Your Career at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
Overview
Weil has approximately 1,200 lawyers in 20 offices in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Weil’s elite status among international law firms owes greatly to the extraordinary balance it maintains, both in its geographic reach as well as its diversity of highly regarded practice areas. The firm’s client roster includes leading companies in a broad range of industries on a global basis. The Firm’s culture places great value on developing a highly collaborative workplace where client relationships span several offices and practice groups, enabling the firm’s lawyers to address and resolve complex legal problems from a broad, interdisciplinary perspective.
History: Strength and Balance with a Worldwide Presence
Weil was founded in New York in 1931. In 1968, it moved to its current location in the General Motors Building, overlooking the southeast corner of Central Park, and is today the building’s largest tenant. In the 1970s, Weil opened its first regional office in Washington, DC. That was followed by offices in Miami, Houston, and Dallas in the 1980s. In 1991, Weil was the first major New York-based firm to open an office in Silicon Valley. From that foothold, Weil has developed one of the premier patent litigation practices in the world and counts many powerhouse technology and life sciences companies among its clients. In 2002, the firm opened an office in Boston, followed by a presence in Providence in 2005. Both locations are key to the Firm’s position as trusted advisor to several of the world’s largest private equity firms.
The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the subsequent move by Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries toward market-based economies prompted Weil to launch its international expansion. The Firm focused initially on aiding states and companies in the CEE region, opening offices in Budapest, Warsaw, and Prague in 1991-92 in response to client demands and the need to address the swiftly changing regulatory environment in Europe. In 1996, Weil became the first US law firm to establish a broad-based UK and US law capacity in London, which now comprises over 20 partners and approximately 100 lawyers. At the turn of the century, Weil continued its international expansion in Germany, opening a new office in 2000 in Frankfurt, Germany’s finance and commercial capital, where the Firm is now well established as having one of the country’s leading transaction practices. It later expanded further in Germany, opening a location in Munich in 2004. In France, the Firm absorbed Serra, Leavy & Cazals in 2003, and since then, Weil has become one of the leading firms in the French marketplace.
Given the amazing economic transformation in the People’s Republic of China, as well as Asia at large, Weil extended its international strategy to encompass those markets, launching a new office in Shanghai in 2004, followed quickly by office locations in Beijing and Hong Kong. In 2009, the Firm opened its newest office in Dubai to service an ever-larger base of local and international clients operating in the Middle East and North Africa. Weil has created an extraordinarily balanced firm as a result of its geographic reach as well as the tremendous diversity of its services and practice areas. No single practice area or client dominates the Firm. The Firm has strong, thriving practices in a broad range of industries for an expansive array of clients. That balance provides stability and growth and has enabled the Firm to achieve an outstanding level of financial stability and success.
For a full list of Weil office locations, click here.
Diversity of Clients and Interdisciplinary Practice Areas
The degree to which lawyers from the Firm’s various practice groups collaborate in interdisciplinary client teams is best seen in the assignments the Firm has taken on in connection with the recent financial crisis. The Firm’s Business Finance & Restructuring Department has partnered with colleagues in M&A, Structured Finance, Securities Litigation, Commercial Litigation, and Corporate Governance from multiple offices to address the crises related to the insolvency and/or out-of-court restructuring of major financial institutions and manufacturing concerns, including General Motors, Lehman Brothers, Washington Mutual, AIG, and General Growth Properties.
Likewise, lawyers in the Firm’s various offices have collaborated on some of the largest, most high-profile cross-border transactions. A Weil team consisting of European and US lawyers successfully represented Paris-based Sanofi S.A. in its $20.1 billion purchase of Genzyme Corporation, the second-largest deal ever in the biotechnology industry. The Firm has also tackled multiple recent international strategic joint ventures, such as the highly-publicized tie-up between General Electric and Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) to develop and market a new generation of avionics systems for the Chinese civil aviation market.
Corporate Finance and Transactional Practice
The Firm’s Corporate Department is well known for the quality of its work, perennially ranking among legal industry leaders for handling a high volume of top transactions. The Department contains groups devoted to Banking & Finance, Capital Markets, Corporate Governance, Hedge Funds, Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity, Real Estate, SEC Disclosure/Securities Regulation, Structured Finance and Derivatives, and Technology & IP Transactions. The Department’s client list is an impressive mix of Fortune 100 companies, private equity firms, and banks and include Credit Suisse, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, General Electric, JPMorgan Chase, Lion Capital Holdings, Macquarie, and Providence Equity.
