Weil, Gotshal & Manges (London) LLP > London, England > Firm Profile

‘This is a very strong team with engaging, commercial lawyers with great experience and a can-do attitude. If you want a deal to succeed, this team will deliver.’

‘Marco Compagnoni is the preeminent lawyer in the team. He is the lawyer to pick if you have to get a deal done. His enormous energy, deep experience, charisma and personality will drive things forward. Marco is technically excellent, but also a peerless client lawyer. He is the top dog at Weil and will ensure that your deal is staffed with the A-team.’

‘The whole Weil team are our go-to legal firm for our most complex and high value legal matters. They have always exceeded expectations, are super responsive, and consequently have been our key legal advisers for over 20 years. The entire team is constantly fights our corner and the quality of advice is always second-to-none.’

‘We have worked with James Harvey for many years and he has rightly become one of the key partners on our account, who has the total respect of all of our team. James always goes above and beyond, and consistently delivers commercial and practical advice. James is always the first person at Weil that we make contact with and rightly deserves recognition.’

‘The team is highly commercial and flexible. They have a great balance of great technical insight but with a temperament which makes their client at ease.’

‘They have excellent coverage throughout the syndicated TLB market and private credit, giving a strong, holistic view.’

‘The very commercial Alastair McVeigh cut through the noise, and provide very pragmatic and client-centric advice.’

‘Tom Richards and Patrick Brendon are very commercial. Often going outside the legal documents and supporting on wider activities including lender commercial negotiation strategy.’

‘The very responsive team includes numerous highly technical and first-class lawyers.’

‘They provide high-quality advice on complex situations.’

‘Neil Devaney is a very impressive lawyer and leader of a team. Pushes the boundaries but knows where the limits are.’

‘The Weil team has been incredible in all the transactions we have been involved with. The team is super responsive, knowledgeable and well organised. The team is always a pleasure to work with.’

‘What stands out most is their availability. Both Gilles Teerlinck and Pierre Brule are more responsive than their counterparts in other firms. We know we can rely on them to highlight the most critical points in transactions, they have strong opinions and a deep knowledge of high yield transactions. They are always willing to go the extra mile and can be consulted outside the transaction context. Their processes are impeccable and we can always rely on them to meet the required deadlines. Highly recommended.’

‘Great bench strength across high yield which is further augmented by a very strong restructuring team. Team strength in Europe and the United States is a particular advantage given the increasing global nature of the deals. They are my go-to firm.’

‘Andy Hagan is the most commercial lawyer I have worked with. Uncharacteristically, he also loves the law and is extremely technical. He was the key individual on a large team that made a difficult third party tender across six different instruments come off. It would not have happened without him. Always willing to help with questions and bring in the wider Weil team and take a back seat when matters are outside of his core expertise. A real team player.’

‘Excellent capabilities in high yield and leveraged finance. Experienced, knowledgeable, always ready to pounce. Highly sought after for sponsor work, extensive experience with emerging markets issuers and just all around excellent.’

‘Andrew Hagan is my go-to lawyer in the high yield space – incredibly smart, hardworking, switched on and just a super nice guy. He will get any deal over the line and he amazes me always with the depth of his knowledge and his creativity.’

‘Andrew Hagan is an incredible asset to the Weil partnership, his experience and market insights were invaluable. He exemplified a client-centric approach with an absolute focus on getting things right for our business. He demonstrated an incredible mix of deep technical knowledge alongside a supportive approach. There was no discussion too big or small to have with him, and our management team found him particularly reassuring.’

‘Superbly integrated high yield and leveraged finance team. Seamless integration across leveraged finance and high yield, particularly on complex cross-border transactions. Stellar associates and highly engaged, hands-on partner coverage throughout the transaction. Every member of the team is in command of all aspects of the deal. The team has a highly collaborative approach that drives optimal client outcomes.’

‘The team are knowledgeable, creative and thoughtful about key issues. I have found them to be excellent thought partners on new deals as well as situations facing challenges.’

‘Experienced, approachable, practical and commercial.’

‘The team have a deep knowledge of the market, a collaborative and assured style, and work hard to solve issues in a practical and commercial way.’

‘We use the Weil’s structured finance team as manager counsel for our CLOs and appreciate the team’s knowledge and experience. They work well with all parties and are quick to resolve any issues (or potential issues) that come up during a transaction.’

‘We appreciate the work of Jacky Kelly (partner) and Luke Stowe (associate) and value their views/input. Collectively, we work well with the entire team and would recommend them.’

