Retired partner Mike Francies has been recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the inaugural Chambers UK Awards in London for his remarkable contribution to the legal profession and a distinguished career spanning over 40 years. The awards were established to recognize the finest lawyers and legal teams in the UK and are based on decades of research conducted by Chambers, which was first established in 1990.

In making the presentation, Chambers focused particularly on Mike’s tenure as Managing Partner of Weil’s London office for more than two decades, describing him as “one of the most influential transactional lawyers in the City” who guided Weil “to become one of the strongest M&A and private equity outfits in the UK.” Chambers quoted GCs who praised Mike for his hardworking manner, his commercial acumen, and his ability to find solutions, often describing him as the “guru of private equity.” 

Mike’s first ranking in Chambers came in the Corporate Finance category in 2001. He gained his first ranking for private equity in 2003 and within a few years boasted top-tier positions in both private equity and M&A, which he enjoyed until his retirement. 

Read more here.