Are you ready for extraordinary challenges?
Wupya has never been afraid of hard work, and in fact, she chose Weil precisely because the firm was the most honest about what it takes to thrive here. Now as an Associate in our Restructuring team with over seven years’ experience, and recently named in Law.com’s inaugural Black Rising Stars List, she’s seen first-hand how far hard work can take you when you find the right environment.
“Weil stood out because they were very honest and frank. The message was, if you're a trainee, get ready to roll up your sleeves and get stuck in because our cohort is quite small, so there's nowhere to hide.”
Being trusted as a lawyer from day one
Smaller cohorts mean everyone has a chance to step up and make a difference immediately. Wupya credits this as a big reason why Weil trainees take on responsibility so early, because you’re trusted and encouraged to do so from day one. That means when the big moments come, you’re ready. As a trainee, Wupya stepped in at the last minute to co-lead a cross-border call with firms across the world on a complex transaction.
“To do that, you'd expect to at least be an NQ. But I felt confident enough to cover that call at the eleventh hour because I’d been treated like an NQ as a trainee so it wasn’t a massive shock. They throw you in the deep end but never to the point where you feel like you’re drowning. There’s a really good support system”
Every project is a new challenge
After rotating through three seats, Wupya chose to specialise in Restructuring; which involves acting for debtors and/or creditors in a distressed scenario. Restructuring work cuts across various industries and areas of law, and entails elements of crisis management and the use of both in and out-of-court procedures.
“We work on the most complex and often times novel cross-border restructurings globally, and such deals occasionally make the front page of the FT”
She’s worked on projects ranging from debt restructurings and insolvencies, to advising an ad hoc committee of bondholders in relation to a sovereign debt restructuring. That calibre of work has helped her take on bigger and bigger challenges that she’s supported to step up to. It’s not always easy, but Wupya doesn’t know if she’d want it to be.
“If I moved into a slower paced environment I'd probably lose my mind. I think there's an adrenaline you get here and a unique sense of achievement when you have creatively and successfully advised your client through a challenging time.”