Weil, Gotshal & Manges (London) LLP

The Legal 500 Future Lawyers verdict on Weil, Gotshal & Manges (London) LLP

Weil attracts trainees for its high-quality work, distinctive culture, and focus on training and development. Trainees highlight “its strong commitment to training and development,” “quality of work, culture,” and “excellent private equity practice; strong LGBTQ+ network.” The firm’s US-style early responsibility and exposure, combined with a Magic Circle-level clientele, makes it appealing for those seeking a blend of commercial sophistication and personal growth: “Weil offers the high-quality work and early responsibility typical of US law firms” and “the range of personalities that succeed at Weil showed me it’s a place where I could grow while being myself.” Training at Weil is described as intensive but rewarding. Trainees report “more responsibility and hands-on experience,” “higher level of responsibility, better quality work,” and “more client time and responsibility” compared with other firms. Early responsibility is a defining feature, with trainees able to lead projects and work independently: “The best moment of my training contract so far was leading a process on a complex matter” and “getting involved in a restructuring deal.” International secondments are also highlighted: “NYC secondment” was the  “best thing about my TC.” The firm’s people and support network are frequently praised: “People’s willingness to explain tasks while giving you the space to take on responsibility” and “the support you get from your colleagues when working.” Top-level client work and small trainee intake further enhance the experience. Challenges include long hours, work-life balance, and limited transparency in certain processes and “some of the strict working from home policies.” Trainees also note occasional team-specific issues: “there is a bit of a face-time culture in certain teams.” Hybrid working is limited but generally well-regarded: “I find the Friday work from home policy sufficient and well respected” and “we have to work four days a week from the office, which is generally fine for me.” Pro bono and CSR opportunities are plentiful and actively promoted: ““too many even, they spam my inbox,” and “lots of regular communications from our pro bono team inviting lawyers to sign up for different projects.” For trainees, Weil offers top-tier work, early responsibility, and a supportive environment to thrive.

A day in the life of... Priya Tulsiani, trainee, Weil, Gotshal & Manges (London) LLP

Departments to date: Private equity; M&A

University: Durham University

Degree: Law with Year Abroad

Morning: I arrive at the office at around 9am and look through the emails that have come in overnight to identify any immediate tasks that I need to tackle. I then update my task list accordingly and ensure that the people that I am working with are kept updated with what I am working on, and if I have capacity to help with anything else.

Once I have dealt with the tasks that require my immediate attention, I attend the monthly M&A meeting where the team discusses key developments on current and future potential matters over some coffee and pastries. This meeting also provides a great opportunity to informally catch up with the wider team.

Upon returning to the office, my supervisor and I discuss the latest updates on a matter we are working on. After explaining both the legal and commercial context behind those developments, my supervisor tasks me with drafting three clauses in the shareholders’ agreement in line with the agreed term sheet.

Throughout the day, emails for the various matters I am working on will come into my inbox. Given that I share an office with my supervisor, we can easily discuss any developments that have taken place and reprioritise tasks if required. It is important that I keep track of the different work streams on all the matters that I am working on, which also helps me identify any tasks that could be within my remit that I can take on.

Afternoon: At 1.30pm, I head to Café 110, our office cafeteria, and join fellow trainees for lunch. It’s great to chat about how others have been doing and check in on other teams within the firm.

After lunch, I am briefed on a new task by an associate on a separate matter. I’m asked to conduct corporate due diligence on a target group that our client, a private equity firm, is seeking to acquire. This task requires that I look through the shareholder registers of roughly 50 entities in the virtual data room to verify the ownership structure of the target group. In parallel, I update the information request list that will be sent to the target group with any shareholder registers that have not yet been provided. It is a key trainee task to highlight to the deal team any information that is missing in the virtual data room and flag when new documents come in. Once I have discussed my initial findings with the associate on the matter, I begin drafting the relevant section within the due diligence report.

I then head over to a training session on joint ventures at 4.00pm. Formal training sessions are a key part of being a trainee at Weil. The opportunity to understand the theory behind the corporate structures that we deal with on a daily basis allows us to better place the matters we are working on within their specific commercial context.

