Weil, Deb, PW (All NY - PE/M&A) Forum

[Anonymous User]

Someone posted a similar thread yesterday, but I have a slightly different situation with PW in the mix.

I want experience in public M&A for exit opportunities down the road. Based on info in other threads, this makes Weil the natural choice among these options. However, I liked the culture within Deb/PW's corporate department better than Weil's. Then again, if Weil is immensely superior in public M&A, maybe I should just put up with maybe not fitting in at Weil since all biglaw sucks anyway?

Between Deb and PW (both of which I really liked), I am leaning PW because, despite traditionally being a PE firm, I think (and people within the department impressed this upon me as well - albeit in an interview setting) the Barshay hire will lead to a more public M&A-focused department than in the past.

Thoughts? Really appreciate everyone's feedback on here. Thanks!

[Anonymous User]

Anyone?

[Anonymous User]

Someone posted a similar thread yesterday, but I have a slightly different situation with PW in the mix.

I want experience in public M&A for exit opportunities down the road. Based on info in other threads, this makes Weil the natural choice among these options. However, I liked the culture within Deb/PW's corporate department better than Weil's. Then again, if Weil is immensely superior in public M&A, maybe I should just put up with maybe not fitting in at Weil since all biglaw sucks anyway?

Between Deb and PW (both of which I really liked), I am leaning PW because, despite traditionally being a PE firm, I think (and people within the department impressed this upon me as well - albeit in an interview setting) the Barshay hire will lead to a more public M&A-focused department than in the past.

Thoughts? Really appreciate everyone's feedback on here. Thanks!

If you care about culture, why on earth would you go to PW to do the work Barshay brings in? The guy is unanimously acknowledged to create a toxic work environment. One of the PW NYC summers I talked to recently said the firm was pretty careful to keep summers away from Barshay bc he would give them such a bad impression of the firm culture.

[Anonymous User]

Someone posted a similar thread yesterday, but I have a slightly different situation with PW in the mix.

I want experience in public M&A for exit opportunities down the road. Based on info in other threads, this makes Weil the natural choice among these options. However, I liked the culture within Deb/PW's corporate department better than Weil's. Then again, if Weil is immensely superior in public M&A, maybe I should just put up with maybe not fitting in at Weil since all biglaw sucks anyway?

Between Deb and PW (both of which I really liked), I am leaning PW because, despite traditionally being a PE firm, I think (and people within the department impressed this upon me as well - albeit in an interview setting) the Barshay hire will lead to a more public M&A-focused department than in the past.

Thoughts? Really appreciate everyone's feedback on here. Thanks!

If you care about culture, why on earth would you go to PW to do the work Barshay brings in? The guy is unanimously acknowledged to create a toxic work environment. One of the PW NYC summers I talked to recently said the firm was pretty careful to keep summers away from Barshay bc he would give them such a bad impression of the firm culture.

Yeah, point taken. Wasn't saying Barshay was the reason I liked the culture. Just enjoyed the people I met with. Especially the associates. They seemed reasonably happy and I really like the unassigned system.

Liked Deb's rotation system too. But, while I want to try PE, I want some public experience too.

[Anonymous User]

Someone posted a similar thread yesterday, but I have a slightly different situation with PW in the mix.

I want experience in public M&A for exit opportunities down the road. Based on info in other threads, this makes Weil the natural choice among these options. However, I liked the culture within Deb/PW's corporate department better than Weil's. Then again, if Weil is immensely superior in public M&A, maybe I should just put up with maybe not fitting in at Weil since all biglaw sucks anyway?

Between Deb and PW (both of which I really liked), I am leaning PW because, despite traditionally being a PE firm, I think (and people within the department impressed this upon me as well - albeit in an interview setting) the Barshay hire will lead to a more public M&A-focused department than in the past.

Thoughts? Really appreciate everyone's feedback on here. Thanks!

If you care about culture, why on earth would you go to PW to do the work Barshay brings in? The guy is unanimously acknowledged to create a toxic work environment. One of the PW NYC summers I talked to recently said the firm was pretty careful to keep summers away from Barshay bc he would give them such a bad impression of the firm culture.

