Kirkland hires 40-strong Weil team led by Ramona Nee

Kirkland & Ellis has hired a 40-lawyer team from Weil in the US led by Ramona Nee, the private equity partner previously chosen to become Weil’s next leader.

The group will join in January 2027 and includes six partners across private equity, M&A and debt finance, Kirkland announced on Friday.

Nee will move alongside private equity and M&A partners Jakub Wronski, Emily Willey and Michael Messina, and debt finance partners Benton Lewis and Paul Overmyer.

Boston-based Nee and her team was highly sought after with various reports linking her to Simpson Thacher before the links to Kirkland hardened up over the last few days. She was co-head of the firm's US private equity practice and led Weil's Boston office.

Nee had been due to take over from Barry Wolf as Weil's executive partner in January, although she reportedly decided against taking on the role in September. Weil's leadership recommended winding-down the firm last week after a wave of senior partner exits on both sides of the Atlantic.

She brings over 25 years experience, close ties to sponsors including Advent and Providence Equity Partners and a deal sheet that runs to tens of billions of dollars. She has advised Advent on transactions including its $6.4 billion take-private of Maxar Technologies and $6 billion sale of Culligan International.

Wronski’s practice spans buyouts, minority investments, joint ventures and divestitures, while Willey and Messina advise private equity sponsors and portfolio companies on M&A and other corporate transactions.

The finance partners bring experience across acquisition finance, asset-based lending and restructurings. Lewis also advises on debtor-in-possession and exit financings, while Overmyer’s practice includes first- and second-lien credit facilities.

Jon Ballis, chairman of Kirkland’s executive committee, said each of the six partners had built “deep relationships with many of the world’s leading private equity sponsors”.

“They bring outstanding experience across sophisticated PE/M&A and finance and they will be a terrific fit with our platform and our clients,” he added.

Nee said Kirkland’s platform was “an outstanding fit for our clients”, adding: “The collegiality and collaboration extended by Kirkland during this period is very meaningful to me and the team.”