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Law firm Weil Gotshal & Manges recommends wind-down after partner departures

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 4 outlets across the spectrum.

6 articles in total, 1 of them opinion. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Metal 'weil' lettering mounted on a glass office building facade, viewed from below.
Image via The New York TimesHow images are chosenReport this image

Weil, Gotshal & Manges, a Wall Street law firm more than 90 years old, is moving to wind down. The firm said in a statement that its management committee has recommended an orderly wind-down to the partnership, which is expected to vote in the coming days. The Financial Times and The New York Times report that senior partners have left, and The New York Times and the New York Post report that a planned merger with another firm collapsed. Bloomberg reports that a practice head told junior lawyers to look for jobs elsewhere. The New York Post, citing the Wall Street Journal, reports that the firm remains debt-free with relatively few liabilities.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. The firm's management committee has recommended an orderly wind-down, and partners are expected to vote in the coming days.

    Reported byLeft1Center1Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The New York Times
    Center
    Financial Times
    Right
    New York Post, Reason

  2. Senior partners have left the firm in a wave of departures.

    Reported byLeft1Center1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The New York Times
    Center
    Financial Times
    Right
    New York Post

  3. A planned merger with a rival firm fell through.

    Reported byLeft1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The New York Times
    Right
    New York Post

  4. A practice head told junior lawyers to look for jobs elsewhere as the firm's future became uncertain.

    One outletBloomberg· Left

  5. The firm reported about $2.1 billion in revenue last year and is reported to be debt-free with relatively few liabilities.

    One outletNew York Post· Right

How each side tells it

Compare views

Every side reports that Weil, once a major Wall Street firm, is moving to wind down after partners left and its leadership recommended dissolution. The left and center headlines stress decline and the firm's struggles, while the right headline leads with the partner exodus and the shutdown itself.

  • the left

    2 outlets

    Headlines stress decline: The New York Times calls the firm once a legal powerhouse, and Bloomberg leads with lawyers told to seek jobs elsewhere.

    Weil Gotshal, Once A Legal Powerhouse, Plans to Dissolve
    The New York TimesLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    1 outlet

    Headlines describe the decision in plain terms, with one exception: the Financial Times calls the move a stunning downfall for a near-century-old firm.

    Weil leadership to tell partners firm should be dissolved
    Financial TimesCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    1 outlet · 1 opinion

    Leads with a shutdown after a mass exodus of top partners, presenting it as a dramatic reversal; Reason's opinion piece instead writes a personal farewell.

    Storied Wall Street law firm Weil Gotshal moves to shut down after mass exodus of top partners
    New York PostRightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Center1

    stunning downfall

  • Right1

    change the face of constitutional law

In the outlets’ own words

  • Sensational language

    stunning downfallMore neutral: decline

    The phrase adds dramatic judgement about the firm’s fate beyond the reported facts.

    Decision marks stunning downfall for near-century-old law firm that was among America’s largest and most…

    Used byFinancial Times (Center)

  • Sensational language

    change the face of constitutional lawMore neutral: a case challenging Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act

    The author presents the case's future effect as settled before its outcome is described, using dramatic wording.

    In 2006, Coleman took on a case that would change the face of constitutional law.

    Used byReason (Right)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

2 outlets

Leads with

  • exodus of high-profile lawyers
  • failed succession plan and scuttled merger
  • loss of standing once held by the firm

Leaves out

  • Debt-free finances with relatively few liabilities, as reported by the Wall Street Journal

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 2 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

  • leadership recommendation to dissolve the firm
  • options dwindling and partner exits
  • fall of a once-prominent firm
See the headline from the centerHide the headlines

From the right

1 outlet · 1 opinion

Leads with

  • mass exodus of top partners
  • failed merger negotiations
  • $2.1 billion revenue and debt-free finances

Leaves out

  • Failed succession plan, as reported by The New York Times
  • Junior lawyers told to seek jobs elsewhere, as reported by Bloomberg

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 2 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • New York PostRight

    Storied Wall Street law firm Weil Gotshal moves to shut down after mass exodus of top partners

    Storied Wall Street law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges is poised to shut down, with its leadership recommending the drastic move following an exodus of top partners and failed merger negotiations.

    Read at New York Post (opens in a new tab)
  • ReasonRightOpinion

    Farewell to Weil

    Today the law firm of Weil Gotshal announced that it would wind down. I don't have any connections to the…

    Read at Reason (opens in a new tab)

The stories you read build My Mix, a private picture of which sides cover the stories you choose, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    1 day later

    Its first report, Oct 28, 1:07 PM EDT

  • Center

    First to report

    Financial Times, Oct 27, 12:51 PM EDT

  • Right

    1 day 4 hr later

    Its first report, Oct 28, 4:53 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. Financial TimesCenterOct 27, 12:51 PM EDT
  2. BloombergLeftOct 28, 1:07 PM EDT
  3. The New York TimesLeftOct 28, 4:28 PM EDT
  4. New York PostRightOct 28, 4:53 PM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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