Weil
767 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10153
New York, NY 10153
Phone number: (212) 310-8000
Visit Website: www.weil.com
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Overview
Introduction
A leader in bankruptcy and restructuring, Weil is an all-around legal superstar with a name that will shine on any resume. The firm is a good fit for team players who enjoy socializing and aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves and work hard. The firm has pioneered major areas of law, such as corporate governance, private equity, and bankruptcy and restructuring. With approximately 1,100 lawyers, the firm has offices spanning three continents and six countries, and it continues to be one of the highest-grossing law firms in t...
Firm Stats
Total No. Attorneys (2021)
No. of Partners Named (2021)
Featured Rankings
Vault Law 100...
No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2020)
No. of Summer Associates (2021)
Base Salary
Class of 2021: $202,500...
Vault Verdict
Weil is a social firm that places high value on teamwork—the firm likes to hire candidates who will mesh with its amiable vibe. Top grades are a must, and candidates should be ready to discuss their past work experiences. Associates are complimentary of the partnership, noting that most partners take an interest in associates’ professional development and personal lives. Reviews are mixed as to transparency from management, but associates appreciate the weekly emails from the managing partner throughout the pandemic. Hours can be intense—especially for bankruptcy associates this past year. But the hours often fluctuate, and associate are glad there is no billable requirement to stress them out during lulls. Junior associates take on typical entry-level tasks but also have the abil...
About the Firm
A powerhouse in restructuring, M&A, private equity, and litigation, Weil, Gotshal & Manges has long been one of the world’s leading law firms. The firm has pioneered major areas of law, such as corporate governance, private equity, and bankruptcy and restructuring.
To New York and Beyond
Weil was founded in New York in 1931 and has been located in New York’s iconic General Motors Building since the building opened in 1968, overlooking the city’s playground, Central Park. With approximately 1,100 lawyers, the firm has offices spanning three continents and six countries, and it continues to be one of the highest-grossing law firms in the world.
Restructured Thinking
Weil fields one o...
2022 Vault Rankings
Associate Reviews
- “Very social. I definitely have ‘work friends,’ and my group encourages social interactions (and even during COVID, has encouraged virtual social events). Most of the people I work with are available for mentoring and to answer questions, leading to a very collegial atmosphere.
- “Lawyers and staff are quite social with one another. The culture is generally centered in a sense that we are all members of the same team, which makes for a generally collaborative and encouraging environment.”
- “Weil places a huge emphasis on social culture to get to know the other attorneys. Even though are remote, we are encouraged to have weekly Zoom lunches/dinner with associates which the firm will expense up to a certain amount of money. Also, as a first year, everyone is extremely supportive and engaged in helping me grow as an associate.
- “During the pandemic, the managing partner has sent weekly emails giving updates about the firm and providing words of wisdom.”
- “Associate/partner relations is very collegial. Partners will gladly mentor associates. Firm can be more transparent about decisions that affect associates. Reviews occur top down and bottom up bi-annually.”
- “I feel very well treated by the partners in my group. I've always found them to be very willing to spend time with associates both in a teaching/mentoring capacity as well as socially (getting to know everyone, showing interest in our non-work lives). I think there's a decent amount of transparency in firm performance/finances, and I think there is good transparency with respect to promotions and performance reviews.”
- “We have reviews twice a year. We fill out a self-evaluation before the review and list attorneys with worked with to be contacted to provide feedback. Then, the review is conducted with two partners, typically those you've worked most closely with, who provide feedback.”
- “The firm does not have an hours requirement, which is a much more relaxing and welcoming environment for associates. Work is not always steady, and we don't have to worry about slow periods.”
- “There are certainly times when it is very hectic, and I have put in my share of 250 hour months, but I have had extended periods where it is much more reasonable. Compared to my friends at many other firms, we are right in the middle in terms of expectations. We all have plenty of work to do but we are encouraged to take time for ourselves where we can.”
- “I've worked well above the previous per-year average billable hour totals from the past couple of years. I think this is mainly a product of the increased demand for corporate work in my specific practice area. The firm has recognized this increased workload and seems genuine in trying to alleviate stressors and creating opportunities to take much-needed vacations.”
- “Last year's special bonus, which was based on hours, was a nice reward for those of us who had pulled long hours in the year prior.”
- “No billable-hours requirement; top-market compensation.”
- “Standard lockstep salaries and bonuses. Annual bonuses are not tied to billable hours. The firm gave special bonuses in 2020 that did have a billable hour component (but everyone received a minimum amount), and is giving special bonuses in 2021 that are lockstep based on class year at the end of May and November.”
