Private equity guru Marco Compagnoni (pictured) has been selected to fill the vacant management committee spot at Weil, Gotshal & Manges, boosting European representation on the body as the firm increasingly builds its presence in the region.
Compagnoni, the firm’s global co-head of private equity, will take up a three-year term on the committee. His appointment takes the number of European partners on the firm’s management committee up to four, with three of these specialising in private equity, the cornerstone of the firm’s European practice.
London managing partner Mike Francies and Frankfurt-based Germany managing partner Gerhard Schmidt, specialise in private equity deals and are members of the management committee while founder and senior partner of Weil’s Paris office Claude Serra, a corporate partner, also sits on the body. Nearly 25% of the firm’s lawyers are based in Europe and the London office, established in 1996, is now the firm’s second largest.
Compagnoni, who has built a strong powerbase in London, was put forward by a nominating committee and elected by the partnership. The 16-partner body is chaired by executive partner Barry Wolf. He told Legal Business his appointment ‘shows Weil’s commitment to its international practice and the importance of London in the network’.
Weil’s London office generated £73m in the last financial year, a 4.2% increase on the previous year. The firm, which lost big name banking partner Stephen Lucas to Kirkland & Ellis earlier this year, focused heavily on London in its recent partner promotions, with four associates being made up.
tom.moore@legalease.co.uk
