International law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP announced today that partner Rebecca Ward will join the firm’s market-leading Private Equity practice in London. Rebecca brings formidable private equity credentials, forged over more than two decades advising leading sponsors on some of the market’s most complex and high-value transactions across the full investment lifecycle. She joins from Freshfields, where she practiced for four years. Prior to that, she spent 17 years at elite private equity law firm Dickson Minto.

Her arrival forms part of a broader strategy to deepen Weil’s private equity bench across Europe, which has included heavyweight sponsor-side capability in Germany where 11 private equity partners have been added in as many months. In Paris, Weil’s private equity practice is widely regarded as the leading firm. In recent weeks, in the U.S., Weil has hired partner Peter Feist who joined as U.S. Co-Head of Private Equity in New York along with partners Jonathan Stott and Michael Hanna who joined in San Francisco.

Rebecca brings deep experience across a broad range of international and domestic M&A and corporate finance transactions on behalf of private equity houses and corporates, including leveraged buyouts, acquisitions and disposals, private acquisitions, carve-outs, co-investments and restructurings.

“We are thrilled to welcome Rebecca to Weil’s market-leading Private Equity practice where the firm is a leader, advising clients on their most significant and complex transactions. Rebecca brings longstanding relationships with leading sponsors and clients across Europe, which will complement the strength of our integrated teams across the global platform, adding particular depth to our European Private Equity platform,” said Barry Wolf, Executive Partner of Weil.

“Rebecca is a hugely respected private equity partner with a reputation for excellence in the London market. Having worked with her, I have seen first-hand the trusted relationships she builds with clients and the quality of her advice,” said Marco Compagnoni, Co-Head of the Global Private Equity group. “We are delighted to welcome her to the Firm as part of the tremendous growth across our European private equity practice.”

Rebecca Ward added, “I’m delighted to be joining Weil. It has built a truly exceptional private equity platform, with considerable strength across Europe and internationally, and the opportunities ahead are hugely exciting. Weil has a fantastic group of people – ambitious, collaborative and genuinely committed to building something special. I am very much looking forward to being part of the team and contributing to the next phase of its growth.”

About Weil’s Private Equity Practice

Weil's Private Equity practice is a global market leader formed of some of the most influential and industry-defining practitioners who work across every area of the private equity spectrum including buyouts, growth, technology and credit. Our clients are the largest, most high-profile private equity funds, sovereign wealth funds and pension funds, as well as family offices and other financial investors. Weil advises more than 300 private equity clients worldwide, including the 10 largest global private equity funds and over 80% of the top 25 largest global private equity funds (PEI 300 2025). London is the hub of the European practice advising a varied client base of European, U.S. and global private equity houses, corporates and financial institutions on both domestic and cross-border matters.

About Weil’s London Office

Weil is one of London’s global elite law firms advising on the largest, most sophisticated and challenging matters. London is Weil’s largest office outside of New York, with approximately 250 lawyers.

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.