Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP

Overview

Weil is a US-headquartered, global full-service firm with a long heritage (founded 1931) and a market-leading reputation in restructuring, complex corporate work and cross-border transactions. The Firm operates on a "one firm" principle with approximately 1,200 lawyers on three continents and an integrated platform that regularly advises on very large M&A, private equity, fund formation and restructuring matters. Weil is known for pioneering restructuring practice techniques, acting as lead debtors’ counsel in multiple historic US bankruptcies and for advising major clients and sponsors on high‑value transactions and fundraisings worldwide.

• Headquarters: New York, 767 Fifth Avenue
• Founded: 1931
• Lawyers: approximately 1,200
• Trainees: 15
• Offices: 16

Values & Culture

Practice Areas

• Corporate & M&A
• Private Equity & Venture Capital
• Banking & Finance
• Capital Markets
• Insolvency & Restructuring
• Tax
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• Intellectual Property
• Technology & Digital
• Competition & Antitrust
• Investment Funds
• Financial Services & Regulation
• Healthcare & Life Sciences
• Media & Entertainment
• Energy & Natural Resources
• Infrastructure & Projects
• Real Estate
• Employment
• Sports Law
• Retail & Consumer
• Transport & Logistics
• White Collar Crime
• Pensions

Geographic Focus: Weil is strongest in the United States (headquartered in New York) with a large international platform across Europe and Asia. The Firm operates integrated teams from hubs in New York, London, Brussels, Frankfurt, Munich, Paris and Hong Kong, and maintains prominent U.S. offices in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Miami, Houston, Dallas and Austin. Weil’s strategy is to marshal cross‑office resources on large, cross‑border M&A, private equity, fund formation, restructuring and

Training Contract

• Starting Salary: Year 1: £60,000; Year 2: £65,000 (London trainee salaries, supplementary data)
• NQ Salary: £170,000 (supplementary data)
• Trainee Intake: 15 (number of training contracts offered per year, supplementary data)
• Qualification Rate: 80% (latest trainee retention rate from supplementary data)
• Academic Requirements: Minimum degree requirement: 2:1; Minimum A‑level requirement: AAB (supplementary data).
• Application Deadline: 14 December 2025

Seat Options

• Corporate
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Private Equity
• Banking & Finance
• Capital Markets
• Insolvency & Restructuring
• Tax
• Executive Compensation & Benefits
• Complex Commercial Litigation
• Intellectual Property/Technology & IP Transactions
• Employment
• Antitrust/Competition
• Real Estate
• Private Funds/Investment Funds

Sponsorship

PGDL/PGDL grant: £20,000; SQE grant: £20,000 (figures from supplementary data).

SQE Support

£20,000 SQE grant (supplementary data).

International Opportunities

Chances of secondment abroad: 17% (supplementary data).

Client Secondments

0% (supplementary data indicates zero chance of client secondment)

Mentorship

Weil operates formal mentoring and professional development programmes: mentoring week and mentoring challenges are run Firmwide, trainees are supported by partner and associate mentors, trainee networks and peer support initiatives; the Well‑Being Committee and Wellness Ambassadors provide additional pastoral support.

Apply on the Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP website →

Programmes & Schemes

Notable Matters

What Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP Looks For

Key Competencies

• Commercial awareness
• Client service orientation
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Attention to detail
• Resilience and work ethic
• Intellectual curiosity
• Commitment to pro bono and social responsibility
• Cross‑border / international outlook

Evidence Signals

• Relevant transactional or litigation internships (private equity, M&A, restructuring experience)
• Pro bono or public service experience (Weil places value on pro bono engagement)
• Demonstrable commercial awareness (deal examples, market insight)
• Language skills and international experience
• Experience with technology/AI or IP for technology-focused roles
• High academic performance (2:1 or above; AAB at A‑level noted for UK recruitment in supplementary data)

Benefits & Wellbeing

• Year 1 trainee salary: £60,000
• Year 2 trainee salary: £65,000
• NQ salary: £170,000
• PGDL/GDL grant: £20,000
• SQE grant: £20,000
• Annual leave: 25 days
• No annual target hours (supplementary data: 'No targets')
• Medical, Dental and Vision Benefits
• Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance
• Disability Coverage
• Qualified Transit and Parking Plan
• Flexible Spending Account Plans
• 401(k) Savings Plan (US)
• Health Club Membership Reimbursement Program
• Fitness Center Corporate Discounts
• Pet Insurance Discount
• Private Banking at Citi Private Bank
• Technology Discounts
• Travel Desk to arrange corporate and personal travel

