- PLUS professional conference biography
- Deutsche Bank amended preliminary approval order, June 27, 2023, ECF 95
- Rakoff allocation order, January 5, 2024
- JPMorgan third-quarter 2023 Form 10-Q
- USVI Mental Health Fund: current rules
- Bank of America settlement website
- Bank of America fund administrator biography
- Bank of America settlement notice, April 13, 2026
- Reuters: Bank of America approval hearing, August 27, 2026
- SDNY Settlement Fund 2026: October 5 update
- Lelchuk declaration, February 18, 2026, ECF 416-2
- Ward v. Indyke preliminary approval order, March 3, 2026, ECF 419
- Ward v. Indyke settlement agreement, February 19, 2026, ECF 416-1
- Original program announcement, November 14, 2019, Virgin Islands judiciary
- EFTA00146735–EFTA00146744, questionnaire and release, public text mirror
- Doe v. Black, April 23, 2026 opinion, ECF 388
- Lelchuk, The Judges’ Journal, Winter 2026
- Columbia University and CUIMC announcement, November 13, 2023