Paul, Weiss

That’s not all there is to get excited about in London either. As part of its remarkable expansion in the City, Paul Weiss completed a major fit-out of Twitter’s (now X’s) former London headquarters, and the video unveiling speaks for itself. While businesses around the world struggle to get employees back into the office, it’s clear Paul Weiss has the answer: “I come in five days a week as [the office] is just such an excellent environment to be in,” one insider told Legal Cheek, adding that “every detail is catered for.” This “amazing” office boasts a very fancy-looking firm restaurant (note the avoidance of the word “canteen”) that features daily sushi and a pizza oven. “The food is world class,” said one source. “We give a lot of our time and effort, and this feels like a way the firm gives back, which I greatly appreciate.” The restaurant also has a few quirky features, including stone-carved wall-to-ceiling inscriptions of memorable quotes from top Paul Weiss lawyers and a jukebox that vac schemers are asked to choose a track to be added to. The office is situated on the edge of Soho, just a stone’s throw from upmarket Mayfair, home to a bunch of the firm’s leading private equity clients.

As you might’ve already guessed, Paul Weiss’ numbers are looking good. The firm reported revenues of $3.26 billion (£2.42 billion), with profit per equity partner (PEP) climbing to $8.63 million (£6.43 million). To put this into perspective, that’s around three times the PEP at any Magic Circle firm. Driven by aggressive global expansion and elite lateral hires, the firm’s growth has been particularly pronounced in London, where the office has transformed from a relatively modest outpost of just a handful of lawyers in 2023 into a major City player boasting more than 250 lawyers, including over 40 partners, today. In fact, despite only recently completing the fit-out of its new London headquarters, Paul Weiss has already announced plans to expand the office by a further 25% to around 100,000 square feet as it continues to accommodate its rapidly growing ranks.

In terms of workload, things can “naturally get very busy” for Paul Weiss juniors. However, Legal Cheek hears that a tight-knit and supportive office culture makes even the busiest times manageable. “We all cover for each other and there’s a real collegiate culture,” one mole revealed. And while peaceful holidays are not guaranteed, one source told us that “people haven’t disturbed me on leave unless absolutely necessary.” The firm also takes steps to ensure the tougher parts of the job are distributed fairly: “there are appropriate measures in place to ensure that work is spread around and that people are equally busy,” another insider assured us.

Ever the showman, Paul Weiss started life on Broadway, as Frank & Weiss, in 1875. Investment banks, insurance firms, tobacco companies and real estate developers were among the firm’s earliest clientele, but it wasn’t long before Paul Weiss had grown into one of the leading players on the US legal scene, becoming heavily involved in landmark US Supreme Court cases such as Brown v Board of Education, and advising on the early makings of America’s Public Broadcasting System (PBS). Nowadays, the firm counts multinationals such as Marvel Studios, Sony and Nintendo, as well as celebrities like Sigourney Weaver, Spike Lee and John McEnroe, among its clients.

In terms of the legal work itself, Paul Weiss is probably best known for its market-leading public M&A, private equity, litigation, white-collar, regulatory defence and restructuring practices. The London office has a heavy private equity flavour, and Paul Weiss services some of the world’s leading PE funds through its transactional strengths in capital markets, antitrust, tax, finance and M&A. The firm handles highly complex cross-border transactions, which frequently means offering cross-pond advice to those back at base in the US.

Juniors at this US outfit rate the quality of work highly, with one telling Legal Cheek: “Many of our deals are new in the market, which is exciting.” The small office size also ensures trainees are exposed to all this interesting work, rather than being stuck in front of the photocopier. “Leaner teams mean you are exposed to work much beyond your years, with the adequate support,” an inside source revealed.

Getting trainees ready to take on this type of work is something Paul Weiss takes seriously. Training is “on another level”, one junior raved, while another added: “I can’t imagine receiving better training at another firm.” The training at this US outfit ranges from “engaging weekly sessions” with one of the firm’s professional support lawyers to “refreshing” partner-led sessions, and all training is “designed to be approachable to even the most junior associates”. One insider put it this way: “Training sessions are prioritised and respected by the team, so it is made easy to attend. The on-the-job training is also excellent; the seniors in my team are enthusiastic and always open to questions.”

Big-time deals need big-time lawyers, and Paul Weiss is no stranger to either. Despite the big legal names that have rushed into its London office, one junior finds the top dogs “some of the nicest partners I’ve ever worked with.” Across the board, junior lawyers describe their seniors as “very approachable” and a key part of the firm’s “supportive and collegiate atmosphere.”

When they’re not attending top training sessions or getting stuck into market-leading deals, Paul Weiss trainees find time to unwind. “Everyone is super sociable and gets on well with each other,” one source told us. The firm puts on “plenty of events to get involved with” and even runs “well-attended sports clubs.” For downtime outside the office, Paul Weiss’ £200 per month wellness stipend goes down well with juniors. “Anything you could possibly want is provided for. The wellness budget can be spent on almost anything, from new running shoes to a gym membership,” another source added.

Aside from the 250 lawyers in its London office, Paul Weiss has over 1,500 lawyers spanning ten other hubs in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Wilmington, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Toronto, Brussels and the newest addition, Houston. The firm has also recently established a Latin American practice operating out of its New York office.

Paul Weiss has a long history of diversity and inclusion. It was the first major New York City firm to hire a Black associate, as well as the first to make a woman a partner. Lawyers at the firm have been involved in landmark cases such as Roe v Wade and the Windsor case, and the firm has historically represented Nelson Mandela through its pro bono work on behalf of the South Africa Free Election Fund.