Weil uncertainty continues as questions surround incoming leader’s future

Follows reports merger talks with Willkie broke down

Further uncertainty surrounds Weil after reports emerged that its incoming leader may not take up the top job, despite being due to start in just a matter of months.

Ramona Nee, a private equity lawyer and co-managing partner at Weil, is scheduled to succeed Barry Wolf as executive partner in January 2027. However, the Financial Times (£) reports that Nee has informed the firm’s management committee she no longer intends to take up the position.

Weil has sought to play down the reports, dismissing suggestions that Nee could be heading elsewhere as “false”. The firm told the FT that she has neither interviewed with a rival outfit nor received an offer to join one.

The reports come hot on the heels of another setback for Weil, with its proposed merger with fellow US firm Willkie reportedly falling through. According to Bloomberg Law, the firms had entered into a confidentiality agreement as they explored a potential combination, only for discussions to come to an end on Thursday evening.

The 2027 Legal Cheek Firms Most List shows Weil recruits around 15 trainees each year in London through its vacation scheme. Rookies earn £60,000 in their first year and £65,000 in their second, with pay rising to £170,000 upon qualification.