Leading Litigation Practices
While mindful that most client objectives can be achieved outside the courtroom, Weil’s Litigation Department is known for its trial readiness – its willingness and ability to take cases to trial and win. With a dozen practice groups under its umbrella, the Litigation Department excels in nearly every kind of litigation required by large corporations, innovator technology and life sciences firms, and global financial institutions. The Department maintains high rankings in the areas of commercial litigation, class actions, intellectual property, antitrust/competition litigation and investigations, securities, bankruptcy litigation, employment, product liability, and white collar. The Firm is also a well-known resource for appellate matters. Major clients include American Airlines, CBS Corporation, ExxonMobil, Merrill Lynch, and UnitedHealth Group.
The Department also has a stellar track record in handling complex litigation in the areas of class or mass actions, having scored numerous victories at the class certification phase, as well as in securing favorable settlements for clients.
Broad IP Expertise
The Firm’s balance and diversity can be seen within practice areas as well. Weil’s broader intellectual property practice features both high-profile, high-stakes patent litigation as well as an array of copyright and trademark litigations that deal with the cutting-edge issues in the marketplace, such as digital media and e-commerce . A roster of recent clients reads like a Who’s Who of top life sciences, technology, and media companies and include eBay, Microsoft, Merck, Oracle, and XM Sirius Radio. The Firm’s Technology & IP Transactions practice group also counsels clients on a variety of IP assets in connection with transactions, including M&A, license agreements, development agreements, R&D agreements, co-promotion and marketing agreements, internet/e-commerce arrangements, and IP acquisition and disposition agreements.
A Preeminent Bankruptcy Practice
Referred to by The American Lawyer as “the gold standard of the bankruptcy bar,” Weil’s Business Finance & Restructuring Department is considered one of the best in the world and maintains a significant presence in the firm’s New York, Dallas, Houston, Washington DC, London, Paris, and Frankfurt offices. The firm has served as lead debtor’s counsel in all five of the largest bankruptcies in US history. The firm’s lawyers counsel a uniquely wide range of constituencies, including debtors, creditors, equity holders, committees, and potential purchasers of troubled companies or their assets. In addition to its preeminent position assisting troubled companies, Weil’s restructuring lawyers have advised several nations seeking to develop sophisticated laws governing insolvency and restructuring.
Click here to see a full look at our Practice Areas.
In the News: Top Matters of 2011
Corporate:
• Sanofi Wins Complete Victory in Actonel Arbitration
Weil, Gotshal and Manges represented Sanofi in a complete arbitration victory involving a multi-hundred million dollar contract dispute with Warner Chilcott, which was triggered by Warner Chilcott’s attempt to prematurely terminate a long-standing collaboration agreement under which both parties had promoted, marketed, distributed, and sold the billion-dollar osteoporosis medication Actonel for over 14 years. (more...)
• Kinder Morgan in $38 Billion Deal to Acquire El Paso Corporation
Weil, Gotshal & Manges is counsel to Kinder Morgan, Inc. in its agreement to acquire El Paso Corporation for approximately $38 billion, among the largest energy deals in history. (more...)
• Weil Advises MGM Resorts International in MGM China's Hong Kong IPO
Weil, Gotshal & Manges represented MGM Resorts International in connection with its reorganization and the $1.5 billion initial public offering of MGM China Holdings Limited on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. (more...)
• Citadel Broadcasting and Cumulus Media in $2.5 Billion Merger
Weil, Gotshal & Manges represented Citadel Broadcasting Corporation, the third-largest radio group in the United States, in the recently announced merger between it and Cumulus Media, Inc. (more...)
• Centro Retail to Sell U.S. Properties to Blackstone Group
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP was counsel to Centro Retail, Australia’s largest manager of retail property investment syndicates, in negotiations to sell its portfolio of 588 U.S. shopping centers and its U.S. Service Business to BRE Retail Holdings, Inc., an affiliate of Blackstone Real Estate Partners VI, L.P. (more...)
Litigation:
• NFL Players Association / Lockout
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP is lead counsel to the NFL players in their current antitrust class action against the NFL (Brady, et al. v. National Football League, et al., No. 11-CV-639, D. Minn.), which centers upon the players' contention that the NFL amateur draft, salary cap, and restrictions upon free agents, among other things, violate Section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act. (more...)
• Bovis Lend Lease Reaches Favorable Settlement in WTC Litigation
Weil, Gotshal & Manges helped secure a favorable outcome for client Bovis Lend Lease in its World Trade Center litigation involving thousands of claims made by emergency workers arising out of the debris removal operations following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. (more...)
