Weil, Gotshal & Manges: What Law Students Should Know

Weil Gotshal is the restructuring firm. When companies fail, when the leveraged buyout goes wrong, when the retail chain runs out of cash, when the energy company cannot service its debt, Weil is the firm that picks up the pieces. The firm's bankruptcy and restructuring practice is the most dominant in the legal industry, and it has been for decades.

The Basics

• Vault Rank: #15
• Headquarters: New York
• US Offices: New York, Washington DC, Houston, Dallas, Miami, Silicon Valley
• Size: ~1,100 attorneys worldwide
• Starting Salary: $225,000

What They Are Known For

Restructuring is the headline. Weil has represented debtors, creditors, and other parties in virtually every major bankruptcy of the last several decades. Lehman Brothers. General Motors. Enron. When a company files Chapter 11 and the restructuring makes national news, Weil is almost certainly involved.

The practice is not just historically dominant, it remains the market leader today. Weil handles the largest, most complex restructurings in the world, and the depth of the bench is unmatched. Partners, counsel, and associates in the restructuring group are genuine experts in a way that is difficult to replicate at a firm where restructuring is a side practice.

But Weil is not a one-practice firm. M&A and PE are significant and have grown substantially. The firm represents PE sponsors and strategic buyers on major transactions. Litigation is strong, covering securities, commercial disputes, patent, and white collar defense. The technology transactions and IP practice, particularly out of Silicon Valley, is well-regarded.

The countercyclical dynamic is worth understanding. When the economy is strong, Weil's M&A and PE practices drive revenue. When the economy weakens, the restructuring practice surges. This gives the firm a stability that most competitors lack, Weil does well in good times and arguably does even better in bad times.

Culture and Assignment

Weil uses a department-based assignment system. Associates join a practice group and receive work through coordinators and partner relationships. The system is structured enough to prevent new associates from falling through the cracks but flexible enough to allow you to seek out the matters that interest you.

The culture is professional, hardworking, and less hierarchical than some of its Vault peers. Weil has a reputation for being a place where smart, low-ego people do excellent work without the performative intensity that characterizes some competitors. Partners are generally accessible and the associate experience is well-managed.

The restructuring group has its own distinct culture, fast-paced, high-stakes, and intellectually demanding. Restructuring lawyers operate at the intersection of corporate law, bankruptcy law, and finance, and the work requires a level of analytical agility that many practice areas do not.

Hours are high, particularly in restructuring (where deadlines are driven by court schedules and creditor negotiations) and in M&A (where deal flow dictates the pace).

Summer Program

Weil's summer class is mid-sized, typically 80-120 summers. The program gives you exposure to the full range of the firm's practices, including the restructuring group, which is unusual, since most summer programs at other firms do not have a meaningful restructuring component to offer.

The social events are well-funded, and the firm makes a genuine effort to give summers a realistic preview of the work. If you are interested in restructuring, the Weil summer program is the best way to try it at scale.

Offer rates are consistently high.

Offices

New York is headquarters and where the restructuring, M&A, and litigation machines operate. Houston and Dallas have grown significantly, driven by energy restructuring and Texas-based deal work. DC has a regulatory and litigation practice. Miami serves the Latin American and South Florida market. Silicon Valley handles technology and IP work.

The international offices, London, Frankfurt, Munich, Hong Kong, support cross-border restructuring and corporate work. Weil's international restructuring practice is one of the few that operates at the same level as its domestic practice.

Compensation

Weil matches the Cravath scale. $225,000 base for first-years with a $21,000 bonus. Total first-year comp: approximately $246,000.

The firm's countercyclical model means that compensation has been stable even in years when other firms have cut bonuses or deferred start dates. When the rest of BigLaw is tightening, Weil's restructuring practice is often busier than ever.

Who Should Apply

Weil is the right firm for students who are interested in restructuring, either as a primary practice or as a career differentiator. It is also the right firm for students who want a strong M&A or litigation practice at a firm that is less obsessed with Vault rankings and more focused on the quality of the work.

If you want a firm that does one thing better than anyone else in the world, and you find the intellectual puzzle of restructuring, figuring out how to save a failing company or maximize value for creditors, genuinely interesting, Weil is the obvious choice. The exit opportunities from Weil's restructuring group into distressed investing, hedge funds, and advisory firms are among the best in BigLaw.