Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
Overview
Weil, Gotshal & Manges is an elite global US law firm with a long-standing London presence that acts for large public companies, private equity houses, private funds and financial institutions on high-value, complex, cross-border matters. The firm emphasises early responsibility for junior lawyers via small London cohorts, deep private equity and finance capability, and integrated global teams across the US, Europe and Asia. Weil highlights market-leading work (including headline M&A, finance and restructuring matters), significant private equity coverage and a collaborative culture designed to accelerate trainee development.
- Headquarters: London, 110 Fetter Lane, Holborn (London office) / US headquarters (firm-wide)
- Founded: 1931
- Lawyers: 1,200+
- Partners: 48
- Trainees: 15
- Offices: 15
- Revenue: $1.82bn (2023)
Values & Culture
Practice Areas
- Competition & Antitrust
- Dispute Resolution & Litigation
- Insolvency & Restructuring
- Banking & Finance
- Corporate & M&A
- Private Equity & Venture Capital
- Investment Funds
- Capital Markets
- Tax
- Intellectual Property
- Employment
- ESG & Sustainability
- Real Estate
- Regulatory & Compliance
Geographic Focus: A global firm with a large London office that works as part of integrated US–Europe–Asia teams. The London office focuses on private equity, finance, restructuring and cross-border M&A for global corporates, private equity sponsors, funds and financial institutions. Weil positions itself to service clients from the Americas, Europe and Asia via offices in New York, Boston, Silicon Valley, Hong Kong, Brussels, Paris, Frankfurt, Munich and other major financial centres.
Training Contract
Two-year training contract comprising four six-month seats. Trainees complete mandatory seats in Corporate and Finance (one Corporate and one Finance seat are required) and choose the remaining seats based on preferences and business needs. Seats are allocated by considering trainees' three submitted preferences for each rotation alongside training requirements and business need. Trainees receive a comprehensive induction, departmental training each seat, mid- and end-of-seat reviews, a dedicated supervisor (shared office) providing real-time feedback, practice-area specific training, a partner mentor for the full two years, the option of two additional mentors, and ongoing support from the Early Careers & Development team.
- Starting Salary: £60,000
- NQ Salary: £170,000
- Trainee Intake: 15
- Qualification Rate: 86% retention rate
- Academic Requirements: Minimum AAB at A-level (or equivalent) and a 2:1 degree (obtained or predicted). The firm reviews applications holistically, considers mitigating circumstances and uses Rare’s contextualised recruitment system.
- Application Deadline: 14 December 2025
Seat Options
- Competition & Antitrust
- Dispute Resolution & Litigation
- Banking & Finance
- Corporate & M&A
- Private Equity & Venture Capital
- Investment Funds
- Insolvency & Restructuring
- Capital Markets
- Tax
Sponsorship
Full sponsorship of the PGDL and SQE 1 and SQE 2; an annual maintenance grant of £20,000 per year of study (PGDL/SQE support and maintenance grant explicitly stated).
SQE Support
Weil has partnered with the University of Law to deliver the PGDL and SQE1 & SQE2 preparation courses and exams. The firm offers full sponsorship of the PGDL and SQE 1 and 2 preparation programmes and covers related exam preparation.
International Opportunities
International secondments are available and referenced across descriptions (examples include secondments to the firm's New York office and secondments to Brussels and to an investment advisory firm). LegalCheek supplementary data indicates a chance of secondment abroad of 27%. The firm states trainees may be offered international secondments mirroring graduate trainees' experiences.
Client Secondments
0%
Mentorship
Each trainee has a dedicated supervisor (with shared office), a partner mentor for the full two-year training contract, the option to choose two additional mentors, and a trainee buddy. The Early Careers & Development team provides ongoing pastoral and developmental support.
Programmes & Schemes
One-day events where attendees hear from partners, counsel, associates and trainees about life at Weil, take part in a case study exercise, receive guidance on the recruitment process and network with current trainees. Insight days develop commercial awareness and provide tailored advice on vacation scheme recruitment.
- Duration: 1 day
- Deadline: 1 november 2026
Two-week paid schemes providing participants with live work alongside current trainees, practice-area exposure, workshops, social events and assessments (group negotiation, client pitch, real trainee tasks). Participants are assessed for a training contract during the scheme and are guaranteed a training contract interview.
- Duration: 2 weeks
- Salary: £750 per week (participants are also given a £50 building pass top-up for Café 110; half of the salary can be paid in advance two weeks before joining)
- Places: Up to 15 places per scheme
- Deadline: 2026-12-01
A six-year school-leaver solicitor apprenticeship that combines on-the-job training with formal study (LLB and SQE 1 & 2). Apprentices spend initial months in business services, rotate through fee-earning teams, have protected study time (one study day per week and an eight-month study period after year four for SQE prep), and receive extensive mentoring and support. After six years apprentices qualify at the same level as graduate trainees.
- Duration: 6 years
- Salary: Starting salary £33,000 (increases year on year); £2,000 sign-on bonus; study fees covered
- Deadline: 2027-01-17
A self-paced online programme (hosted on Forage) giving hands-on simulated experience of tasks a trainee would perform in Private Equity, Finance and Restructuring teams. Open to everyone with no application required; completion signals intent and improves chances in recruitment (70% of 2026 Vacation Scheme hires completed the programme and completers are twice as likely to advance to the video interview stage).
Virtual and in-person events and law-fair attendance (university law fairs, virtual law fairs and firm-run insight days) to meet recruiters, partners and trainees and ask questions about careers at Weil. Events include targeted webinars and application masterclasses for the solicitor apprenticeship and vacation schemes.
