Who is Weil's mystery suitor?

Good morning,

Whispers have been swirling from London to Wall Street for weeks about whether a major US law firm is gearing up for a merger, sending journalists on a Weil goose chase.

Despite denying the rumours in September, reports this week say Weil, Gotshal & Manges is actively discussing a tie-up. This comes after a string of high-profile partner exits this year.

But now everyone is asking the same question: who might the mystery suitor be?

Among the speculation, legal sources have told City AM that New York-headquartered Willkie Farr & Gallagher and Vinson & Elkins are serious contenders.

While we’ve seen a flurry of transatlantic mega-mergers recently, most notably Hogan Lovells joining forces with Wall Street’s oldest firm, Cadwalader, this past July, speculation is that Weil’s ultimate match will be Stateside. 

In other news, if you've scrolled Instagram recently, you've definitely seen the ubiquitous ads for luxury house prize-draw platform Omaze, offering a mortgage-free mansion in the Cotswolds, Cornwall, and other idyllic locations (tempting, we know). 

But behind the scenes, Omaze was locked in a court battle with HMRC over whether paid entries to its draws should be taxed at the standard rate of VAT.

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Have a great Thursday!

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