Bio

Michael Francies is Co-Managing Partner of Weil’s London office and a partner in the Corporate group. He is also a member of the Firm’s Management Committee. Mike has many years’ experience across all types of public and private transactions, with an extensive track record spanning both cross-border and domestic across a range of industry sectors. He advises private equity funds, corporates and financial advisers in relation to private equity and M&A, joint ventures, IPOs and equity issues, and corporate restructuring. He is considered a leading transactional lawyer for advising on transformational domestic and cross-border deals, with Chambers stating that Mike is a “superb choice of counsel for…high-value M&A deals”. Clients have praised Mike for his “attentiveness and versatility” and say that he "brings a depth of experience and delivers a great service." As an industry stalwart, Mike has been named as one of FN’s “20 Most Influential Lawyers for 2021 and as one of the “Fifty Most Influential Lawyers” for 2022 whose list recognises Europe’s top business lawyers. He is ranked in Band 1 for both Private Equity and M&A in Chambers UK 2022, and as a ‘Market Leader’ in IFLR1000 UK 2021/22 for private equity, M&A, equity capital markets and investment management. He is one of just two lawyers in London to be ranked in the Hall of Fame category for both Private Equity and M&A in Legal 500 UK 2022, which recognises a small group of lawyers who have received constant praise from their clients and who are regarded by clients as at the pinnacle of their profession. Mike has been recognised by numerous legal and industry commentators over the years, including: reported by The Lawyer as the most recommended Private Equity lawyer in the UK by general counsel; featured in Private Equity Manager magazine’s ‘Legal Power 30’ list of the 30 most influential private equity lawyers; shortlisted as one of the UK’s Top Innovative Lawyers in the FT Innovative Lawyers Awards; awarded “Partner of the Year” at The Lawyer Awards; recognised as “Deal Lawyer of the Year” at the Legal Business Awards; and listed in The Times’ “Law 100: UK’s Most Powerful Lawyers”.