Ask Paul, Weiss Anything! (2025/26)

[LizzieArthey]

Morning @Paul @ Paul Weiss, can you please confirm the exact time for the Winter Vac Scheme deadline? Thank you.

Thanks for your question - the exact time for the deadline for our Winter Vacation Scheme is 23:59.

 

[LizzieArthey]

Hi @Paul @ Paul Weiss

Hope you are doing well!

I wanted to know whether applications are screened on a rolling basis and then interview invites are being sent after the deadline. Or if everything is done after the deadline.

Thank you in advance.

Warm regards,

Jasmine

Hi Jasmine,

Thanks for your question. Applications are screened before the deadline, but all invites are sent after applications close.

Kind regards,
Lizzie

 

[Alex - Paul Weiss]

Hi all, thank you so much for offering your time to answer these questions!
I had a few questions regarding the firm's culture & training:
1. How would you describe Paul Weiss' culture in relation to taking initiative and mentorship?
2. Do trainees receive responsibility early on?
3. What drew you to Paul Weiss?

Thank you!

1. As Meg said in a previous response, the teams are quite lean here (especially when compared to my previous firm) as such, when others are stretched, you often get the opportunity to pick things up which are beyond your years. Often these opportunities arise when you have worked with someone previously, shown that you can do the "simple" tasks correctly, and then you have their trust. Equally more senior associates/partners are very receptive to people putting themselves forward to do a first cut of things, and speaking them through the changes. On mentorship, I think both the senior associates and partners are very committed to associate development, and are always happy to explain and ensure you understand things. Ultimately, it makes their lives easier as, when you do the same task for them on another occasion, you will be better at it.

2. Can't speak for trainees, but as you gain people's trust they will give you more and more responsibility (and ultimately, doing client facing work, replying to emails and staying on top of lots of moving pieces is a lot of responsibility). People are incredibly receptive to proactivity (not just in the sense of doing things without checking, but suggesting a course of action, or asking if you can move things forward).

3. I really believed in what the partners said who interviewed me and was attracted to the leaner teams and gaining more responsibility. There are lots of firms that offer similar things, but the people here make it unique, and it is a great place to work.

 

[JasmineM9]

Hi Jasmine,

Thanks for your question. Applications are screened before the deadline, but all invites are sent after applications close.

Kind regards,
Lizzie

Thank you for the confirmation @LizzieArthey

Would I be able to know when applicants should expect to hear back after the deadline?

Warm regards,

Jasmine

 

[Meg - Paul Weiss]

Hi all, thank you so much for offering your time to answer these questions!
I had a few questions regarding the firm's culture & training:
1. How would you describe Paul Weiss' culture in relation to taking initiative and mentorship?
2. Do trainees receive responsibility early on?
3. What drew you to Paul Weiss?

Good morning!

1. The firm really encourages lawyers of all levels of seniority to take initiative. One example of this is as regards Business Development. I was surprised about this as my initial reaction was to think "who do I possibly know that could become a client of PW" but the partners explained that clients are your peers, NQs now who is 12 years time could be GCs at PE Houses or PLCs. With that in mind, the partners have encouraged us to connect on LinkedIn with people, arrange coffees, transaction clearance celebrations drinks etc. To support this, we have a generous BD budget. Similarly with mentoring, we have a near £1,000 a year annual budget for hosting our mentors e.g. going out for supper. The AT Team has compulsory partner pairings for all associates and senior associate pairings for junior associates as well.

2. Yes!!! I have been given more responsibility that I could possibly have imagined, or at times, thought I was capable of handling e.g. doing MJs for multi-billion dollars deals without supervision, marking up SPAs, drafting RFI Responses to regulators, being expected to participate in BD efforts, and drafting articles for publication in the international press to name a few examples.

3. I was drawn to PW because it combined all the glamour (and benefits) of Big Law with a social conscience.

Best
Meg

 

[LizzieArthey]

Dear @Paul @ Paul Weiss

Good morning, and I hope you are well.

