2024 DIVERSITY DATABASE PREMIUM SPONSOR Weil

A powerhouse in restructuring, M&A, private equity, and litigation, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP 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 of the most respected restructuring departments in the world and has played an integral role in nearly every high-profile bankruptcy in history, including WorldCom, Enron, General Motors, Washington Mutual, AIG, and Lehman Brothers—and more recently, Sears, PG&E, and Takata.

A corporate powerhouse, Weil continually ranks in the top 20 in Vault’s rankings for General Corporate Practice, Private Equity, M&A, Banking & Financial Services, and Securities/Capital Markets. The firm is involved in some of the most high-profile M&A deals in the market. Over the last five years, Weil has handled more than 100 transactions larger than $1 billion in deal value. The firm’s global private equity practice is also recognized as being one of the market leaders in the field. Weil’s PE clients include the majority of the largest and highest-profile private equity funds, sovereign wealth funds, and pension funds, as well as family offices and other equity financial investors. 

Litigation is another strong suit for the firm, which boasts approximately 350 lawyers in its litigation practice. The American Lawyer has recognized Weil with an Honorable Mention in the publication’s biennial “Litigation Department of the Year” contest for three consecutive years, most recently in 2022. The firm takes pride in its ability to serve clients on wide-ranging issues drawing on cross-departmental expertise in class action, crisis management, investigations, and trial contexts, among others.  

40 Years of Social Responsibility

With the founding of the Weil Foundation in 1983, Weil was one of the first major law firms to establish a formal, comprehensive corporate social responsibility program. Attorneys in the firm’s global offices regularly collaborate to help advance social change and facilitate measurable impacts in the communities in which they work. Weil’s charitable contributions total more than $120 million since 1983, and the firm’s attorneys have contributed well over 1 million pro bono hours. The Weil Legal Innovators program, the firm’s signature philanthropic initiative, places rising law school students in year-long, paid fellowships at leading nonprofit organizations across the U.S., supported by an annual investment surpassing $1 million from Weil. The firm also offers Volunteer Time Off for all employees and its attorneys serve on a wide array of nonprofit governing boards.  

• The Kroger Company in its pending $24.6 billion merger with Albertsons Companies, Inc.
• Advent International in its $6.4 billion acquisition of Maxar Technologies.
• Serta Simmons Bedding, LLC, one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of mattresses in North America, in connection with its chapter 11 case with approximately $1.9 billion in debt obligations.
• Meta Platforms on the antitrust aspects and subsequent litigation against the Federal Trade Commission in its acquisition of Within Unlimited, the developer of virtual reality fitness app Supernatural.

• Weil Ranked #1 in Law360’s 2023 Summer Associates Survey — September 13, 2023
• Michael Aiello Named “Dealmaker of the Year” by The New York Law Journal — October 5, 2023
• Weil Named Litigation Department of the Year: Class Actions by The New York Law Journal — October 5, 2023
• Weil Wins Three Law360 Practice Group of the Year Awards — January 23, 2024
• Weil named to the National Law Journal’s 2023 Appellate Hot List — September 05, 2023