'The music is playing faster and faster' - market reacts to Weil merger speculation. You're reading your free article. Your next one is available in 30 days. Log in or subscribe for full access. 'It feels like the music is playing faster and faster.' This comment, from a partner at a rival firm, captures the sense of chaos that has surrounded Weil in recent weeks, as partner exits have snowballed and merger rumours have swirled. With music reaching a crescendo this week amid rumours of merger discussions over the weekend and more exits to come, Weil's leadership yesterday (20 October), called the partnership into a virtual meeting. Yet, sources tell Legal Business that those joining were given little information of substance, with a message that amounted to little more than, in one source's words: 'Keep calm and carry on - hang in there!' 'The meeting lacked substance,' another source says. 'If you can't communicate a strategy with inspiration and substance, you're never going to reassure or be taken seriously by partners.' Others agree. As one partner at a rival firm notes: 'The messaging from that partner meeting sounds like a desperate attempt to tell partners to stop panicking.' 'The best strategy is to leave the big boys to it, everyone else get on with their day jobs' Others are less sceptical about Weil's apparent approach. One partner at a rival firm argues that not giving everything away to the entire partnership can be the best way to avoid compromising merger talks: 'The firm will be talking to lots of counterparties, and the best strategy is to leave the big boys to it, everyone else get on with their day jobs.' 'If you're one of the firms talking to Weil, you need much more buy-in, so you'd need to consult the partnership more widely,' the partner continues. 'But nobody wants to have their name circulated as a merger partner, as headhunters will come calling and people will get picked off.' They add: 'Law firm mergers get very personal very quickly.' Movement of the people. A number of high-profile exits in late summer kicked off a stream of departures from Weil that has now reached more than 30 partners leaving or announcing their intention to leave since August, with the tally clearing 50 since January. As one recruiter notes, exits on this scale can be damaging: 'If you go into any firm and remove the right ten people, the situation becomes extremely challenging,' they say. 'A narrative builds.' 'People are scratching their heads about how this could happen' That many of those leaving Weil have joined rivals such as Simpson Thacher or Cravath in teams, rather than individually, compounds the problem. 'When you have one partner and their team that are mobile enough to leave and take a book of business that is a significant portion of the firm's total revenue, that can be a risk. 'People are scratching their heads about how this could happen.' Team exits have happened on both sides of the Atlantic, with London co-managing partner David Avery-Gee and M&A partner Sarah Flaherty moving to Sullivan & Cromwell, while London finance head Tom Richards is set to take a three-partner team to Simpson Thacher, which has hired a large number of Weil partners in both London and New York. Dance partners. Though talk of Weil's choice of partner has been plentiful, Willkie, Farr & Gallagher stands out as the apparent frontrunner according to multiple sources. One source close to Willkie tells LB that talk among partners about a potential tie-up with Weil began in the summer, with some sceptical about a combination as they were 'nervous' about the impact on their firm. Another firm that has been linked with Weil in recent weeks is Texas heavyweight Vinson & Elkins. One former Weil partner argues that Weil and V&E's very different profiles mean the firms could benefit from a tie-up: 'Vinson & Elkins doesn't really have much of a restructuring or PE practice, or a big European presence, so there would be a lot of synergies there,' they say. Other rumoured partners have included Skadden, Linklaters, and Cleary, all of which have denied any conversations with Weil. 'If a firm can say, "I want to merge, who's interested?" then it makes sense to proceed that way' One commentator argues that Weil may benefit from a choice of suitors. 'Mergers are a delicate process, but one that can't be dragged on for too long,' they say. 'An auction-style process [with multiple firms involved] has the advantage of speeding things up. If a firm can say, "I want to merge now, who's interested?", then it makes sense to proceed that way.' If Weil is pursuing an auction-style approach, it has good precedent: Cadwalader went through a similar process, courting partners including Alston & Bird before opting to combine with Hogan Lovells in the largest law firm merger yet. Still moving. Whether or not current discussions are successful, rivals suggest Weil still has plenty to offer a merger partner or to build on if it does not merge. They point, most notably to its PE and restructuring practices, with the firm holding Legal 500 US rankings in tier 2 for high-value PE buyouts and tier 1 for restructuring. One partner at a US firm says Weil's PE group is 'the crown jewel'. An ex partner meanwhile notes the firm's strength despite recent exits: 'Weil isn't struggling financially, they've just recruited lots of senior people from big firms.' The firm has built in PE in particular, with recent hires including Cravath practice head Peter Feist in New York, Freshfields partner Rebecca Ward in London, and David Janssen, who joined the firm in Frankfurt from potential merger partner Willkie. 'They're still recruiting, they aren't going down a plughole,' the former Weil partner says. 'The problem with merging with Weil now is, what are you buying?' In contrast to distressed mergers that have happened in the past, Weil is not facing questions around its financial success, with internal politics and differences of opinion around strategy said to have rather driven some of the initial summer exits. However the impact of so much of the firm's top talent leaving could still limit its options for a merger. As one partner at another firm asks: 'The problem with merging with Weil now is, what are you buying?' They conclude: 'You don't know what you'll have in six weeks time, let alone six months.' With additional reporting by Will Lewallen and Eliza Winter.