‘The team is always very responsive, drawing expertise within the organisation, and putting thought into business solutions. Every member of the team is very knowledgeable with a high level of quality work.’

‘I would particularly like to mention James Bromley. He is always accessible, dedicating time and engaging the right resources to find solutions. Peter Boulle, comes back always on time with very thorough responses and has exhausted all aspects and Alistair Green’s drafting is always perfect, concise and having grasped the commercial aspects.’ 

‘Agile and innovative in their thinking. Highly responsive and operates across a broad range of asset classes that cut across private funds.’ 

‘James Bromley is an exceptional talent to work with. His commercial acumen, diligence and thoughtful approach paired with his relationship management skills with clients and other third parties are excellent. Solution-orientated and always very up to speed on the latest market changes.’ 

‘Great depth and strength of bench. Very knowledgeable about the market but also able to provide practical solutions.’

‘James Sargent is an exceptional partner. One of the leading fund formation lawyers in the industry. Great insight, very commercial, always available.’ 

‘The whole team at Weil are incredibly technically knowledgeable, always immediately responsive when any questions are raised, and more importantly, proactive so that we are well ahead of the game when we’re deep in a workstream.’ 

‘Ability to draw from experts in all fields of funds practice with a depth of experience of the firm that is brought to bear in recommendations and actions.’

‘Commercial mindset, strong technical skills, good understanding of the market terms.’ 

‘Strong commercial mindset and solutions-oriented. Very pleasant people to work with.’ 

‘The team has excellent market knowledge, they also possess a strong business insight, deliver promptly, are enjoyable to work with, highly professional, adept at negotiations, and have learned our company’s way of working and our products very well. ’

‘James Sargent’s ability to react quickly and resolve even challenging issues swiftly is remarkable.

‘Deeply knowledgeable of market practice, business-minded, approachable and responsive. ’

‘James Sargent, Jacquelyn Volpe and Marloes Zaman are all highly skilled individuals with a deep understanding of the alternative investment/real estate fund industry and applicable market.’ 

‘Top-tier funds practice with diverse client base and engaged partners.’

‘Team is very strong on understanding the market and hence to get the best and most efficient deal at high pace.’

‘Deep oil and gas expertise including contentious.’

‘Jenny Doak – excellent team leader. Flexible and very hard-working.’

‘The team has a very practical and problem-solving approach, which is very valuable.’

‘Oliver Walker – very fast thinker, great strategical insights beyond the pure tax technical analysis’

‘The whole Weil team are our “go to” legal firm for our most complex and high value legal matters. They have always exceeded expectations, are super responsive, and consequently have been our key legal advisors for over 20 years.’

‘Oliver consistently delivers commercial and clear tax advice in a readily understandable manner, which is critical given the complexity of tax matters.’

‘Having worked with Weil extensively over the last year, I have to commend their exceptional level of partner involvement.’

‘I value Weil’s highly commercial approach to navigating complex issues.’

‘Working with Weil has been nothing short of seamless. The team’s ability to build strong relationships and effortlessly coordinate across various deals speaks volumes about their professionalism and dedication. They also leverage learnings from prior deals we worked on to ensure nothing gets lost between the cracks.’

‘One of the most impressive aspects of Weil’s practice is their extensive network of experts. They’re able to access a diverse range of specialists, even across different geographies, which proved invaluable in navigating complex legal challenges during our recent deal.’

‘What truly sets Weil apart is their commitment to finding the best solutions for their clients, even if it means collaborating with alternative specialist firms. Their willingness to go above and beyond to ensure the highest quality advice is a testament to their client-centric approach and dedication to excellence.’

‘I highly recommend Weil for their outstanding practice and unparalleled expertise.’

‘Simon Lyell has truly exceeded all expectations. Simon’s level of involvement and attention to detail throughout the transaction was nothing short of remarkable. Not only was he exceptionally hands-on, but he also displayed an unparalleled dedication to understanding every minute aspect of the deal.’

‘What truly sets Simon apart is his commercial acumen. He doesn’t just provide legal advice; he offers strategic insights that add immense value to the transaction. His ability to balance legal expertise with a keen understanding of business priorities is truly commendable.’

‘The WGM team is exceptional in terms of quality and effectiveness. They were always on top of every point in the litigation and handled the clients with total aplomb.’

‘Jenny Doak is a stand-out. Very experienced in oil and gas.’

‘The team has a very practical and problem-solving approach, which is very valuable.’

