Women continue to soar to new heights in Biglaw, and now one of the top firms in the country is welcoming a woman into its top leadership role.
Weil Gotshal & Manges recently announced that Ramona Nee, who currently serves as one of the firm’s two co-managing partners alongside Jonathan Soler, will become its next executive partner. Nee’s promotion is historic in that she will be Weil’s third ever executive partner, and its first female executive partner in history. She will be taking over for Barry Wolf, who will retain his role until the beginning of 2027. At the same time, Soler will become Weil’s sole managing partner. Once Wolf retires at the end of next year, Nee will also assume his duties as chair of the firm’s management committee.
Nee, a graduate of Boston University School of Law, joined the firm in 2002 from Boston firm Hutchins Wheeler & Dittmar. Right now, she serves as co-chair of the firm’s U.S. private equity practice and co-managing partner of its Boston office. Wolf shared some inspirational words about Nee in an interview with the American Lawyer:
“The management committee fully endorsed the decision,” Wolf said. “There was no acrimony when we made the recommendation. We did it the Weil way: no election, no pitting people against each other, and always thinking about the firm first.” …
“[Romona] has risen to the occasion in every aspect of her professional life, dealing with clients, leadership issues and the like. She was not asking for this job. But her loyalty and devotion to the firm, as well as her ability to handle difficult situations, made it an easy choice.”
Nee, who is brimming with optimism about her new role, offered the following in a statement: “I look forward to working with [Barry,] the Management Committee, and all of my fellow partners during the transition period as we continue to serve our clients, support our people and continue attracting the best talent in the legal profession.”
Congratulations to Ramona Nee on her historic ascent to the top as Weil Gotshal’s executive partner!
Weil Names Ramona Y. Nee Executive Partner, Succeeding Barry M. Wolf [Weil]
Weil Picks Successor to Longtime Leader Barry Wolf [American Lawyer]
Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.