• Marvel Prevails in Copyright Litigation
Weil, Gotshal & Manges represented Marvel Entertainment, Inc. in its federal district court victory over the heirs of Jack Kirby, a noted comic book artist who worked for Marvel during the late 1950s and early 1960s when Marvel created many of its iconic comic book superheroes. (more...)
• Merrill Lynch Defeats Renewed Attempt at Class Certification
Weil, Gotshal & Manges defeated plaintiffs’ second attempt to certify a nationwide class on behalf of Merrill Lynch in the high profile suit alleging race discrimination, McReynolds v. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc., filed in 2005 by African-American financial advisors employed in the company’s retail brokerage unit. (more...)
• US Supreme Court Win for Schindler Elevator Corp.
Weil, Gotshal and Manges won an important victory in the United States Supreme Court today for our client, Schindler Elevator Corp., in a case interpreting the public-disclosure bar of the False Claims Act (FCA). (more...)
Firm Culture
Weil associates generally describe the Firm's culture as high energy. The Firm has a diverse group of attorneys and employees and a welcoming attitude toward people from all different backgrounds. Doors are always open and everyone is on a first-name basis. New associates are assigned to active matters and work closely with seasoned attorneys and clients almost from day one. New associates are given opportunities to increase their skill levels with both internal and external training programs and on-the-job learning. The Firm has an in-house Director of Professional Development and Director of Associate Relations. Weil has an efficient and professional administrative staff, which allows associates to concentrate on their legal work. Weil’s culture encourages each attorney to develop his or her talents and the skills necessary to be a practical, trusted, client-centric legal advisor, and while you are always in control of your career here, you are never left alone to figure out how to cultivate your development and realize your potential.
To meet some of our associates, click here.
Firm Management
Weil's Management Committee is comprised of leaders from throughout the Firm, including those who head up major practice areas as well as several managing partners of offices outside of New York. In its membership and focus, the Management Committee is highly representative of all the Firm’s groups and offices and provides top-level oversight of the Firm’s strategy and operations. In 2009, Barry Wolf was elected as the Firm’s Executive Partner and assumed for the formulation, coordination, and implementation of the strategic and business initiatives of the Firm, fostering Firm integration on a global level, and partner communication and transparency in management.
Pro Bono – “Our Finest Hours”
The cornerstone of the Firm’s approach to pro bono is the firm-wide policy put in place to encourage participation. The Firm maintains the goal that every lawyer perform 50 hours of pro bono work each year; the expectation that every partner work on a pro bono matter each year; and the requirement that every new entering attorney – from first-year associates to lateral partners – take on a pro bono matter within his or her first two years at the firm.
The Firm aspires to demonstrate leadership in the pro bono arena by pushing forward with innovative approaches to problem solving. It is this philosophy that has led the Firm to begin partnering directly with the providers of aid and services – such as Human Rights Watch, Oxfam, and the World Bank – to help think proactively about how legal skill might enhance each organization’s core mission. In the future, these partnerships have the potential to revolutionize not only the effectiveness of aid and service delivery on a global basis, but the very idea of what pro bono can do, particularly in the Firm’s pro bono areas of concentration: civil and constitutional rights, human rights, children, community and economic development, prisoners’ rights, and immigration and asylum. The Firm has received numerous accolades for its pro bono work; most recently, Weil received the 2010 Pro Bono Cornerstone Award from Lawyers Alliance for New York and the 2009 Pro Bono Publico Award from the American Bar Association.
Click here to find out more about Pro Bono at Weil.
Benefits and Perks
Weil's salary structure is competitive with the other top firms in the market place. In the US, Weil offers associates a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, disability and life insurance, parental leave, a 401K plan, and emergency backup childcare. Attorneys are encouraged to utilize their entire 4 weeks of vacation each year. The Firm reimburses new associates for bar exam and review course fees, and moving expenses for those who are relocating from other cities. Every US attorney has the option to receive a RIM wireless handheld device to send and receive e-mail and associates are also eligible for reimbursement of up to $750 per year for a health club membership of their choice. Weil is among pioneering employers who offer a “gross-up” for employees who enroll same-sex partners in the Firm’s health benefits plans to offset any federal, state and local income taxes paid on the value of the partners’ benefits which heterosexual spouses are not subject to.
