Weil Gotshal collapse exposes the fragility of law firm partnerships Opinion Law firm partnerships are inherently fragile due to their lack of residual equity value and transactional cultures, making them susceptible to sudden partner departures and bank-like runs – and proposed government restrictions on non-compete clauses will make it worse, says Stephen Phillips I was a partner in a couple of major global law firms. At [...]
Gibson Dunn snaps up Weil’s private funds team in City expansion Law Law firm Gibson Dunn is set to snap up a team of almost 40 private funds lawyers in London from Weil, Gotshal, and Manges, as the storied US law firm prepares to wind down after nearly a century. Gibson Dunn, the law firm which led on the UK side of Space X’s $75bn stock market [...]
Weil’s ‘Titanic’ ordeal rocks firm’s London lawyers Law The unravelling of one of the world’s most prestigious law firms, Weil, Gotshal & Manges, has shaken its London lawyers, with one partner describing it as “a Titanic situation.” “This is probably the worst succession planning in legal history,” a former Weil partner told City AM. “I’m shocked about this…It’s crazy to me this is [...]
City legal body on standby to aid Weil trainees left in ‘limbo’ October 29, 2026 The City’s legal professional body has said it is on standby to support Weil Gotshal and Manges trainees as the storied US law firm prepares to wind down after 95 years. Colin Passmore, chairman of the City of London Law Society (CLLS), said: “Our primary concern is everyone at Weil’s office, particularly the trainees and [...]
Legal powerhouse Weil Gotshal set to liquidate after 95 years October 28, 2026 Weil, Gotshal and Manges has told its partners the firm should be wound down, in a move that will bring an end to one of the US’s most storied legal firms. Weil has seen an exodus of partners across the US and London in recent months, including former corporate co-managing partner Michael Hickey and private [...]
Labour workers’ rights overhaul to inflict ‘negative’ hit on economy, OBR says October 28, 2026 Britain’s fiscal watchdog has warned Labour’s overhaul of workers’ rights will have a “negative economic impact” as the cost to businesses will far outstrip any boost to workers’ productivity. The government’s sweeping employment reforms in its landmark Employment Rights Act (ERA) have reduced the qualifying period for unfair dismissal to six months, removed the compensation [...]
Landmark Royal Antwerp case is another test of EU’s appetite to help football consumers October 19, 2026 EU law protects market competition but has been used too little to help football fans. Worse still, Europe has helped the big clubs to increase their market power, writes Tsjalle van der Burg. Football tickets have become expensive. Paris Saint-Germain currently top the European ranking: in 2024-25, the average admission price for a seat was [...]
Meta challenges Ofcom in court for ‘acting irrationally’ in fine and fee pricing October 13, 2026 Meta has challenged the UK regulator in court over how it calculates fees and fines under the UK’s online safety law, as it argued the methods are disproportionate and unlawful. The tech giant has questioned the media regulator, Ofcom, over its definition of ‘qualifying worldwide revenue’, which it uses to calculate financial penalties and fees [...]
Post Office former senior lawyer slammed over remote Tribunal request October 6, 2026 The Post Office’s former general counsel is “putting her own convenience” first by filing an application to appear remotely from Australia for a Tribunal hearing over alleged misconduct during the Horizon IT Scandal, the legal regulator counsel said. Jane MacLeod, the former Post Office general counsel from 2015 to 2019 and Nicholas Gould, a partner [...]
Scrapping jury trials for fraud and financial cases brings ‘serious concerns’ October 5, 2026 Government plans to push ahead with jury-free trials for certain fraud and financial proceedings raise “serious concerns”, according to the Institute for Government (IFG) and lawyers across the City. The proposal, introduced by former justice secretary David Lammy officially last December, following a recommendation in a review of the court system in England and Wales [...]