Wellbeing

Weil signed the ABA Well‑Being Pledge and has a Health and Well‑Being Committee, an inaugural Chief Wellness Officer, monthly Well‑Being newsletter, Well‑Being@Weil internal site, Weil Health and Wellness Center physician services and an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). The Firm runs dozens of wellbeing events, Mentoring Week Well‑Being Challenge and Be More Active challenges; 45+ Wellness Ambassadors support the programme.

Awards & Recognition

• An A‑List Firm — The American Lawyer, 2025
• Four Practice Groups of the Year (Bankruptcy, Fund Formation, Media & Entertainment, Securities) — Law360, 2025
• Law Firm of the Year — Association of Media and Entertainment Counsel, 2026
• Technology Practice Group of the Year — Law360, 2024
• Bankruptcy/Restructuring: Band 1 / Numerous Chambers & Legal 500 rankings (2024–2026)
• Named United States Firm of the Year — Managing Intellectual Property Americas Awards, 2025
• Top 20 U.S. Trial Firm — Benchmark Litigation, 2026
• Numerous practice and lawyer recognitions across Chambers Global/Europe/USA and Legal 500 (2024–2026)

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Inclusion has been a core value since Weil’s founding; the Firm sets expectations that all lawyers perform 50 hours or more of pro bono work each year, every partner is expected to work on a pro bono matter each year, and every new attorney (including lateral partners) is required to take on a pro bono matter. The Firm has multi-year philanthropic commitments through the Weil Foundation and invests in social responsibility programming including scholarships and paid fellowships.

• Inclusion-in-the-Day-to-Day
• Show Your Work (Firm campaign)
• Upstander@Weil
• WeilVets Resource Network
• Women of Weil
• Weil's Black Partners
• Firm Citizenship time-record category (established 2022)
• Disability Inclusion & Accessibility programmes
• Weil Legal Innovators (pipeline programme)

Pro Bono

Policy goal: every lawyer to perform 50 hours or more of pro bono work each year; every partner is expected to work on a pro bono matter annually and every new attorney must take on a pro bono matter. Since the current policy began in 2005 Weil has performed more than 1 million hours of pro bono service. The Firm publishes an annual Pro Bono review and runs a global Pro Bono Week; the Firm’s Weil Foundation has contributed more than $132 million (since 1983) in charitable giving.

Innovation

Weil invests in thought leadership and emerging-technology practice development (including an AI Task Force and firm publications addressing AI governance and transactional drafting in the AI context). Trainees and lawyers engage with innovation through practice-based task forces, specialist publications and cross-practice initiatives; the Firm also publishes guidance and alerts on emerging tech topics (for example on AI reps in transactions and transparency practices).

• AI Task Force
• Code of Practice on Transparency of AI‑Generated Content (publication)
• Weil Legal Innovators (social-innovation fellowship)
• Firm blogs and specialist thought-leadership platforms (Weil Restructuring Blog, WorthWeil Antitrust, Tax Blog)

Quick Application Angles

• Reference Weil’s recent headline work (for example advising Fox on the $22bn Roku acquisition or Brookfield on its $20bn transition fund) to show commercial awareness of the Firm’s transactional scale and sector focus.
• Emphasise cross‑border experience or language skills: Weil deploys integrated teams across New York, London, Frankfurt, Paris and Hong Kong — concrete international experience is highly relevant.
• Lead with pro bono and social-impact experience in applications: Weil requires 50+ hours pro bono annually and runs the Weil Legal Innovators fellowship; this resonates with the Firm’s culture and values.
• Show teamwork and client-service examples (partner/peer feedback, project coordination), aligning with the Firm’s ‘one firm’ approach and its emphasis on collaboration across departments.
• If applying to technology/IP roles, highlight practical tech or AI-relevant experience and any publications or projects — Weil has an active AI Task Force and publishes firm guidance on AI in transactions.