Weil, Gotshal & Manges announced the addition of Sara Allawi and Alec Campbell in New York and Charles Cooper-Isow in London, strengthening its Private Funds, Tax, and Private Equity capabilities as the firm continues to scale its global private capital platform.
The hires reflect Weil’s strategic focus on expanding its capabilities across fund formation, tax structuring, and secondaries transactions, as demand grows for integrated advisory across the private equity and private funds lifecycle.
Allawi joins the Private Funds Group from Kirkland & Ellis, advising global private equity sponsors and asset managers on fund formation, structuring, and negotiations across strategies including buyout, credit, real estate, venture, secondaries, and infrastructure. She brings experience across the full lifecycle of investment funds, including work with institutional investors, co-investments, separately managed accounts, and upper-tier arrangements.
Campbell joins the Tax Department from DLA Piper, focusing on advising U.S. and international investment fund managers on tax aspects of fundraising and liquidity strategies. His experience includes private fund formation, secondaries transactions, GP-stake deals, and sponsor-led liquidity solutions, as well as advising on the purchase and sale of private fund interests.
In London, Cooper-Isow joins the Private Equity practice from Kirkland & Ellis, adding significant expertise in secondaries transactions. His practice covers GP-led secondaries and continuation fund transactions, preferred equity investments, and traditional LP portfolio transactions, further strengthening Weil’s cross-border secondaries platform.
The appointments come amid continued expansion across Weil’s private capital platform. Since the start of 2025, the firm has added 16 lateral partners across private equity and private funds and promoted eight lawyers to partner in these areas. Weil’s Private Funds Group now includes more than 90 dedicated lawyers globally, while its broader private equity platform serves many of the world’s largest fund sponsors.
The firm has also been actively building its secondaries capabilities, including recent hires in both London and New York, as it responds to increasing client demand for liquidity solutions and sophisticated cross-border execution.
KEY QUOTES
“Alec is a highly regarded tax lawyer with a proven track record advising private fund sponsors and investors on complex, high-stakes transactions. We are pleased to welcome him to Weil.”
“Sara is a rising star with true commitment to excellence and collaboration, who will help drive the continued growth of our Private Funds Group. We are confident she will be a tremendous addition to our team and an immediate value-add to our clients in this space.”
“We are thrilled that Charlie is joining Weil’s secondaries platform as we continue to advise clients in meeting the rising demand for liquidity and in the active management of their portfolios.”
Barry Wolf, Executive Partner, Weil
“As Weil’s Private Funds Group continues to grow across primary fundraising and secondaries transactions, Alec’s addition to our Tax team will support that momentum. Alec’s arrival strengthens our ability to advise investment fund managers on the tax aspects of secondaries transactions and sponsor-led strategies. He brings sharp judgment and a thoughtful approach that will integrate seamlessly with our Tax Department.”
Paul Wessel, Chairman Of Tax Department, Weil
“I am excited to join Weil as it rapidly expands its Private Funds capabilities. The strength of the Tax Department, the collaborative culture and the Firm’s leading practice in this space create a powerful platform. I look forward to working with my colleagues to help clients navigate their most complex transactions.”
Alec Campbell, Partner, Weil
“Sara’s arrival adds further scale to our growing bench of partners focused on primary fundraising. She is well-known for her work advising leading private equity sponsors and asset managers and will be a strong strategic resource to our clients across the full spectrum of their needs.”
“Weil’s cross-border secondaries platform is growing rapidly with innovative lawyers like Charlie strengthening our best-in-class private capital platform in response to client demand for sophisticated secondaries advice and seamless multijurisdictional execution. No firm delivers this at the level Weil does.”
Michael J. Aiello, Chairman Of Corporate Department, Weil
“Sara is a distinguished private funds lawyer with deep experience across the fund lifecycle, and we look forward to working with her to support our incredibly active client base. She is also a strong cultural fit with Weil and will be an outstanding mentor to our associates, helping to support the continued growth and development of our team.”
Andrew Chizzik And Stephanie E. Srulowitz, U.S. Private Funds Co-Heads, Weil
“I am excited to join Weil’s market-leading Private Funds Group and look forward to working with this exceptional team to support clients in an increasingly complex funds landscape.”
Sara Allawi, Partner, Weil
“We are delighted to be expanding our top-quality platform, with our existing star talent Simon Saitowitz now joined by Charlie, who further deepens our market-leading capability in complex secondaries deals and who strengthens our multidisciplinary Private Equity team, particularly on GP-led work.”
Marco Compagnoni, Co-Head Of Global Private Equity Group, Weil