‘Oliver Walker – very fast thinker, great strategical insight beyond the pure tax technical analysis.’

‘Oliver is an exceptional tax lawyer who combines deep technical knowledge and experience with charm and practicality.’

‘Deep understanding of our business; commercial acumen; very good availability, including at partner level.’

‘The team has a very practical and problem-solving approach, which is very valuable.’

‘Brendan Moylan is one of the preeminent infrastructure M&A lawyers globally. We trust him with our most complex infrastructure matters. His wealth of knowledge and no-nonsense approach is invaluable in navigating difficult negotiations.’

‘Weil Gotshal’s exceptional guidance on merger control issues makes them my go-to firm for complex transactions in the UK. Their excellent legal knowledge, experience of UK process and strong commercial acumen ensures a smooth and successful process.’

‘Jenine Hulsmann is an exceptional merger control lawyer. She is highly commercial and skilled at applying the law to client needs. She is also an excellent communicator and is well respected by senior managers within my business as much as by external regulatory stakeholders. ’

‘Dedicated incentives advice supporting PE backed clients. We generally work with the Weil incentives and PE teams and find them technically strong and very commercial.’

‘Kevin Donegan is an asset to the firm – calm, clear and technically strong incentives advice.’

‘The team at Weil excel at managing transactions to a sensible and efficient conclusion, ensuring all parties are fully informed. Pragmatic decision making is at the core of their offering.’

‘Kevin Donegan is a pleasure to work with, he is knowledgeable, pragmatic and he delivers strong outcomes for his clients. He understands how to keep all parties aligned and on task in a transaction.’

‘Jamie Maples is an excellent leader, with deep knowledge and a practical approach, not shy to say no when clients come up with crazy ideas, includes and manages team very efficiently. Hayley Lund is hard working, an excellent lawyer with a deep knowledge base and innovative approaches to problem solving. Christopher Marks is hardworking, excellent drafting, good negotiator very responsive.’

‘Jamie Maples has led the team for many years now – a highly experienced, smart litigator. I have worked closely with Hayley Lund on matters since she was an associate – a pleasure to work with, no surprise she made partner back in 2022. Give assured and confident direction. They do quality matters; would love to work more with the team.’

‘Jamie Maples is an outstanding partner who knows his cases inside out, manages clients very effectively, and is an excellent team leader in the most complex matters. Frankie Cowl and Sarah Chaplin are excellent associates, both incredibly detail-orientated and personable.’

‘Jamie Maples is a fantastic young partner, who did an outstanding job coming into a large matter on which other teams had been working for a long time, picking up seamlessly and bringing all of the resources of the litigation team to bear, being entirely unflappable even under extreme pressure. But the exceptional quality of people goes all the way through the counsel and associate ranks as well, with each of them extremely smart, hardworking and sheer pleasure to work with under pressure: Matt Gibbon and Charlotte de Vitry are two other standout names.’

‘Two of the partners stand out amongst their peers at other firms. Jamie Maples leads the group. He is a gentleman. He has exceptional technical skill but keeps his attention trained on the strategic objective. Jamie is always calm and keeps the team together and moving in the right direction. Jamie also writes beautifully. Christopher Marks, a younger partner, throws himself into his cases feet first. He is exceptionally bright and misses nothing. He is always several steps ahead.’

‘Chris Marks is an exceptional partner – his combination of hard work, technical legal ability, commercial knowledge and strategic instincts makes him a real asset on any case. Jamie Maples is a fantastic lawyer, particularly adept at complex disputes that require a deep understanding of the legal issues in order to ensure that the case is managed in a way that delivers on the client’s priorities. Hayley Lund is an excellent partner – combining hard work, commercial insight and ability to manage a team to deliver on her clients’ needs.’

‘Jamie Maples is a superstar of commercial litigation. He is commercial, intelligent and Counsel trust him to make the judgment calls that allow them to focus on presenting the case. Hayley Lund is a really dynamic litigator. She has the energy of a junior associate and the wisdom of a senior partner. She is great fun but also incredibly commercial. She has a great eye for detail and can spot the point that is missing from a crucial argument. A real star.’

‘Jamie Maples is the standout partner. He has excellent judgment, is technically brilliant, and great with clients and counsel team. Chris Marks is a standout junior partner. He works very hard, and again is technically brilliant and great with clients and counsel teams. He also has great judgment.’

‘Marc Schubert is highly responsive, takes a commercial approach and is highly attuned to client needs and commercial sensitivities.’