My questions are as follows.

1) Do you take mitigating circumstances into account?

2) I am doing a ULaw LLM Legal Practice (SQE1&2) prep course, so I should have passed both SQE assessments by June 2026 - does Paul, Weiss require any additional education from successful candidates?

3) does Paul, Weiss reimburse successful candidates retrospectively for costs incurred from GDL and/or SQE prep courses?

4) are there Training Contract starting date slots available that are earlier than 2028?

Thank you for kindly responding to me!

Best wishes,
Sachin

Hi Sachin,

Thanks for your questions.

1. We do take mitigating circumstances into account - we take a holistic approach when reviewing all applications.
2. As our process currently stands, if you are successful through our recruitment process and have passed SQE 1 & 2, we would not require you to undertake any additional education prior to starting a training contract.
3. This is something that we consider on a case-by-case basis.
4. There are a few positions available for trainees able to start in 2027.

We review our recruitment processes and our policies on a continuous basis, and therefore they may be subject to change in the future!

Many thanks,
Lizzie

 

[LizzieArthey]

Thank you for the confirmation @LizzieArthey

Would I be able to know when applicants should expect to hear back after the deadline?

Warm regards,

Jasmine

Hi Jasmine,

This depends on how many applications we receive, but we aim to get back to you within a couple of weeks of the deadline.

Many thanks,
Lizzie

 

[Afuturetrainee]

Morning all

I am an associate in the Paul, Weiss Corporate M&A/PE team in London. The Corporate team advises public and private companies, including private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies, on a variety of corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, carve-outs, recapitalizations and corporate restructurings. I moved to PW in March 2024 on qualification after training at a Magic Circle firm.

Happy to answer any and all questions about life at PW (noting that, since I wasn't a trainee here/we don't have trainees yet, I may be limited in giving trainee-specific answers).

Many thanks
Alex

Hi Alex

I have a strong interest in PE and have taken my time to try to understand this practice area, including the secondaries market. However, I am still unclear on what advice law firms (especially Paul, Weiss) give to the portfolio companies. This is because I believe that PW is more sponsor-side. Could you please explain what work the firm is doing here, and if PW is also involved in the secondaries market?


I would appreciate it if you could highlight some recent deals the firm has/is currently working on. Thank you

 

[Sachin Chandra]

Good morning everyone!

Thank you for being interested in applying to PW's Open Days, Vacation Schemes and Training Contracts. The firm is a fantastic place to work and looks forward to welcoming you all in the future!

As context to the responses I will give to your questions, I thought it might be helpful to introduce myself and explain my background.

I am an Associate in the Antitrust Team in London, with 1 years' PQE. Our work can broadly be categorised as follows: (i) Transactional i.e. ex-US Merger Control and Foreign Direct Investment assessment of M&A transactions (strategic or sponsor) (ii) Behavioural i.e. abuse of dominance and cartel investigations and (iii) Digital Regulation e.g. DMCCA or DMA. The vast majority of my work (and the team's at present) falls squarely in the Transactional category, which can broadly be segmented between PE clients which are typically high volume, low complexity filers and strategic acquirers (e.g. in oil & gas, pharma, semiconductors, telecomms etc.) seeking to buy their rivals, suppliers or customers, which can cause much more complex competitive issues based on "horizontal overlaps" and "vertical relationships" between the Parties.

I trained (unusually) in the Civil Service with the competition regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority and moved into the private sector on qualification. Prior to entering the legal profession, I worked internationally in the Thoroughbred horseracing industry. At university, I studied History. As this hopefully exemplifies, taking the road less travelled in your educational and professional journey is no impediment to becoming a lawyer, nor from joining a world-leading practice such as Paul, Weiss.

I'm hear to help, so please ask anything that may be useful to you in future.

Best
Meg

Hi Sachin,

Thanks for your questions.

