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Weil, Gotshal & Manges

From Alfawiki
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
Company typeLimited liability partnership
IndustryLegal services
Founded1931; 95 years ago (1931)
FounderFrank Weil, Sylvan Gotshal, Horace Manges
Headquarters
New York City
,
United States
ProductsLegal services
Number of employees
1,217 lawyers (2024)
Websiteweil.com

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP (often referred to simply as "Weil") is a prominent U.S.-based law firm with its main office located in New York City. Established in 1931 by Frank Weil, Sylvan Gotshal, and Horace Manges, the firm currently employs around 1,217 lawyers as of 2024 and reported revenues surpassing $1.86 billion in 2021. Weil consistently ranks among the elite firms in the The American Lawyer AmLaw 100 list, underscoring its robust financial standing and influential market presence.

Overview

Originating in New York City in 1931 through the efforts of Frank Weil, Sylvan Gotshal, and Horace Manges, Weil has maintained its headquarters since 1968 in the General Motors Building, which overlooks Central Park in Manhattan.

The firm experienced steady growth by securing significant clients such as General Electric and General Motors, evolving into one of the largest law firms nationwide. Its first branch beyond New York was launched in Washington, D.C. in 1975, followed by further expansions during the 1980s into Miami, Houston, and Dallas. In 1991, Weil became the first global law firm outside California to establish a presence in Silicon Valley, opening an office in Redwood Shores to bolster its private equity and finance practices.

The geopolitical changes following the fall of the Berlin Wall and Eastern Europe's transition to market economies prompted Weil’s international expansion with offices opening in Budapest, Prague, and Warsaw during the early 1990s. Subsequent growth included major European cities such as Frankfurt, London, Munich, and Paris. In the new millennium, Weil extended its footprint into Asia and the Middle East by inaugurating offices in Beijing, Dubai, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. By 2012, roughly 25% of Weil’s attorneys were practicing outside the United States.

In November 2023, responding to increasing antisemitic incidents at leading U.S. law schools, Weil joined other prominent firms in alerting top law school deans that any escalation might affect corporate recruitment efforts. The correspondence highlighted a strict policy against discrimination within future workplace environments.

In July 2024, Weil expanded its West Coast presence by opening new offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco. This growth was led by private equity partners Tana Ryan and Navneet Rekhi, who were recruited from Latham & Watkins to spearhead these initiatives.

Notable cases

  • Weil played a key role in Olympus Corporation’s $2 billion acquisition of British medical-equipment manufacturer Gyrus. The transaction generated a total fee of $687 million, which was divided among Weil, financial advisors, and brokers. Notably, auditor KPMG declined to issue an unqualified audit opinion due to concerns related to the Gyrus deal; a team of 21 attorneys from Weil provided legal counsel.
  • The firm advised General Electric on the $11.6 billion divestiture of GE Plastics to Saudi Basic Industries.
  • Legal support for DirecTV’s $25 billion stock-for-stock merger with Liberty Entertainment.
  • Representation of Sanofi Aventis during its $18 billion purchase of Genzyme.
  • Counsel for General Electric’s $35 billion joint venture with Comcast involving ownership interests in NBC Universal.
  • Assistance to Apple Inc. in reaching a favorable settlement concerning litigation with Burst.com.
  • Guidance on Sears Holdings restructuring plan implemented in 2018.
  • Defense of CBS Corporation against litigation initiated by former journalist Dan Rather.
  • Successful litigation for ExxonMobil securing a $400 million breach of contract award against Saudi Basic Industries, marking one of the largest jury verdicts recorded.
  • Defense for eBay against trademark infringement claims brought by Tiffany & Co..
  • Handling major bankruptcy cases including those involving Enron, Lehman Brothers, Washington Mutual, WorldCom, and General Motors.
  • Advising on DirecTV’s $49 billion sale to AT&T.
  • Counsel for Lenovo’s $2.9 billion acquisition of Motorola from Google.
  • Legal work supporting Verizon’s $4.4 billion acquisition of AOL.
  • Representation for Intel during its $16 billion purchase of Altera.
  • Advising Facebook on its $19 billion acquisition of WhatsApp.
  • Assistance with Oracle Corporation’s $9 billion acquisition of NetSuite.

Distinguished Alumni

See also

Notes


External links

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