Jamie is threading the needle on the world’s most exciting deals 

Before joining Weil, Jamie worked as a copywriter at world-leading advertising agency. Looking for a new challenge, he joined Weil as a trainee before specialising in Private Equity. He was drawn to Weil’s cohort size, leading position in the Private Equity market and the culture of autonomy.

“I loved the idea of being given early responsibility in a supportive environment. Throughout my training contract I saw trainees and associates being pushed to expand their role and test their abilities” 

The art of the possible

Now an Associate, Jamie has already worked on some huge deals. That culture of accountability and responsibility has meant constantly progressing and developing new skills. Early in his career he led on a regulatory piece where a company was interested in buying a major British airport, but the complexity and human side of Private Equity is what keeps it interesting for him. 

“Each deal is like a Rubik's Cube. There are always complications that need solutions. It is our job to solve the Rubik’s Cube for our client.” 

Challenged to be your best 

As well as secondments at the firm’s New York office and an investment advisory firm, Jamie credits the exceptional quality of people you work alongside, and against, for pushing him to excel. 

“You have to know the arguments, the footnotes to the arguments and the footnotes to the footnotes to the arguments. Our clients are at the top of their game. They know what good (and bad!) advice looks like, and that really drives you to perform. .” 

It’s hard work at times, but it comes with rewards. After the “champagne moment” when a deal is closed, there is a real desire to celebrate each other’s successes. 

“It's rewarding to enjoy our successes as a team when we do something good. The partners always make an effort to celebrate when a deal is done by taking people for dinner or taking people for drinks.” 

Giving every trainee the space to succeed 

And Jamie knows that his success is possible because of the autonomy and responsibility he had as a trainee which he now entrusts to those working with him. For him, the best trainees are those who are both curious and proactive. 

“They go away, read the law and come back and say ‘have we thought about this?’ I think trainees are often pleasantly surprised at the incredible value that they can add.”

Are you ready for extraordinary challenges?

Wupya has never been afraid of hard work, and in fact, she chose Weil precisely because the firm was the most honest about what it takes to thrive here. Now as an Associate in our Restructuring team with over seven years’ experience, and recently named in Law.com’s inaugural Black Rising Stars List, she’s seen first-hand how far hard work can take you when you find the right environment. 

“Weil stood out because they were very honest and frank. The message was, if you're a trainee, get ready to roll up your sleeves and get stuck in because our cohort is quite small, so there's nowhere to hide.”

Being trusted as a lawyer from day one 

Smaller cohorts mean everyone has a chance to step up and make a difference immediately. Wupya credits this as a big reason why Weil trainees take on responsibility so early, because you’re trusted and encouraged to do so from day one. That means when the big moments come, you’re ready. As a trainee, Wupya stepped in at the last minute to co-lead a cross-border call with firms across the world on a complex transaction. 

“To do that, you'd expect to at least be an NQ. But I felt confident enough to cover that call at the eleventh hour because I’d been treated like an NQ as a trainee so it wasn’t a massive shock. They throw you in the deep end but never to the point where you feel like you’re drowning. There’s a really good support system”

Every project is a new challenge 

After rotating through three seats, Wupya chose to specialise in Restructuring; which involves acting for debtors and/or creditors in a distressed scenario. Restructuring work cuts across various industries and areas of law, and entails elements of crisis management and the use of both in and out-of-court procedures. 

“We work on the most complex and often times novel cross-border restructurings globally, and such deals occasionally make the front page of the FT” 

She’s worked on projects ranging from debt restructurings and insolvencies, to advising an ad hoc committee of bondholders in relation to a sovereign debt restructuring. That calibre of work has helped her take on bigger and bigger challenges that she’s supported to step up to. It’s not always easy, but Wupya doesn’t know if she’d want it to be. 

“If I moved into a slower paced environment I'd probably lose my mind. I think there's an adrenaline you get here and a unique sense of achievement when you have creatively and successfully advised your client through a challenging time.”

Accelerating from trainee to elite law firm partner

Hayley is a Partner in the London Disputes and Investigations practice. She trained with the firm and was promoted to Partner less than a decade after qualifying. How? For her, it’s about entering into an agreement to work hard and in return be supported and given the best opportunities out there. And that starts at Trainee level.

“The amount of responsibility and on-the-job training I was getting as a Trainee was incredible, particularly compared with the more formalised training some of my peers had elsewhere. As a trainee at Weil you’re very visible, which isn’t for everyone, but means you’re given huge amounts of responsibility and exposed to really senior people within the firm from a very early stage.” 

“For example, I was involved in a High Court trial within a month of starting my training contract and I loved the work and the challenges I was being presented, including working directly with Partners across a number of different practice areas. I really wanted to step up and demonstrate my potential.”

Working on “bet the company” matters

That was Hayley’s first exposure to litigation work where she ultimately decided to specialise. The firm’s leading position in the market and smaller operation in London mean that she has been exposed to a huge range of high calibre work for prestigious clients. This presented Hayley with the opportunity to take on more responsibilities and a wider scope of work at an extremely fast pace.

“In our team we all do everything rather than being pigeonholed or forced to specialise in, say, litigation or arbitration. The team’s practice has evolved over time so there is a lot of variety. This keeps the job incredibly interesting and means there are lots of opportunities to develop. 

Her later choice to develop a specialism in investigations allows her to use the skills developed during years of litigation work, such as interviewing witnesses and distilling vast amounts of factual material. She assists clients where they find themselves in crisis situations and facing huge financial and reputational harm. 

Hayley advises where allegations of issues such as bribery, sanctions breaches and fraud have arisen, advising on whether those allegations can be substantiated once an investigation has been conducted and, helping clients make improvements to prevent similar issues arising in future.

“There are some more human elements to investigations that I really enjoy. It’s so important to understand who you are interviewing and think carefully about how best to get the information to draw conclusions in an investigation. I'm naturally a curious and persuasive person and the opportunity to act as a detective and get to the bottom of an issue really appeals to me.”

Finding purpose in work and life

Through her professional and personal growth, Hayley has found how problem solving, negotiation and advising on complex legal work can be meaningful.

“What I found at Weil was value and purpose in my work, and seeing the impact of my contributions beyond the immediate situation, and the influence my team had on the market more broadly. That satisfaction in the quality of work and in developing a mindset of service has proven to be extremely rewarding. If that purpose and standing alongside clients when they most need advice and assistance appeals, Weil is the place for you.”

Seeing what you’re really capable of

Now as a Partner, with responsibility for Early Careers, Hayley is keen to show that her progression is as much down to the firm’s support as it is to her hard work. 

“You're going to get a high level of responsibility on high-profile matters with hugely impressive people. There will be a real investment in you. Of course there is hard work involved, but that should be seen as a huge benefit as it allows you become a better lawyer than you ever imagined you could be.”