1. We do take mitigating circumstances into account - we take a holistic approach when reviewing all applications.
2. As our process currently stands, if you are successful through our recruitment process and have passed SQE 1 & 2, we would not require you to undertake any additional education prior to starting a training contract.
3. This is something that we consider on a case-by-case basis.
4. There are a few positions available for trainees able to start in 2027.

We review our recruitment processes and our policies on a continuous basis, and therefore they may be subject to change in the future!

Many thanks,
Lizzie

Dear Lizzie,

Thank you for kindly answering my queries. It is greatly appreciated!

Best wishes,
Sachin

 

[Alex - Paul Weiss]

Hi Alex

I have a strong interest in PE and have taken my time to try to understand this practice area, including the secondaries market. However, I am still unclear on what advice law firms (especially Paul, Weiss) give to the portfolio companies. This is because I believe that PW is more sponsor-side. Could you please explain what work the firm is doing here, and if PW is also involved in the secondaries market?


I would appreciate it if you could highlight some recent deals the firm has/is currently working on. Thank you

Thanks for the question. Given portfolio companies are owned by sponsors, we would often end up working for them via existing sponsor relationships we have on bolt-ons/general corporate work. If we worked on the original acquisition, we would have a good understanding of the portco, the contacts there and it would therefore make sense for us to act for them. We do secondaries work across our funds/M&A teams acting for sponsors wanting to roll one or more of their existing investments into a continuation vehicle. I worked on one of these during my first year and while complex (given there were 4 companies instead of 1) it was interesting and particularly relevant given sponsors' current focus on returning capital to LPs in different ways (given difficulty of exits).

On recent deals, I would suggest you look at the news/the firm website/Linkedin as, given a number of matters are confidential (especially those we are currently working on), I wouldn't be able to say outside of official communications.

 

[V2002]

Hello, and thank you for your support. Your partnership with TCLA has been invaluable in helping candidates research the firm.
How can candidates be proactive in preparing for the interview at Paul Weiss, and what qualities tend to distinguish those who perform particularly well at this stage?

 

[camrynt]

Dear Graduate Recruitment,

Many thanks for your time today. Will there be any virtual open days for applicants who are not able to attend in-person? Additionally, is it possible for vacation scheme interviews to be held online for international candidates?

Best,
Camryn

 

[rosedunn]

Hi - thank you for answering our questions! Are you open to career switchers?

 

[Paul @ Paul Weiss]

Dear Graduate Recruitment,

Many thanks for your time today. Will there be any virtual open days for applicants who are not able to attend in-person? Additionally, is it possible for vacation scheme interviews to be held online for international candidates?

Best,
Camryn

Hi @camrynt

Yes, we are planning to run a online open day. The date is TBC, but will likely be in December before the deadline for our Spring and Summer Vacation Schemes.

For interviews, our preference is for these to be face-to-face in our London office.

Thanks for the questions!

Paul

 

[camrynt]

Hi Associates,

Given Paul, Weiss’s significant growth in recent years, could you share insights on the firm’s future growth strategy? For example, is the focus on revenue expansion, lateral hiring, or particular practice areas?

I have a following question for Alex. In private equity, has there been a greater focus on secondaries transactions given the depressed IPO market?

Best,
Camryn

 

[Superfrozone]

Hi,

I hope you guys are having a great day!

I have a few questions:

1) Is the firm currently in the process of developing any pro-bono initiatives, as I know it is a big part of the US office?
2) With the firms Brussels and London offering a strong competition/litigation practice, is this an aspect that Juniors in competition will benefit from?
3) How have the firm's mentoring pods/coaching programme benefited junior development?

 

[camrynt]

Hi @camrynt

Yes, we are planning to run a online open day. The date is TBC, but will likely be in December before the deadline for our Spring and Summer Vacation Schemes.

For interviews, our preference is for these to be face-to-face in our London office.

Thanks for the questions!

