Weil, Gotshal & Manges

For a prestigious PE practice and top-tier training opportunities, take a walk on the Weil side…

Weil, Gotshal & Manges training contract review 2026

About the firm

You’ve heard the old saying, ‘onwards and upwards’? Well, for those at the junior end at Weil, it’s more upwards than onwards, with sources clear that they saw their future climbing the Weil ladder rather than springboarding to another firm. As one trainee put it: “This is a long-term thing for me. I’ve seen previous intakes have 100% retention.”

"...they are a US firm that has been in London for such a long time while retaining much of the UK culture."

There’s plenty of sense in staying on, too. The firm has come a long way from its roots as a small start-up and, like a lot of US firms that have made a name for themselves in London, now carries a hefty reputation in areas like private equity and finance. In fact, the firm boasts strong Chambers UK rankings in the likes of banking & finance: sponsors and restructuring/insolvency in the Capital. There’s also recognition for the firm’s private equity buyouts, capital markets (CLOs) and infrastructure practices nationwide. "There is a perception of the firm that they’re doing exciting work in their key practice areas," one told us, "they are a US firm that has been in London for such a long time while retaining much of the UK culture."

Training Contract Structure

At Weil, each trainee completes four six-month seat rotations and ranks their top three preferences in order. It was a process that came in for praise too, with all of those we spoke to receiving either their first or second choice. Weil’s work is focused on the transactional side of the coin, and the seats on offer reflect this, including the likes of private equity and M&A, finance, structured finance and private funds.

As one trainee put it: “I have plenty to choose from. If there was a wider field, I would be spoilt for choice!” The private equity department offers the most seats and was described as “the powerhouse of the firm. The prestigious private equity work is what initially attracted me to Weil; it’s an inescapable part of training here.” The smaller intakes are in litigation and tax, which only offer one seat. Trainees are also given formal mid and end-seat reviews to ensure they are happy in their position and to address any potential problems.

“The prestigious private equity work is what initially attracted me to Weil; it’s an inescapable part of training here.”

There aren’t many opportunities for client secondments at a trainee level, but we heard there are international secondments aplenty, with recent destinations including Paris, New York, Washington DC and Hong Kong. To be considered, we heard that after submitting an application, it’s largely up to the individual to persuade the firm as to why it would make business sense: “It is incredibly competitive. They only send one or two per rotation and you have to submit a business case.”

Seat Experiences

Trainee Life

As far as the current cohort was concerned, Weil seems to have perfected the art of merging corporate success with a friendly, welcoming culture: “It is a very friendly office with no rude characters, and people are supportive and collaborative.” Every trainee we spoke to attested to the great location of the office. Situated in Moorgate and within walking distance of Lincoln’s Inn and the Old Bailey, trainees feel they’re in the heart of London’s legal landscape.

There are perks too, including “a subsidised café with lovely staff who make an effort to learn your name – that’s indicative of the culture in general!” We were also told there is a cake trolley which comes up on Thursdays with a charity charge, good coffee machines, a gym, an onsite shoe polisher, dry cleaning service, fantastic support staff, print team and a mail room team.

“There’s a subsidised café with lovely staff who make an effort to learn your name - that’s indicative of the culture in general!”

Trainees are in the office four days a week, with the option to work from home on a Friday. Average working hours were 9.30am to around 9pm, with the busy periods requiring trainees to be online in the early hours of the morning. That said, in some cases, those working late are able to head home at 6pm and work the late hours from their own homes, but this is dependent on the supervisor, and there are sleep pods at the office where needed. When it came to renumeration, trainees were more than satisfied. Those we spoke to described it as “generous but fair” and that it “changes substantially when you qualify.”

Trainees are allocated a partner mentor and, as one put it, "you always share with your supervisor, so feedback can be informal and instantaneous." Another agreed that feedback was more or less "constant, with formal procedures throughout like a mid and end-of-seat review." Formal training varies by department, with whole-department sessions held in teams like finance. The general consensus was that the most beneficial sessions, however, were those hosted specifically for trainees bi-weekly on topics like due diligence processes.

Weil’s trainees spoke with enthusiasm about the firm’s pro bono efforts. We were told that it is “a huge thing here.” Everyone is encouraged to do 50 hours of pro-bono work a year, but there are some cases where people do plenty more – as many as 100 hours. Weil also provides an incentive for hitting the 50-hour mark by offering an award, and if you hit the goal five years in a row, you earn the title of ‘legend.’ If you hit ten years, you earn the coveted moniker of ‘Super Legend’, which comes with its own trophy! The firm partners with IN DEEP, a charity which provides drama sessions for children with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities). One individual who got involved with the charity described it as “a special day.”

Our sources praised Weil’s efforts in DEI too, telling us about their affinity groups such as Weil Pride and Women at Weil. One individual described it as “a great way to get to know people on different levels of seniority” and that the groups “bring us all together.”

Qualification

The qualification process is “fairly informal” with no strict interview process, and our sources told us: “I got a sense of how I performed in each seat as I went along.” The firm informs trainees which teams are recruiting, and it is a matter of submitting an application in which you indicate your interest before having a conversation with the relevant partner. Weil’s retention rate for 2025 is undisclosed.