Paul Weiss

That’s not all there is to get excited about in London either. As part of its recruitment drive, Paul Weiss has been undergoing a major re-fit 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 post-COVID, 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 like stone carved wall-to-ceiling inscriptions of memorable quotes from top Paul Weiss lawyers and a juke box that vac schemers are asked to choose a track to be added to. Trainees will be situated on the edge of Soho and just a stone’s throw from upmarket Mayfair — home to a large number of the firm’s private equity clients.

As you might’ve already guessed, Paul Weiss’ numbers are looking good. The firm reported an 31% increase in revenues last year, taking it to $2.63 billion dollar mark (£1.98 billion) with profit per equity partner (PEP) up almost 15% to $7.5 million (£5.6 million). To put this into perspective, that’s more than double the PEP at any Magic Circle firm and, until recently, every partner at the firm was an equity partner! Each of the firm’s core practice areas saw double-digit growth and, aside from its marquee signings and impressive London growth, global chair Brad Karp has also credited the firm’s heavy investment into AI as a reason for present (and future) growth — those in the capital have recently enjoyed the roll-out of Harvey AI.

In terms of workload things can “naturally get very busy” for Paul, Weiss juniors. However, LC 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 some of PW’s earliest clientele but it wasn’t long before the firm 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, amongst its clientele list. The firm is no stranger to US politics either. A known fundraiser for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign last year, Paul Weiss is also among several major US firms that struck a deal with Donald Trump to avoid the fallout from his flurry of executive orders.

Aside from these political machinations, 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 PW 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 some 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, telling Legal Cheek “Many of our deals are new in the market which is exciting.” The small office size also makes sure 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 their trainees ready to take on this type work is a task 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 — all training is “designed to be approachable to even the most junior associates”. One insider offered this insight: “Training sessions are prioritised and (for lack of better word) “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 receive comments and questions.”

Big-time deals need big-time lawyers and Paul Weiss is no stranger to either of these things. Despite the big legal names that have rushed into its London office, one junior here 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 taking in top training sessions or getting stuck in to 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 of the office, Paul Weiss’ £200 per month wellness stipend goes down well with juniors. “Anything you could possibly want is provided for. Wellness budget can be spent on almost anything from new running shoes to a gym membership,” another source told us.

Aside from the 200 lawyers in its London office, PW has over 1,000 lawyers spanning its nine other hubs in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Wilmington, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Toronto and — the newest member of the pack — Brussels. The firm has also recently established a Latin American practice from its New York office and is rumoured to be contemplating a launch in Singapore.

Paul Weiss has a history of D&I. 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 PW 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.