Storied US law firm Weil Gotshal is poised to shut down after 95 years following an exodus of top partners

Weil Gotshal & Manges, one of America's largest and most prestigious law firms, has voted to liquidate after leadership recommended dissolution following a wave of senior partner departures and merger talks that came to nothing. The firm's collapse, after nearly a century in operation, marks one of the most dramatic downfalls in US legal history.

The New York-headquartered firm's leadership told partners the firm should be dissolved, making the move all but certain.

The departure of so many partners left the firm unable to stabilise, and attempts to secure a merger also fell apart before any agreement was reached.

The 95-year-old Wall Street institution had been considered a legal powerhouse, making its liquidation vote a stunning end.