Paul

Hi Paul,

This is great to hear! Would you recommend attending an open day before applying to the vacation scheme?

For context, I am planning to apply for the winter scheme, but so far I only have informal experience with the firm. In your view, do applicants have a stronger chance of progressing after gaining insight from an open day?

Best,
Camryn

 

[amrita6399]

Hello All,

I am interested in applying for the Vacation Scheme and wanted to know how is Paul Weiss currently using AI tools to enhance legal practice, and in which areas have you seen the biggest impact?

 

[Ronaldo04]

Hi Jasmine,

Thanks for your question. Applications are screened before the deadline, but all invites are sent after applications close.

Kind regards,
Lizzie

Dear Lizzie,
Thank you for your response. I just want to clarify, you screen applications before the deadline but complete a holistic review after applications close? I am a bit confused because the firm's website states that "we review applications after the deadline."

 

[afazeli-nia]

Hi all, thank you for agreeing to do this.



I have 4 questions for the associates.



First, could you give me a specific example of how you were given work that is typically above the remit of a trainee?




Second, could you give me a specific example of how you benefitted from having a small deal team? (e.g mentorship directly from a partner)



Third, could you give me a specific example of how your initiative has been rewarded at Paul, Weiss?



Fourth, are there specific private equity sectors that Paul, Weiss is particularly established in (e.g infrastructure) or is the firm sector agnostic?

First, could you give me a specific example of how you were given work that is typically above the remit of a trainee?
There aren't any trainees (yet) at the firm so all of our work is above the remit of a trainee. In terms of work above our level, I'll echo what Alex said on a similar question that, if you can do the simple things well, you'll be given more complex work. As a more specific example, juniors at other firms can often be limited to proofing, research tasks or other isolated support/admin work, particularly while they're learning the basics. My experience here has been that we need to have a view on every single document/clause/issue that comes through the door. Your supervisor is of course always there to steer you in the right direction but you are expected to have a plan regardless of your level, even if it might be wrong. Personally I think this is the best way to learn and creates a real sense of ownership over your work and the matter, rather than relying on your supervisor to tell you what to do.

Second, could you give me a specific example of how you benefitted from having a small deal team? (e.g mentorship directly from a partner)
Small teams are great and a big reason why I joined. My current team has one partner, two counsels and seven associates of varying levels. For me there are several benefits but the key one is knowing how everyone in your team likes to work, particularly since we all joined at similar times. It's a bit like playing football with a team you know really well. At a certain point, you learn each other's rhythms, styles and you often know what other people in the team need before they've even asked.

As the team is maturing, it's also been great to develop ways of working and regularly check in with each other to understand what's working for the team, what can be improved and develop the team organically. This is generally really hard to do at other firms because the leadership has all been working in the same way for years, often decades. I think this more entrenched approach can make teams less receptive to innovation/change and can makes it harder to improve on existing ways of working.

Third, could you give me a specific example of how your initiative has been rewarded at Paul, Weiss?
For me it's probably BD and conferences. At 3 years' qualified, many firms aren't really prioritising BD activities or conferences at my level. Here, I can walk into my partner's office with ideas for potential clients and I will receive support and advice in how best I can build a relationship with that client. My partner has attended several BD meetings with me that I have originated and is always happy to chat about potential new opportunities for the team. It's the same for conferences. I'm a big geek so am generally very interested in tech-specific events. Before I'd even joined, my partner was telling me about AI/tech-specific conferences he thought I might enjoy and it's been great to see this continue during my time here. I'm off to another AI conference in Brussels next week!

Fourth, are there specific private equity sectors that Paul, Weiss is particularly established in (e.g infrastructure) or is the firm sector agnostic?
Will defer to my M&A colleague here but for us it's pretty varied. Obviously the deals we're involved on are more tech/IP-specific but even then it's been quite broad, spanning software, tech, pharma, blueberry cultivation(!), AI, industrials, film & media and more.