Weil recruits Cravath private equity chief as US practice co-head. Peter Feist returns to Weil in New York in major hire for firm following string of high-profile exits 28 September 2026 The head of Cravath Swaine & Moore's private equity practice has rejoined Weil in New York, in a coup for the firm following a cluster of senior defections. Peter Feist has returned as a partner and US co-head of Weil's private equity practice, having practised at the firm for nearly 20 years before moving to Cravath in 2023. His practice covers leveraged buyouts, public and private acquisitions, take-private transactions, minority and structured investments, recapitalisations and exits for clients including Advent International, Hayfin Capital and Canada's OMERS Private Equity. Last year he advised the executive team of McLarens Global on the $1.6bn recapitalisation of McLarens by Lee Equity Partners and Pacific General in its acquisition of a majority stake in Lenwich. "Peter's an exceptional private equity lawyer, trusted adviser and longtime friend and colleague to many of us at Weil," firm executive partner, Barry Wolf, said. "He is a natural leader, and we are thrilled that he is returning in this important role." Feist's move follows a clutch of recent departures from Weil in the US and UK, including the former co-head of the firm's US private equity business, Chris Machera, who left for Paul Weiss in August and was followed by a team of five other private equity lawyers. Michael Aiello, the former chair of Weil's corporate department, also exited for Cravath earlier this month with five partners, while in London the defections included office co-head David Avery-Gee and M&A partner Sarah Flaherty's move to Sullivan & Cromwell. Advertisement The Financial Times reported 23 partners in total had left Weil since April, with reports surfacing the firm was exploring options for its future, including a potential merger, amid the defections. A Weil spokesperson denied the reports, telling GLP earlier this month the firm "is not engaged in merger discussions with any firm". They added: "Like every leading firm, we continually evaluate opportunities to strengthen our platform." Feist will head Weil's US private equity practice alongside Kyle Krpata and Ramona Nee, who is set to suceed Wolf as executive partner at the start of next year. "Peter's return reflects the scale of our ambitions and our commitment to investing in the best talent," Nee said. "He is an extraordinary lawyer and practice leader, and we're proud that he has chosen to come home to Weil and help lead one of our flagship practices. This is the kind of significant investment we intend to continue making as we build for the future." Weil said it had recruited more than 50 lateral partners since the start of 2025, including eight that had boomeranged back to the firm so far this year, adding it expected to announce more partner hires in the coming weeks. The firm has been adding senior PE talent in recent months, including Jonathan Stott and Michael Hanna in San Francisco, who joined in August from Dechert and Kirkland, respectively. Last week it also announced that Freshfields partner Olga Stürmer was joining its Frankfurt office as a partner in the German private equity practice. LAW OVER BORDERS COMPARATIVE GUIDES Corporate Tax and Tax Controversy Law Guide Corporate taxation is rapidly evolving as governments strengthen enforcement and reshape international tax rules... | 6d. In a statement, the 1,200-lawyer firm said it "remains focused on executing its growth strategy - recruiting exceptional talent, investing in practices and markets that complement its core strengths, and building the capabilities and global platform to meet the evolving needs of its clients". A Cravath spokesperson commented: "We wish Peter well in his future endeavours." The Wall Street firm used to be virtually immune to partner departures but has itself seen rainmakers exit in recent years amid intense competition for talent among leading law firms. There have been at least 10 exits in 2026, among them George Schoen, Cravath's former global M&A co-chair, who joined US building materials supplier Martin Marietta as GC in February. Scott Bennett, who had been co-head of Cravath's venture capital and growth equity and digital assets practices in New York, also left for Sidley Austin in April.

