Crosby AI‑first firm bids for Weil Gotshal assets as firm heads for dissolution

AI‑first startup Crosby has lodged a bid to buy the trademark, brand and internal data of the soon‑to‑dissolve law firm Weil Gotshal & Manges. Crosby also says it will try to hire some of Weil Gotshal’s roughly 1,200 lawyers. The offer was first reported by The Information and confirmed by TechCrunch. Weil Gotshal told the New York Times it will vote on dissolution in the coming days after its presumed heir turned down the role, several top‑producing partners left, and a planned merger with rival Willkie Farr & Gallagher fell apart. Crosby’s founders argue their AI‑driven model will deliver legal work at a speed never seen before, positioning the startup as the future of law firms rather than just a tech supplier. The company has raised about $85 million, including a $60 million Series B round led by Lux and Index, with seed investors Sequoia, Elad Gil, 01 Advisors and Bain Capital Ventures. It emerged from stealth in 2025 after raising $5.8 million in seed funding. No direct link has been made between the rise of legal AI and Weil Gotshal’s collapse, but experts see AI as a major factor shaping the legal market’s next phase. Terms of Crosby’s bid remain undisclosed and there is no guarantee the purchase will be approved. If successful, the historic firm’s brand could be revived under an AI‑first operating model.

Context

Law‑firm dissolutions are rare and usually signal deeper market shifts; an AI‑first firm taking over a legacy brand could accelerate the tech‑driven transformation already underway in the legal sector.