"Breathtaking" New York Office
The Firm's New York office is one of the largest tenants of the General Motors Building at Trump International Plaza, on Fifth Avenue and 59th Street in midtown Manhattan. Located at the southeast corner of Central Park, the Firm shares its lobby with both FAO Schwarz and CBS' Early Show. The New York office has a state-of-the-art dining facility, which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Diverse Hiring
Weil has a diversified approach to its recruiting process. US-wide, Weil interviewed at 46 law schools and job fairs, and participated in resume collection programs at over 20 other law schools this past recruiting season. The Firm’s 2011 summer program consisted of over 75 first and second-year summer associates. The 2012 Vault Guide to the top 100 Law Firms ranked Weil among the top 10 in “Overall Prestige”, “Best Law Firms for Diversity” and “Best Law Firms to Work For” Weil is the only firm to make the Vault Top 10 in each of these categories.
Download Weil’s Diversity Brochure.
The Interview Process
Weil’s interview process starts in most cases with an on-campus interview, which is generally conducted by a partner. The interview is conversational in tone and lasts about 20 minutes. Applicants are notified within a day or so by phone if they will receive a callback interview. Out of town recruits are reimbursed for their travel expenses, hotel stay and meals. The callback interview begins with a greeting from a member of the recruiting staff. Next, the applicant is escorted to the first of four interviews, each of which lasts about 30 minutes. Two of the interviews are with a partner and two are with an associate. At the end of the first interview, the attorney calls the next interviewer, and walks the applicant to the next office. After the interviews are conducted, two junior associates (generally in their first or second year) take the applicant to lunch. The applicant has the opportunity to wrap up with someone on the recruiting staff at the completion of the interview schedule. Weil responds to interviewees within approximately one week after the interview.
Summer Program
Weil's summer program gives participants the opportunity to observe and participate in all facets of the Firm's practice.
Each summer associate is assigned to a "sibling" - a junior associate at the Firm whose role is to guide the summer associate throughout his or her summer experience, both personally and professionally.
New York summer associates work in a total of two or three departments of their choice. They are assigned to active transactional and litigation matters and attend client meetings, negotiations, depositions and court hearings. This enables them to gain a much clearer idea of their choice of future practice area and obtain a realistic view of what it is like to practice law at the Firm. Summer associates are encouraged to participate in the Firm's pro bono and continuing legal education programs. They are also given the opportunity to spend one or two weeks at the offices of certain pro bono organizations. In addition, special seminars are organized during the summer to discuss particular fields of specialization and topics of interest to law students, and to provide training in such areas as negotiation, litigation and writing skills. A variety of cultural and recreational events are sponsored by the Firm during the summer program. Events have included a private museum tour, charity baseball outing, trip to the theater and a partner/summer associate vs. associate basketball game. These events allow the summer associates to meet with the Firm's attorneys informally and get to know them on a personal level.
Feedback is a critical element of the summer experience. Assigning attorneys regularly evaluate the summer associate's performance and written product, in much the same way that a senior attorney reviews a junior attorney's work. The summer associate's performance is formally evaluated by the summer program coordinators twice during the summer. The summer associates are also encouraged to provide their personal evaluations of all aspects of the summer program. As a general rule, permanent offer decisions are made on the last day of the summer program.
For more information about our summer program, click here.
A Future With Weil
Weil's multifaceted and balanced practice areas enable the Firm's attorneys to participate in a broad range of legal experiences. Each associate works with a number of partners, thereby gaining exposure to a variety of matters and a spectrum of lawyering techniques and styles. Associates have early and frequent access to clients, which enable them to develop long-term relationships with the Firm's clients. We encourage you to contact us to learn more about this exciting international law firm.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Boston
Julia Goldmacher, Recruiting and
Business Development Coordinator
julia.goldmacher@weil.com
Telephone: +1 617 772 8307
Facsimile: +1 617 772 8333
Dallas
Sarah Jensen, Legal Recruiting Coordinator
sarah.jensen@weil.com
Telephone: +1 214 746 7806
Fax: +1 214 746-8597
Houston
Allison Wallace, Legal Recruiting Coordinator
allison.wallace@weil.com
Telephone: +1 713 546 5067
Facsimile: +1 713 224 9511
Miami
Wesley B. Powell, Legal Recruiting Coordinator
wesley.powell@weil.com
Telephone: +1 305 577 3193
Facsimile: +1 305 374 7159
New York
Maryann Wou, Legal Recruiting Manager
lateral@weil.com
Telephone: +1 212 833 3533
Facsimile: +1 212 310 8007
Silicon Valley
Justinia Holiat, Legal Recruiting Manager
justinia.holiat@weil.com
Telephone: +1 650 802 3153
Facsimile: +1 650 802 3100
Washington, DC
Abby Royal, Legal Recruiting Coordinator
abby.royal@weil.com
Telephone: +1 202 682 7023
Facsimile: +1 202 857 0940
