With an abundance of bankruptcy, finance and litigious expertise, this native New Yorker’s been at the top for a Weil.
Weil Lateral Profile 2024
Curious about Weil’s style? “The firm prides itself on handling the intricate, thorny cases,” an insider made clear. Indeed, the firm’s not one to shy away from a front-page deal. It was this very New York powerhouse which led some of the US’ largest bankruptcies to date – think Lehman Brothers, Washington Mutual, and General Motors. But that’s not to say Weil’s glory days are in the past; the firm’s currently got its fingers in many large restructuring deals. For instance, the firm is currently connected with WeWork’s Chapter 11 filings through its representation of SoftBank.
View the firm’s Chambers USA rankings
Read the firm’s Inside View feature on junior associate life
Why did you join your firm? Associates say...
“Friendliness and salt-of-the-earth attitudes. I also like that Weil devoted pro bono time to death penalty and reproductive freedom cases, which many firms eschew, and which I felt hearken to the firm's Jewish roots.”
“I thought it seemed more diverse and welcoming of hard workers, rather than a place where you had to be of a certain social class to fit in.”
“The team nature of the firm; people really are pulling together here and are very welcoming. Doors are always open for questions, and people are always happy to pitch in and help.”
Career Development & the Path to Partnership
|
16 |
3.05 : 1 |
72% |
||
|
partners made in 2023 |
associate : partner gearing |
of junior associates intend to make partner |
||
|
69% |
46% |
75% |
||
| felt partnership was achievable for attorneys with children | felt partnership was achievable at the firm | agreed partners are nurturing future leaders |
||
Hours & Compensation
|
no requirement |
14.7 |
46.2 |
|
billable hours |
average number of vacation days associates took in one year |
average number of hours associates worked in one week |
|
53% |
84% |
89% |
| agreed that they had a good work-life balance |
said the benefits package makes the workload worthwhile |
found the bonus allocation fair and transparent |
Salaries
1st year: $225,000
2nd year: $235,000
3rd year: $260,000
4th year: $310,000
5th year: $365,000
6th year: $390,000
7th year: $420,000
8th year: $435,000
Is Weil the right firm for you?
|
81% |
88% |
82% |
|
were happy in their current role |
agreed the work is interesting |
felt comfortable being themselves at work |
Here's what survey respondents had to say about the firm's culture...
“Everyone knows each other's names (and our kids' names), most hang out together outside of work and the firm is extremely focused on ongoing training and creating opportunities for young lawyers.”
“It’s more diverse and welcoming of hard workers, rather than a place where you have to be of a certain social class to fit in.”
“The people are down to earth, hardworking, and respectful; there’s a social nature to the firm and an emphasis on taking vacations.”
Diversity, Inclusion & Wellbeing
|
67% |
32% |
32.3% |
|
|
reported diverse staffing on teams/cases/matters |
of partners are women |
of associates identify as ethnically diverse |
|
The view from the firm: We believe the results of our inclusion efforts tell a remarkable story. In the past five years we have seen meaningful increases on many fronts.
Diversity Training: In 2011, Executive Partner Barry Wolf mandated annual training for all U.S. attorneys and staff. The most recent program, led by VallotKarp, was an interactive program aimed at identifying how individuals and groups can contribute to an inclusive experience on their teams.
DEI Education Programs: Weil provides wide-ranging DEI programming throughout the year with a focus on how attendees can apply lessons learned to their everyday lives. We closed 2023 with nearly 20 firmwide programs, including:
- NYU professor Kenji Yoshino on his book, Say the Right Thing
- Anti-Defamation League’s Scott Richman on how to combat antisemitism and other forms of hate
Firm Citizenship Hours: Spearheaded by the Black Associate Advisory Board, a new time record category was established in 2022 that places DEI, feedback, mentoring and recruiting on equal footing with client billable and pro bono. In 2023, US attorneys averaged 50 hours, and overall hours increased by 26% compared to 2022.
Targeted Development: In 2023, Weil hosted 3 global DEI conferences to bring together members across offices for community building, career development, access to firm leadership, client development and strategic planning. WeilPride convened in June, Business Leaders of Color in September, and Attorneys of Color in November.
Pro Bono
|
78.8 |
91% |
|
average pro bono |
agreed the firm is committed to pro bono |
Pro bono highlights: Project Rousseau (immigration); ACLU of New Hampshire (mental health); Veterans Consortium (veterans issues); ACLU and the National Association of the Deaf (prisoners’ rights); Innocence Project (criminal justice).
Sustainability and CSR
The view from the firm: The firm has worked with Ramboll Consulting for the last two years to conduct a carbon footprint assessment of Weil’s 16 global offices, and is in the process of developing a long-term plan to improve the Firm’s environmental footprint.
Contact
Learn more about opportunities at the firm
Recruitment contact: recruit@weil.com