- “Compensation is top notch. [The firm] always matches other firms and sometimes dishes out more—like the 2020 fall special bonus.”
- “The firm has been really generous with bonuses this year, which reflects the value it places on the hard work of associates during the Covid-19 pandemic. …”
- “As a second-year transactional associate, I perform diligence, draft and negotiate ancillary transaction documents and am beginning to draft and negotiate principal transaction documents under close supervision.”
- “As a first-year associate, I have done my fair share of doc review but that is far from all that I do. Legal research is my second largest amount of billable time, but I have also done a significant amount of fact-finding research.”
- “I work entirely on restructuring matters and am involved in research, drafting documents and memos, and communicating with clients and counter-parties. I am becoming more comfortable with reporting directly to partners as some of my assignments do not involve a mid-level associate.”
- “Since the trial teams are lean, I feel like I have my finger in all pieces of the pie, from pleadings to discovery to motions to trial prep and trial. This is not a firm where you feel like you're a spectator on the sidelines; you're participating in every step of the case.”
- “The work is appropriately challenging. A significant part of company-side representation in restructuring is intimately understanding the processes, which are complex. As my understanding of and experience with the processes has grown and developed, I have been given more complicated assignments. In other words, the more comprehension you demonstrate, the more complex assignments you receive, regardless of class year. When asked to step-up and tackle a more challenging assignment, you are provided with the tools and guidance necessary to succeed and learn in the process.”
- “The firm was great about creating a manageable work-from-home environment. I started working at Weil during that pandemic, so they sent us all of our technology directly to our homes. The set up to the network was seamless.”
- “The firm sent us a laptop, monitor, docking station, wired telephone, smartphone, headphones, and an additional monitor at no cost upon request. The firm has also comped purchases for printers and shredders. The transition to remote work has been seamless and I've been able to get work done without much difficulty due to the firm's extensive home office accommodations.”
- “Laptops are frustrating on occasion but the support staff is excellent and very kind.”
- “Very supportive throughout COVID—[the firm] gave us everything we needed to work from home effectively.”
- “The firm has a Wellness Committee that frequently presents speakers or other programs meant to enhance the health and well-being of lawyers and staff. I've attended several of these, and they've been very valuable. I've frequently gotten the sense that the firm—from the managing partner all the way down to my colleagues—cares about associates as human beings and not just laborers.”
- “In theory, the firm is excellent. In practice, the workload is still the workload, and that's not going to change. One nice thing is that the firm is pretty consistent about encouraging attorneys to use their vacation time, and you do see associates taking vacation fairly regularly.”
- “Access to life coaches through Humana, career counseling through VOLTA, and a variety of mental-health-related items are provided through the firm, which has surprisingly favorable policies. The firm regularly sends out COVID updates.”
- “There is a constant barrage of wellness efforts emails and programs. The last one I did was easy stretches you can do anywhere or even in your work chair. It was surprisingly clever and I do some of the stretches regularly.”
- “The firm sponsors a number of formal training programs, and you are given formal associate and partner mentors when you join the firm. Those have been very informative and helpful, but the most important mentorship that I have received has been informal. The mentality of senior associates and partners at the firm is that if they invest in you as an associate on the front end, you will be a better lawyer and more valuable member of the team later on. Given that mentality, I feel that I'm getting trained in the background of every deal.”
- “The third-year deposition training was out of this world helpful. I spent a whole day with two partners and two other associates developing deposition skills. I had the partners' undivided attention and received point-by-point feedback on taking and defending several depositions, with different experts. It was hands-on learning at its finest.”
- “Associates are assigned partner and senior associate mentors from first year onwards (summer associates are paired with an associate mentor for the summer). The firm provides an annual mentoring stipend to provide opportunity to get together for meals/events out of office, and I get together with my mentor regularly. I've found the associate mentoring relationship to be more valuable at this stage of my career, but think that will probably shift to some extent as I become more senior. I also have informal mentoring relationships with several other associate and counsel employees. From my experience, members of my group are always very willing to meet and explain complex concepts and other things on which I'm not clear, and this has continued throughout remote working via video conferencing.”
- “A partner holds weekly office hours to allow individuals to ask questions on anything they are working on. This is an amazing time for first years to have one-on-one time with partners and ask questions they may otherwise be nervous to ask.”
- “Given Weil's brand name, there are plenty of opportunities.”
- “What is required to stay on partner track has always been made very clear to me, including steps along the way, etc. Having a strong mentor relationship has helped with that though. When others have expressed an interest in leaving to the partners, they have helped to find in house jobs with clients.”