Evening: I am invited to an event hosted for the women in the London private equity and M&A team. The event is an opportunity for the women in the team, from trainees to partners, to learn a little more about each other in an informal setting. Events such as this allow me to interact with people I otherwise may not have had a chance to. I find these informal events also offer a great chance to form more organic mentorship.

After the event, I return to my desk to go through any further emails that may have come in. I am working on a pro-bono matter for a FinTech company and the founder is seeking to incorporate her new company, which requires us to draft articles of association. We have received some amendments from the client, which I review and proofread by myself first, before sending the revised draft to the associate on the matter to review.

I finally update and prioritise my task list for the following day and head home for the evening.

About the firm

Managing partners: Jonathan Wood and David Avery-Gee

With approximately 1,100 lawyers across the US, Europe and Asia, Weil operates according to the ‘one firm’ principle, allowing it to bring the right mix of firm-wide skill and local market presence to deliver co-ordinated legal advice to help its clients achieve their sophisticated goals and objectives.

Established in 1996, Weil’s London office is the largest of its European offices and the hub of its European practice. The office is a leading player in the UK legal market and is consistently regarded as one of the most successful London offices of a US-based law firm. The firm supports a varied client base of European, US and global private equity houses, corporates and financial institutions on domestic and cross-border matters.

Weil’s strategy is focused on long-term investment in recruiting and retaining exceptional talent at all levels. The firm’s people celebrate diversity and inclusion, and its award-winning pro bono programme is deeply ingrained in the firm’s culture.

Main areas of work: Weil provides clients with legal expertise at the highest level across its key practices of private equity and M&A, funds, finance, structured finance, restructuring, and disputes and investigations, and has been involved in some of the most significant, high-profile and prestigious mandates across all its legal specialisms. The majority of the firm’s work involves multidisciplinary teams across the specialist fields of competition, corporate governance and compliance, employment, intellectual property, management incentives, pensions, real estate, tax and technology, leveraging the expertise of its full-service capabilities for its clients.

Inclusion: Equality for all has been at our core since the firm was founded. We honour this commitment through action, to create a culture where our differences are respected, celebrated and valued. We are a workplace of equal opportunity; a workplace in which every member of our firm can bring their whole self to work.

The training contract: Our training contract is the longest running of any US law firm in London. To excel in your training contract, you’ll need to be hungry for success and determined to take on challenges no matter how big and complex.

Over the two-year course you will complete four six-month seats, developing expertise and building skills in each area. Being prepared to take on feedback is a must and how you will become an exceptional lawyer.

While you need to tackle one corporate and one finance seat as key practice areas, the remaining seats depend on your own preferences and development needs. This is your career, don’t be afraid to seize the opportunities you want.

A career at Weil is challenging, technical and requires trainees to work under pressure. We are looking for bright candidates who can use their initiative and who thrive when challenged and when out of their comfort zone. Successful candidates will need to be commercially-minded with plenty of entrepreneurial flair, as well as the ability to work effectively in a team. We are looking to recruit candidates from all universities and degree disciplines. Our academic requirements are a minimum AAB at A-Level or equivalent and a 2:1 degree (obtained or predicted). We review all application forms holistically, which means if you fall slightly short of our academic requirements but demonstrate great potential, you will still be considered.

Vacation schemes 2026: See what you could achieve at Weil and show us what you’re capable of on one of our two-week vacation schemes. You’ll do real work from day one, getting exposure to our practice areas and seeing first-hand how much responsibility our trainees and associates take on.

We take up to 15 people on each of our vacation schemes. That means you’re accountable and visible, but if you’re ready to step up then it means you’ll have a lot of chances to show us what you can do and get real, lived experience in an elite global firm. You’ll attend talks, workshops and social events to build your network and knowledge of Weil. Throughout the two weeks, you’ll be assessed for a training contract on activities including: a group negotiation exercise, a group client pitch presentation, and real trainee tasks allocated to you by your supervisor.

You will be guaranteed an interview for a training contract, which will take place during the second week of the scheme. All places at Weil are competitive but the scheme is your opportunity to show us why you’re ready to take your seat and join us at the highest level.

