Athena Pathway is proud to announce a new partnership with global elite law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, marking a shared commitment to excellence, innovation, and the development of future talent across sport and beyond.

Founded to fast-track the progression of youth and female athletes in high-performance sailing, Athena Pathway is built on a mission to create an inclusive future within the sport and the wider marine industry. Through this partnership, Weil joins that mission as a key supporter of Athena Pathway’s British Youth and Women’s America’s Cup teams.

Jonathan Wood, London Co-Managing Partner at Weil, said: “Weil is proud to support Athena Pathway, the British Women’s and Youth America’s Cup Challenge, an event that reflects the values at the heart of our firm: creating opportunity and a deep commitment to developing talent. Our partnership with APP reinforces our focus on supporting progression at the highest levels, while investing in the next generation of talent through access and meaningful pathways to succeed. We see strong parallels between elite sport and legal practice, where success is built on resilience, collaboration, and an unwavering pursuit of excellence, and we are delighted to support a team that contributes to lasting and positive change.” 

The partnership highlights the strong parallels between elite sport and legal practice. Both demand discipline, resilience, collaboration, and a relentless pursuit of excellence - values that underpin Athena Pathway’s performance on and off the water and Weil’s approach to delivering exceptional legal advice in the most complex and sophisticated corporate matters.

As part of this collaboration, Weil will serve as Official Legal Partner, supporting Athena Pathway’s ongoing efforts to build meaningful and lasting pathways into high-performance sport. This includes supporting the development of young sailors, engineers, and future professionals, while contributing to a broader ecosystem that prioritises creating opportunities for all and long-term impact.

The Youth and Women’s events represent a transformative moment in the history of the America’s Cup, expanding access and accelerating progress towards greater diversity at the highest levels of competition. Athena Pathway has been at the forefront of this movement, helping to bring new talent into the sport and inspire the next generation. 

Together, Athena Pathway and Weil will work to champion opportunity and access, creating an environment where individuals from all backgrounds can thrive, lead, and succeed.

Athena Pathway CEO Hannah Mills OBE said: “We are thrilled to welcome Weil on board as one of our partners for the upcoming Youth & Women’s America’s Cup events. It was clear from the outset that Weil shared our commitment to performance excellence and long-term growth, and I’m excited for what’s to come. Having partners like Weil backing our Youth and Women’s America’s Cup teams is massive for not just us, but also the next generation who will be looking at our sport and thinking about what opportunities there are for them in the future and seeing what’s achievable. Athena Pathway is proud to have Weil alongside us in this journey, helping us enhance performance, create opportunities and inspire the next generation both on and off the water.”

With the next cycle of the America’s Cup set to culminate in 2027, including a series of lead-up events and training regattas, this partnership marks an exciting step forward in Athena Pathway’s journey to build a sustainable, inclusive, and high-performance future for British sailing.

About Weil

Founded in 1931, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP has been a preeminent provider of legal services for more than 90 years. With approximately 1,200 lawyers in offices on three continents, Weil has been a pioneer in the marketplace and a first-mover in the establishment of many significant practice areas. The Firm’s four departments, Corporate, Litigation, Restructuring, and Tax, Executive Compensation & Benefits, and more than two dozen practice groups are consistently recognized as leaders in their respective fields.

Key Contacts