- “I think the partnership process is pretty transparent. Partners begin meeting with associates to discuss their advancement goals in year five and promotions occur after year seven to either partner or counsel. Counsel contracts are for three years; at that point they are elevated to partner or transition to another role outside of the firm. Exit opportunities are extremely well-situated for in-house roles.”
- “Weil has a clear partnership track that they rolled out in 2018, with attorneys first eligible for partner at seven-and-a-half years. Partnership and specialty counsel are both realistic paths for those that work hard and make themselves indispensable at the firm.”
- “Innocence Project case intake review is required for all first-year associates.”
- “Weil has a pro bono requirement and encourages attorneys to exceed it. ... Our only compensation that has been hours based, the fall 2020 pandemic bonus, counted pro bono hours as billable. I have worked on a number of pro bono cases, including several for the Innocence Project, election law research, and a class action regarding a state's foster care system.”
- “Pro bono work is valued at the firm. I have worked on special education, asylum, and landlord-tenant housing matters.”
- “Our firm is extremely committed to pro bono assignments. The managing corporate partner often emails to encourage people to get involved in pro bono and stresses that he wants every attorney to hit at least 50 hours. I am currently working on multiple projects involving evictions related to COVID-19/ helping commercial tenants renegotiate leases because of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
- “I can only comment on LGBT since I'm a gay male, and the rest would just be my outside looking in perspective, but I do think LGBT diversity is a bright spot of Weil. The Weil Pride group makes very active efforts in recruitment and when were in the office had lots of active events. We even had a virtual Broadway event during COVID. … As far as personal experiences, I've literally never had a problem with LGBT issues, not even so much as a sideways glance while mention a same-sex partner/date in passing. Definitely recommend Weil for LGBT folks”
- “I like that it's a constant effort to strive to be better. Weil never says, ‘Well, we've checked that box and are done." I am constantly hearing people talk about a success we've had and then follow it up with how can we do better or implement that at a higher level.”
- “… We have a required amount of diversity training annually and are encouraged to exceed that amount with DEI programming being offered several times monthly.”
- “Big Law numbers with respect to diversity always need improvement, but I think the firm makes a strong effort. We have affinity groups for women, people of color, LGBTQ, etc., that hold events and offer frequent programming (e.g., the women's affinity group and the black affinity group jointly hosted a movie premiere for the movie Harriet last year, which was open to all associates and their guests; there were many speakers and programming offered for all firm staff during black history month and women's history month). We have a mothers group that meets monthly to provide support to associates/partners/counsel who are raising children, which I've found very useful for discussing time management skills and dealing with remote schooling while trying to work remotely.”
Diversity at Weil
"Inclusion is in our DNA. Since its founding, Weil has held diversity and inclusion as a core value of our firm since Frank Weil, Sylvan Gotshal and Horace Manges found many doors closed to them because of their religious beliefs. Over the following 85 years, as we have become a global firm, these principles have been a cornerstone for our growth and success. Our pioneering attitude towards diversity led us to embark on a series of "firsts" for the legal profession from conducting a diversity assessment in 1992 to creating a formal..."
Getting Hired Here
- “Weil is looking for smart, hard-working people, who are driven but don't take themselves too seriously.”
- “The firm has a robust recruiting program. Candidates need to have excellent academic credentials; there are minimum GPAs based on law school attended to get an interview. If the academic credentials are acceptable, the next most important factors are probably personality, prior life/work experience, and diversity.”
- “We have interview training for how we take notes, ask questions, and converse with candidates. We also train for how to review a resume. [Weil is] looking for candidates who performed competitively in law school and have a strong work ethic.”
- “[The] firm is looking for candidates that match our firm's collegial atmosphere while also having excellent credentials. The firm also actively engages affinity groups to be involved in the hiring process.”
- “Standard interview questions (i.e., why this firm, why law, etc., discuss prior work/internship experience), but we are encouraged to stray from the script and try to get to know the personality of the candidates as much as possible. Some of my best interviews with candidates had very little discussion of law/law school and were focused on interesting non-legal experiences of the interviewees.”
- “People tend to ask the most about a candidate's interests sections. Interviewers also ask about law school summer internships as well, to get a sense of how a candidate works with a team and their legal thinking skills.”
- “Tell me about yourself. What do you want to know about the firm?”
- “What drives your motivation for success? Why do you want to practice in big law?”
Practice Area Q&A’s
Candace Arthur
Partner
Weil
Luna Barrington
Partner
Weil
Kevin J. Sullivan
Partner
Weil
John A. Neuwirth
Partner
Weil
Ronit J. Berkovich
Partner
Weil
Perks & Benefits