We recruit only through our vacation scheme for our training contract.

Participants are paid £750 per week, half of which can be paid in advance two weeks before you join, helping you to book accommodation, travel tickets or buy work clothes.

Spring vacation scheme one dates: 23 March-2 April 2026

Spring vacation scheme two dates: 7-17 April 2026

Insight days: Attending an insight day is a great way to meet our people and get a better understanding of who we are, what we do and our culture as a firm.

During the day you will hear from partners, counsel, associates and trainees about life at Weil, as well as receiving a deeper insight into our core practice areas. You will take part in a case study exercise, and learn first-hand from Weil’s Early Careers team about their application and assessment process. As well as this, you’ll also get the chance to network with current trainees and ask any questions about the firm.

Dates: 8 October 2025 (applications close on 28 September)

22 October 2025 (applications close on 12 October)

Virtual experience programme: Our virtual experience programme will allow you to gain hands-on experience of the type of tasks a trainee would get involved in while working in our private equity, finance and restructuring teams. The programme will give you a series of scenarios that throw you into the tasks a trainee will typically take on at Weil. They’re designed to immerse you in some of our practice areas and develop your commercial awareness, something we look for in all successful candidates. The programme is self-paced and open to everyone

Virtual and in-person events: At our virtual and in-person events or at one of our insight days, you’ll have the chance to meet our people, build your network, learn about our culture and ask any questions you have about the application process. Want to get involved? Visit www.ukrecruiting.weil.com/meetus to see the list of upcoming events and how to apply.

Salary, benefits and sponsorship: Trainees start on a salary of £60,000, which increases to £65,000 in their second year, and on qualification will increase to £170,000. In addition to a £500 wellbeing allowance, the firm offers a flexible benefits package which you can tailor to your individual needs.

We offer full sponsorship of the PGDL and SQE 1 and 2 in addition to an annual maintenance grant of £20,000 per year of study.

SQE: We’ve partnered with the University of Law to deliver the PGDL and the SQE 1 and 2 preparation courses and exams, providing law and non-law graduates with the training and continuous development they need to grow. We offer full sponsorship of the PGDL and SQE 1 and 2 in addition to an annual maintenance grant of £20,000 per year of study.

Apprenticeships: Our six-year Solicitor Apprenticeship Programme is your opportunity to get started and grow faster. If you’re an ambitious and driven school leaver, come and make your mark at our leading global firm. Over six years, you will receive an unparalleled foundation in how to develop a career as international lawyer. You will learn your craft inside this leading global law firm from day one, building your experience across a range of practice groups and working directly with trainees, supervisors and mentors to help you develop the critical skills to thrive in one of the most exciting industries.

Alongside learning on the job, you will receive formal training and have protected study time to obtain your law degree as you complete the programme. You will be supported at every stage but we will challenge you to be your best. If you’re ready to step up, this is a unique chance to earn money as you train, forgo student debt and learn to be a lawyer from those who are the very best in their field.

You will spend your first four months in business services to give you an overview of how our firm works, familiarise yourself with working in an office environment and start building your network. You will then rotate through three-to-four fee-earning teams to understand the work we do in-depth and where you might want to specialise.

You will have structured time to study throughout the programme, but after your fourth year you will take eight months out of the day-to-day business so you can focus on your SQE. After completing your SQE, you will spend six months in three separate teams, and potentially an international secondment. This mirrors our graduate trainees’ experience. After six years in total, you will qualify as a lawyer at the same level as a graduate trainee.

Applications close on 18 January 2026 to start in September 2026.

How to apply: Online via our website https://ukrecruiting.weil.com/.

If you require any additional support throughout the recruitment process, please contact the Early Careers team to have a confidential conversation on 020 7903 1000 or at [email protected].

Sponsorship

We offer full sponsorship of the PGDL and SQE 1 and 2 in addition to an annual maintenance grant of £20,000 per year of study.

Seat options

Antitrust, finance, disputes and investigations, funds, funds regulatory, private equity and M&A, private equity infrastructure, private equity infrastructure finance, restructuring, structured finance and tax.

Overseas seats: New York, Washington DC, Paris (French-speaking).

Inclusion