I was a PW summer last year (and am starting as a corporate associate next month) and can can only speak from my personal and limited experience, but I did an assignment for Barshay and did not get the above impression at all. I sat in on numerous calls he had with a board of directors on an activist shareholder matter and he was funny, open, and--when he could-- explained what he was doing.

Although, fwiw, the assignment I did was minor and was given to and reviewed by a senior associate on the matter, so I don't know what it's like working with him directly. I did get to have lunch with him and, while he is definitely intimidating, he was always nice. I don't doubt he works his teams hard, but, to be fair, he does work on substantial public M&A deals. I get the sense all this stuff about a toxic environment is overblown, and he didn't seem to work directly with many juniors anyway.

Maybe I drank too much koolaid, but I went in to the summer thinking I'd do litigation and ended up choosing corporate based on mentorship potential, the people I met, and the substantial investment s the firm had been making in those practices.

[raasmania]

Someone posted a similar thread yesterday, but I have a slightly different situation with PW in the mix.

I want experience in public M&A for exit opportunities down the road. Based on info in other threads, this makes Weil the natural choice among these options. However, I liked the culture within Deb/PW's corporate department better than Weil's. Then again, if Weil is immensely superior in public M&A, maybe I should just put up with maybe not fitting in at Weil since all biglaw sucks anyway?

Between Deb and PW (both of which I really liked), I am leaning PW because, despite traditionally being a PE firm, I think (and people within the department impressed this upon me as well - albeit in an interview setting) the Barshay hire will lead to a more public M&A-focused department than in the past.

Thoughts? Really appreciate everyone's feedback on here. Thanks!

If you care about culture, why on earth would you go to PW to do the work Barshay brings in? The guy is unanimously acknowledged to create a toxic work environment. One of the PW NYC summers I talked to recently said the firm was pretty careful to keep summers away from Barshay bc he would give them such a bad impression of the firm culture.

I was a PW summer last year (and am starting as a corporate associate next month) and can can only speak from my personal and limited experience, but I did an assignment for Barshay and did not get the above impression at all. I sat in on numerous calls he had with a board of directors on an activist shareholder matter and he was funny, open, and--when he could-- explained what he was doing.

Although, fwiw, the assignment I did was minor and was given to and reviewed by a senior associate on the matter, so I don't know what it's like working with him directly. I did get to have lunch with him and, while he is definitely intimidating, he was always nice. I don't doubt he works his teams hard, but, to be fair, he does work on substantial public M&A deals. I get the sense all this stuff about a toxic environment is overblown, and he didn't seem to work directly with many juniors anyway.

Maybe I drank too much koolaid, but I went in to the summer thinking I'd do litigation and ended up choosing corporate based on mentorship potential, the people I met, and the substantial investment s the firm had been making in those practices.

Hi Can I PM you or you PM me? I have an offer from PW for entry-level corporate position. I worked at a lower V20 in corporate last summer, and am debating between that firm or PW? Would love to hear your thoughts on what you liked and disliked about PW!

[Anonymous User]

I was a PW summer last year (and am starting as a corporate associate next month) and can can only speak from my personal and limited experience, but I did an assignment for Barshay and did not get the above impression at all. I sat in on numerous calls he had with a board of directors on an activist shareholder matter and he was funny, open, and--when he could-- explained what he was doing.

Although, fwiw, the assignment I did was minor and was given to and reviewed by a senior associate on the matter, so I don't know what it's like working with him directly. I did get to have lunch with him and, while he is definitely intimidating, he was always nice. I don't doubt he works his teams hard, but, to be fair, he does work on substantial public M&A deals. I get the sense all this stuff about a toxic environment is overblown, and he didn't seem to work directly with many juniors anyway.

Maybe I drank too much koolaid, but I went in to the summer thinking I'd do litigation and ended up choosing corporate based on mentorship potential, the people I met, and the substantial investment s the firm had been making in those practices.

That's good to hear. Did you think there was significant opportunity to do public M&A?

[Anonymous User]

The firm currently doesn't do a ton of public m&a, but with Barshay the firm has been headed in that direction. I guess time will tell, but it's already more than it was a couple years ago. My guess is that if you go M&A at PW, you have to do both PE and public deals, with the lion's share being PE.