Sidley adds Capital Markets partner Ellen Park in New York. Wednesday, April 15, 2026 Sidley is pleased to announce that Ellen Park has joined the firm's Capital Markets practice as a partner in Sidley's office in New York. Ms. Park joins from Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, where she was a partner in the Capital Markets and Venture Capital & Growth Equity practices. Her arrival follows that of Scott Bennett from Cravath, who recently joined Sidley's office in New York as Head of Technology Capital Markets. Ms. Park focuses her practice on capital markets and complex corporate transactions, representing issuers, investors, and financial institutions in a broad range of matters, including IPOs, venture capital and growth equity transactions, and other debt and equity offerings. She also regularly advises clients on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and disclosure matters. Ms. Park regularly advises venture capital-backed companies, as well as founders, investors, and financial institutions, on a wide range of corporate matters, including pre-IPO financings, IPOs and other capital markets transactions, company structuring, and shareholder arrangements. Her practice spans a broad range of industries, including technology, fintech, digital assets, and artificial intelligence, as well as healthcare and life sciences, consumer products and services, energy and infrastructure, industrials and chemicals, media and entertainment, and retail. "Ellen is an outstanding addition to our capital markets team. Her practice brings additional strength in venture, growth equity and technology-focused transactions, and further enhances our ability to support clients across the full lifecycle of their capital needs," said Yvette Ostolaza, the firm's Management Committee Chair and an Executive Committee member. "Her experience advising leading issuers, sponsors, and financial institutions, combined with her collaborative approach, aligns strongly with our strategic priorities and continued growth in New York." "Ellen combines sophisticated capital markets experience with strong relationships across the investment banking and private equity communities," said Sam Gandhi, global practice leader of the firm's Capital Markets group and a member of the firm's Executive Committee. "Having worked closely with Scott Bennett, she has been instrumental in building a dynamic venture and growth equity practice and will play a key role in expanding our capabilities in technology, digital assets, and other high-growth sectors." Ms. Park's arrival follows the addition of several partners to Sidley's New York office in 2026, including Greg Featherman in Tax; Jess Cheng in Banking, Payments and Fintech; Jeffrey Ross, Ji Hye You, and Leah Edelboim in Global Finance; Juan Arteaga in Antitrust and Competition; and Cliff Cone, Michael Sabin, and Daniel Drabkin in Investment Funds. The firm also added London-based Capital Markets partner James Inness in 2026. In 2025, Sidley added multiple partners to the office, including Mary Marks in Antitrust and Competition; Matthew Podolsky in White Collar Defense and Investigations; Ian McGinley in Securities Enforcement and Regulatory; David Grubman, Adam Cromie, George Hunter, and Demetrius Warrick in M&A; Andrew Colosimo, Patrick Greeley, Shant Manoukian, Andrew Fadale, and David Perkins in Private Equity; Christopher Jackson in Global Finance; Kristin Lee in Banking, Payments and Fintech; Amy Rubin in Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation; and Bonnie Neuman, Nicholas Brandfon, and Melissa Hinkle in Real Estate. Sidley's Capital Markets team includes more than 260 lawyers around the globe, located in key international financial and industry centers. The team represents issuers, underwriters, and other participants in structuring and executing securities transactions in all the world's major financial markets. Sidley's lawyers regularly work on matters involving securities regulators and securities exchanges in those markets. Analysis | Jobs | News