Weil, Gotshal & Manges announced that James Crooks will join the firm as a partner in its Finance practice in London.
Crooks is a finance lawyer with experience advising credit funds, private equity investors, and portfolio companies on complex financing transactions.
His practice spans leveraged financings, special situations, distressed transactions, and broader capital solutions. He has worked across a range of sectors and has developed financing solutions on a number of major transactions.
Crooks joins Weil from Sidley Austin.
The appointment strengthens Weil’s London Finance practice, particularly in capital solutions, an area that sits at the intersection of finance, restructuring, private equity, and private capital.
Weil said the addition of Crooks will add depth to its work representing creditors and borrowers across leveraged finance and special situations.
The firm said demand is increasing for bespoke capital solutions, hybrid financings, and liability management transactions, especially in complex market situations where conventional financing options may not be sufficient.
Weil’s Liability Management and Strategic Capital Solutions team advises companies, sponsors, creditors, and investors on complex capital structure issues, including debt maturities, liquidity challenges, and other pressing financial needs.
The firm’s broader Finance practice advises private equity sponsors and financial institutions on domestic and cross-border leveraged acquisition finance. It is known for advising on large and complex financings across a range of products, sectors, and client types.
Weil’s London office is the firm’s largest outside of New York, with approximately 250 lawyers.
Founded in 1931, Weil has approximately 1,200 lawyers across offices on three continents and advises clients through practices spanning corporate, litigation, restructuring, tax, executive compensation, and benefits.
KEY QUOTES:
“James is a respected and versatile finance lawyer whose arrival will further enhance our market-leading Finance practice in London, particularly in the capital solutions space, where his experience representing both creditors and borrowers across leveraged finance and special situations adds significant depth to our team.”
Barry Wolf, Executive Partner at Weil
“Weil is a market leader in capital solutions, an area that sits at the intersection of finance, restructuring and broader transactional expertise and remains a strategic priority for our practice. James brings deep experience in this sophisticated and highly specialized market, further strengthening our position as we continue to build on our leading capabilities. His broader expertise across sponsor and creditor-side leveraged finance makes him an excellent fit for our platform. We are very pleased to welcome him to the team.”
Tom Richards, Head of Weil’s London Finance Practice
“At the more complex end of the market where Weil operates, demand is growing for bespoke capital solutions, hybrid financings and liability management transactions. Weil is uniquely positioned to stay ahead of this evolution thanks to its capabilities across finance, restructuring, private equity and private capital. James’ expertise further strengthens that offering, enhancing our ability to deliver sophisticated solutions for clients on their most complex transactions.”
Nicola Nöel, London Finance Partner at Weil
