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The real reason why Weil closed is actually unique to Weil. Weil is a B-tier firm whose name/brand/vibe is *close enough* to white shoe-adjacent as to create an odd dynamic for anyone who could become Partner there. If you make partner at Weil, and you see some of your white shoe associate friends start to drop out, you start to think “wow- I can’t believe I got discarded so easily, maybe my classmates aren’t better than me after all” THEN you start to wonder, “What am I even doing at Weil?” Literally any Weil partner who brings in millions$ for their firm, can get recruited to a more prestigious firm, and will jump ship because: (1) If you went to a T14 school, you’ll think it’s unfair you had to end up at Weil. (2) If you went to a lower-ranked school, you’re going to have a nagging chip on your shoulder from being a part of high-stakes deals where everyone went to Harvard or Yale. Thus, you have unmet “prestige needs” that make you vulnerable for poaching. Weil is actually *close enough* to the high-prestige firm for their attorneys to be even thinking about themselves in relation to those high-tier firms. You wouldn’t get this same dynamic at Hogan Lovells. Kind of like how the bronze medalist is happier than the silver medalist. This is clearly what’s going on, and Weil is uniquely positioned as a good-enough firm that still stains the resume. Yet no one will be honest about how this is what’s happening, because no one wants to be called an elitist.