Weil has won the “Innovative Lawyers in Restructuring” award at the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Europe Awards 2026 for its restructuring work for Fossil Group. It is the second time in three years that Weil has won the restructuring category, following its 2024 win for the Zambia sovereign debt restructuring.

The award recognizes the Weil-designed “Stapled Exchange,” a new approach that allows companies to restructure their debt without canceling equity, delisting or overhauling their entire capital structure. Weil developed the technique for Fossil Group, the Nasdaq-listed, US-headquartered retailer, as part of its financial restructuring. It was the first time a US public company had gone outside the US to restructure US-governed debt, and Fossil became the first publicly listed US company to use a Stapled Exchange. Read more about this matter here.

The Financial Times Innovative Lawyers rankings celebrate innovation by law firms and in-house legal teams across Europe, with more than 20 awards spanning digital innovation, strategic advice, talent management and positive change in the profession. This year’s winners were announced at a ceremony at the Natural History Museum in London on September 24, 2026.