Weil’s next leader has told senior partners that she is no longer taking the firm’s top job, Legal Business understands.
Ramona Nee, a private equity partner who has been at the firm for nearly 25 years, was set to become executive partner at the firm in January, taking over from current leader Barry Wolf, who was set to retire at the end of next year.
Her decision was first reported by the Financial Times.
Nee, who currently serves as co-managing partner of Weil, co-head of the firm’s US PE practice, and co-managing partner of the Boston office, was announced as Wolf’s replacement in March of this year.
Nee was expected to work with Wolf from 1 January 2027 until his retirement, with Wolf continuing to chair the firm’s management committee, to ensure ‘a smooth and well‑coordinated leadership transition,’ the firm said in a previous statement.
In recent months, Weil has been experiencing a period of upheaval, losing over 50 partners this year.
Several partners in senior leadership roles have departed the firm, including Weil’s co-head of private equity, Christopher Machera, who headed to Paul Weiss this August in New York, while corporate department chair Michael Aiello left for Cravath as part of a six-partner M&A team in September.
Both partners sat on the firm’s global leadership and strategy committee, with Aiello as chair.
The firm has also been actively searching for a merger partner, though talks with Willkie Farr & Gallagher fell through at the end of last week.
Weil set up its transitional management structure in February 2025, establishing the global leadership and strategy committee and appointing Nee as co-managing partner alongside New York funds partner Jonathan Soler.
Upon the change in executive leadership, Soler was set to become sole managing partner of the firm.
Weil has been contacted for comment.
