LONDON, June 23, 2026: International law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP announced today that James Crooks will join the Firm as a partner in its Finance practice.

James is a highly experienced finance lawyer with a broad practice spanning complex financing transactions advising credit funds and private equity investors and their portfolio companies on leveraged financings, special situations, distressed transactions and broader capital solutions. Working across a wide range of sectors, he has developed innovative solutions on a number of headline transactions. He joins from Sidley Austin.

“James is a respected and versatile finance lawyer whose arrival will further enhance our market-leading Finance practice in London, particularly in the capital solutions space, where his experience representing both creditors and borrowers across leveraged finance and special situations adds significant depth to our team,” said Weil Executive Partner Barry Wolf.

Tom Richards, head of Weil’s London Finance Practice, said: “Weil is a market leader in capital solutions, an area that sits at the intersection of finance, restructuring and broader transactional expertise and remains a strategic priority for our practice. James brings deep experience in this sophisticated and highly specialized market, further strengthening our position as we continue to build on our leading capabilities. His broader expertise across sponsor and creditor-side leveraged finance makes him an excellent fit for our platform. We are very pleased to welcome him to the team.”

“At the more complex end of the market where Weil operates, demand is growing for bespoke capital solutions, hybrid financings and liability management transactions. Weil is uniquely positioned to stay ahead of this evolution thanks to its capabilities across finance, restructuring, private equity and private capital. James’ expertise further strengthens that offering, enhancing our ability to deliver sophisticated solutions for clients on their most complex transactions,” added London Finance partner Nicola Nöel.

About Weil’s Finance Practice

Weil’s preeminent Finance practice advises leading private equity sponsors and financial institutions on domestic and cross border leveraged acquisition finance. The team is a market leader in the largest and most complex financings and is particularly known for its depth of know-how and experience advising across a range of products, sectors and client types.

About Weil’s Liability Management and Strategic Capital Solutions

Weil’s Liability Management and Strategic Capital Solutions team advises companies, sponsors, creditors, and investors managing complex capital structure issues where conventional financing options fall short. Our lawyers work closely with clients to address debt maturities, liquidity challenges, and other pressing financial needs through innovative, tailored solutions that provide cost-efficient alternatives to traditional restructuring. Our multi-disciplinary team has deep expertise in constructing custom liability management structures and bespoke capital solutions.

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, the Firm pioneered many significant practice areas including Private Equity. 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.