Lawyer turned writer, speaker, podcaster: Original Jurisdiction, https://teapaw.org/t.co/hBEAtRCUxV. Columnist, Bloomberg Law. Founding editor, AboveTheLaw/@ATLblog.
New Jersey, USA
Joined April 2008
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Is Cahill Gordon The Next Weil Gotshal?
Founded in 1919, Cahill has experienced significant partner departures in 2026—and its existence as an independent firm could soon come to an end.
LINK: bit.ly/4jbizjx
I am so, so sorry to learn of the death of Judge Richard Posner. I was honored to call him a friend.
Dick Posner, rest in peace.
(I'll have much more to say about Judge Posner in a future post.)
We mourn the loss of Senior Lecturer Richard Allen Posner, a longtime #UChicagoLaw scholar, former federal appellate judge, and pioneer in the field of law and economics, who died on November 10.
Read more about his legacy: buff.ly/e3c3WdL
ALT In loving memory of Richard Posner 1939-2026
3/ *there—as in, "How long would it take for THERE to be another Weil Gotshal?"
(Sorry for the typo! But I don't want to delete the original tweet because it has already been retweeted a few times, and for some reason, I can't edit the tweet.)
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4/ Is Cahill Gordon The Next Weil Gotshal?
Founded in 1919, Cahill has experienced significant partner departures in 2026—and its existence as an independent firm could soon come to an end.
LINK: bit.ly/4jbizjx
David Lat retweeted
How did one of the most successful law firms in the country suddenly collapse? Why are law partners acting like NBA free agents? David Lat explains it all to you on Reasonably Optimistic: youtube.com/watch?v=eSLA6B6e…
In "Judicial Notice (11.08.26): Elections Have Consequences":
- a fired Sidley associate headed to Congress
- four new Democrats on the Texas Supreme Court
- 40 Weil refugees bound for Kirkland
LINK: bit.ly/4kHgSeQ
David Lat retweeted
UPDATE: And another one going: Office of Legal Counsel head T. Elliot Gaiser has been nominated by Trump to a district court judgeship in the Northern District of Texas, per a Senate aide.
Another big exit from DOJ. Civil Division head not a high profile job but VITAL to defending administration policies and priorities in court. Earlier: politico.com/news/2026/11/06…
Why Weil Matters—And What Its Collapse Says About Biglaw’s Past, Present, And Future
Plus, how to explain the Weil collapse to folks who aren’t lawyers—and how to think about it in the context of the broader American economy.
LINK: bit.ly/4BQ6Az9
Great insights from @jaesunum on which firms are most likely to pick up which partner groups and practices from Weil Gotshal.👇
David Lat retweeted
🪡 3a
First up is the fabulous @DavidLat - this Original Jurisdiction post sets really good baseline + context (also just the best Substack IMO)
teapaw.org/DavidLat/status/211587…
5 Takeaways From Weil Gotshal's Collapse
Weil, you were sleeping: the 95-year-old firm failed to keep up with the prodigious profitability growth of its peers, setting the stage for its downfall.
LINK: bit.ly/4eFBbFH
In "Judicial Notice (11.01.26): Who Killed Weil Gotshal?":
- laying the blame for Weil’s woes
- a federal judge fed up with DOJ
- a 9th Circuit case with lots of leading litigators
- a $17B deal involving a name you know
LINK: bit.ly/3UvHLrC
But don't clients want lawyers who think like businesspeople???
Amidst the Weil grimness, here's a more fun story
This is from a summer or two before I was there
Weil took its summers to a big Broadway musical every summer. I saw In the Heights during mine (wow - was excellent). I think you could even bring a date
A few summers had the idea to sell their tickets. They figured nobody would notice they weren't at the show, and they could just meet up with everyone afterwards and pretend they'd been there
The problem: Weil bought a big block of seats. So when a couple of random people showed up in the middle of all the Weil lawyers, the (high quality!) recruiting team noticed. And pretty quickly figured out whose tickets got scalped
Understandably, those summers didn't get offers
Weird knock-on effect: when I was going through recruiting, a rip on summering at Weil at my law school was that not all of their summers had gotten offers the year before. This was apparently why!
Was it Colonel Mustard in the messenger center with a stapler?
Was it Miss Scarlet in the lactation room with a binder?
Was it Professor Plum in the conference room with a legal pad?
Who killed Weil Gotshal?
[Excerpt from my next edition of Judicial Notice. This will lead into a serious discussion of the finger-pointing re: Weil's demise.]
5 Takeaways From Weil Gotshal's Collapse
Weil, you were sleeping: the 95-year-old firm failed to keep up with the prodigious profitability growth of its peers, setting the stage for its downfall.
LINK: bit.ly/4eFBbFH
2/ I updated my Weil post to add links to three great articles:
(a) @WSJ piece by @erinmulvaney @CaraRLombardo @coryramey
(b) @FT piece by @kayewiggins @mroliverbarnes @sindap @ameliajpollard
(c) @Bloomberg @opinion piece by @Matt_Levine
LINK (updates at end): bit.ly/4eFBbFH
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David Lat retweeted
Love this interview. There is so much going on in the world of law firms right now. Very exciting (and mildly terrifying) times. Expect to learn a lot more about MSOs very soon if you follow the legal space.
Demystifying The MSO: Trisha Rich
A leading MSO lawyer, legal ethicist, and longtime partner at @Holland_Knight, Rich walks us through how MSOs work, why they’re booming, and what might come next.
LINK: bit.ly/4yIdbcd
David Lat retweeted
“If it can happen to Weil, it can happen to anyone.”
5 Takeaways From Weil Gotshal's Collapse
Weil, you were sleeping: the 95-year-old firm failed to keep up with the prodigious profitability growth of its peers, setting the stage for its downfall.
LINK: bit.ly/4eFBbFH