Weil has hired the head of Cravath’s private equity practice in New York, in a major hire for the firm following a string of recent exits.
Peter Feist will rejoin the firm from Cravath, where he moved in 2023 after nearly 20 years at Weil.
Feist first made partner at Weil in 2007, and spent eight years in the firm’s Hong Kong office, before relocating back to New York in 2015.
Upon his return to Weil, Feist will become co-head of the firm’s US PE practice.
The news comes weeks after Cravath hired a six-partner corporate team from Weil, including chair of both the corporate department and global strategy committee, Michael Aiello.
Commenting on the hire, Weil executive partner Bary Wolf said: ‘Peter knows our Firm, our clients and our culture extraordinarily well, and he shares our commitment to excellence, collaboration and developing the next generation of talent. He is a natural leader, and we are thrilled that he is returning to Weil in this important role.’
Current firmwide co-managing partner and incoming executive partner Ramona Nee added: ‘We have tremendous ambitions for Weil, and we are investing to build an even stronger Firm for the future.
‘Peter’s return reflects the scale of our ambitions and our commitment to investing in the very best talent. He is an extraordinary lawyer and practice leader, and we are proud that he has chosen to come home to Weil and help lead one of our flagship practices. This is the kind of significant investment we intend to continue making as we build for the future.’
Feist’s hire is the second Weil has made in New York in the last week, following the move of Willkie US restructuring co-chair Debra Sinclair last week.
Sinclair is also a returner, as she started her career as an associate at Weil in 2013, before moving to Willkie in 2016. She made partner in 2022, and became co-chair of the US restructuring practice two years later.
Global chair of Weil’s restructuring department Matt Barr said of the news: ‘Debbie is an extremely sought-after restructuring lawyer.
‘Clients turn to her in particularly complex, high-stakes moments, when there is no obvious playbook and success depends on judgment, creativity, and courtroom presence. She has built an exceptional practice and bringing her back to Weil adds even greater depth to a team that has been at the center of the restructuring field for decades.’
The recent additions mark positive moves for Weil amid a wave of exits from the firm across New York and London. Since the start of this year, LB has tracked over 30 partner departures.
Related: ‘Seismic changes’ – breaking down the Weil US exits as firmwide departures near 30