One-day events where attendees hear from partners, counsel, associates and trainees about life at Weil, take part in a case study exercise, receive guidance on the recruitment process and network with current trainees. Insight days develop commercial awareness and provide tailored advice on vacation scheme recruitment.
- Places: Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, 110 Fetter Lane, London, EC4A 1AY
- Deadline: 4 October 2026
One-day events where attendees hear from partners, counsel, associates and trainees about life at Weil, take part in a case study exercise, receive guidance on the recruitment process and network with current trainees. Insight days develop commercial awareness and provide tailored advice on vacation scheme recruitment.
- Places: Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, 110 Fetter Lane, London, EC4A 1AY
- Deadline: 13 October 2026
Notable Matters
Weil lawyers have acted on work connected with the industry-defining Microsoft/Activision transaction; trainees and associates reference working on the Microsoft Activision merger as an example of Weil involvement in front-page, high-profile M&A matters.
Corporate & M&A
Weil acted on the Advent/Maxar transaction, which was recognised as Private Equity Deal of the Year at the IFLR Americas Awards 2024 — demonstrating the firm's leading role on large, complex private equity transactions.
Private Equity & Venture Capital
Weil advised an ad hoc committee of bondholders in relation to a sovereign debt restructuring, illustrating the firm's capability on high-stakes, cross-border restructuring matters involving creditors, sovereigns and complex international restructuring processes.
Insolvency & Restructuring
Through its Pro Bono Committee, Weil worked with Refuge to table a number of amendments in the UK Government’s Domestic Abuse Act, which became law in 2021 — an example of significant public-interest and pro bono impact.
Public Law
The firm is regularly engaged on high-yield bond financings, securitisations and related capital markets transactions for sponsor-backed issuers and Yankee issuers, a practice area where the firm has received market-leading recognition.
Capital Markets
What Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP Looks For
Key Competencies
- High achievers
- Go-getters / proactive
- Team players
- Commercial awareness
- Critical thinking
- Strong communication skills
- Resilience and determination
Evidence Signals
- Completion of the Virtual Experience Programme (Forage) — demonstrable commercial interest and intent
- Relevant work experience or commercial internships
- Success on vacation scheme activities (group negotiation, client pitch, real tasks)
- Demonstrable academic consistency (2:1 degree and AAB A-levels or contextualised equivalence)
- Examples of teamwork, leadership and client-facing/client-advisory experience
Benefits & Wellbeing
- Trainee salary Year 1: £60,000
- Trainee salary Year 2: £65,000
- Newly qualified salary: £170,000
- Full sponsorship of PGDL and SQE 1 & 2
- Annual maintenance grant for PGDL/SQE: £20,000 per year
- Pension
- Income protection
- Life assurance
- Private medical insurance
- Private GP appointments
- Biennial health assessment
- Employee assistance programme
- Subscription to Calm wellbeing and mindfulness app
- Free on-site gym and classes
- £500 annual wellbeing allowance
- Vacation scheme pay: £750 per week (with optional advance)
- Apprenticeship starting salary: £33,000 and £2,000 sign-on bonus
- Café 110 £50 top-up during vacation scheme
Wellbeing
Employee assistance programme, private GP appointments, biennial health assessment, subscription to the Calm app, £500 annual wellbeing allowance, free on-site gym and classes
Awards & Recognition
- All Star Performance in Recruiting Diverse Talent 2023 (Aspiring Solicitors)
- Best Law Firm for Perks 2024
- Private Equity Deal of the Year (Advent/Maxar) — IFLR Americas Awards 2024
- Matter of the Year; Merger Control Matter of the Year: Americas; Merger Control Matter of the Year: Europe — GCR Awards 2024
- Ranked #1 for High Yield Bonds Sponsor Backed Issuer’s Legal Counsel and Yankee Issuer’s Legal Counsel categories — Debtwire (2024)
- Ranked #1 most frequently appointed counsel in European-based restructurings by value and volume — Debtwire (FY23)
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Top 75 UK Employer for Social Mobility (The Social Mobility Foundation, 2023); long-standing firm-wide inclusion programmes and partnerships; formal employee networks and mentoring schemes to promote access and progression.
- AsiansAtWeil
- BLAST (Black Lawyers Achieving Success Together)
- Women@Weil
- WeilPride
- Belong@Weil
- WeilAccessAbility
- Religion@Weil
- Mentoring Scheme with Aspiring Solicitors
- Partnerships with Aspiring Solicitors, MyPlus Students' Club, Rare, SEO London, PRIME, InterLaw Diversity Forum, The Social Mobility Foundation, Business Disability Forum
Pro Bono
All lawyers are expected to perform 50 hours of pro bono service per year. The Pro Bono Committee works with law centres, charities, NGOs and social enterprises with a focus on access to justice and social finance. The firm worked with Refuge on amendments to the UK Domestic Abuse Act that were enacted in 2021.
Innovation
Quick Application Angles
- Show clear private equity and finance focus in your application — reference the firm’s leading work on high-value PE and leveraged transactions (e.g., Advent/Maxar) and explain why you’d add value to those teams.
- Complete the Virtual Experience Programme (Forage) and mention it on your application — the firm states completers are twice as likely to progress to the video interview and 70% of 2026 Vacation Scheme hires completed it.
- Emphasise examples of taking responsibility in team settings (small trainee cohorts mean early visibility and real responsibility), and prepare concrete examples of when you stepped up under pressure.
- Demonstrate commercial awareness with reference to recent headline matters (for example large cross-border M&A and restructuring matters) and show you follow market developments relevant to Weil’s practice areas.
- Highlight teamwork and approachability — partner and peer support are cited strengths, so describe times you worked collaboratively with senior stakeholders and how you sought and acted on feedback.
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