Gibson Dunn recruits entire Weil funds team in major London expansion

Gibson Dunn is set to hire Weil's highly rated London private funds team leaders James Bromley and James Sargent, with six further partners expected to move alongside them.

The wider partner group is expected to comprise Philip Baynes, Fiona Cumming, Aron Joy, Marc Schubert, Sophie Smith and Jacquelyn Volpe. It means a short stay at Weil for Cumming, who only joined from A&O Shearman in June where she co-led the firm's global private funds practice.

The funds team is expected to move in its entirety which would also include around 30 counsel and associates, taking the total team size to around 40.

A year in the making

The hires come amid a mass exodus from Weil, whose management recommended winding down the firm at a firmwide partner meeting yesterday.

However, Non-Billable understands that talks between Gibson Dunn and the funds team have been ongoing for more than a year, with building a London funds practice a priority for the hiring firm.

Two heads together

Bromley and Sargent were named co-heads of Weil’s London funds team in April 2025 following the departure of previous head Ed Gander to Sidley Austin.

Bromley joined Weil in 2014 from private markets specialist Rede Partners. His clients include Goldman Sachs, Brookfield and ICG.

Sargent joined in 2011 from Clifford Chance and counts Bain Capital, Brookfield and Actis among his clients.

Gibson Dunn declined to comment; Weil has not responded at the time of publication.