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{{Short description|American multinational law firm}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2012}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2012}}
{{Infobox Law Firm
{{Infobox Law Firm
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| firm_logo = Ropes & Gray LLP logo.svg
| firm_logo = Ropes & Gray LLP logo.svg
| headquarters = [[Prudential Tower]]<br />[[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]]<br />[[United States]]
| headquarters = [[Prudential Tower]]<br />[[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]]<br />[[United States]]
| num_offices = 13
| num_offices = 14
| num_attorneys = ~1,500
| num_attorneys = ~1,300<ref name=BBrs/> (2024)
| num_employees =
| num_employees =
| practice_areas = {{unbulleted list|Private equity|Asset management|Health care & life sciences|Mergers & acquisitions|Litigation}}
| practice_areas = {{unbulleted list|Private equity|Asset management|Health care & life sciences|Finance & Special Situations|Mergers & acquisitions|Litigation}}
| key_people = {{unbulleted list|Julie Jones|(Chair)|David Djaha|(Managing Partner)|Akhil Sethi|(Chief Operating Officer)}}<ref>{{cite web |title=AKHIL SETHI |url=https://www.ropesgray.com/en/biographies/s/akhil-sethi |website=Ropes & Gray |accessdate=27 October 2020}}</ref>
| key_people = {{unbulleted list|Julie Jones|(Chair)|David Djaha|(Managing Partner)|Akhil Sethi|(Chief Operating Officer)}}<ref>{{cite web |title=AKHIL SETHI |url=https://www.ropesgray.com/en/biographies/s/akhil-sethi |website=Ropes & Gray |accessdate=27 October 2020}}</ref>
| revenue = $2.67 billion (2021)<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.law.com/law-firm-profile/?id=259&name=Ropes-%26-Gray|date=July 27, 2022|work=Law.com|title=Ropes %26 Gray }}</ref>
| revenue = $2.992 billion (2023)<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.law.com/law-firm-profile/?id=259&name=Ropes-%26-Gray|date=August 22, 2024|work=Law.com|title=Ropes %26 Gray }}</ref>
| date_founded = 1865
| date_founded = 1865
| founder = [[John Codman Ropes]] <br /> [[John Chipman Gray]]
| founder = [[John Codman Ropes]] <br /> [[John Chipman Gray]]
| company_type = [[Limited liability partnership]]
| company_type = [[Limited liability partnership]]
| homepage = [http://www.ropesgray.com www.ropesgray.com]
| homepage = {{url|ropesgray.com}}
| dissolved = <!-- Date/Reason the company dissolved, e.g., merger or bankruptcy -->
| dissolved = <!-- Date/Reason the company dissolved, e.g., merger or bankruptcy -->
}}
}}
'''Ropes & Gray LLP''' is a global [[law firm]] with 13 offices located in the United States, Asia and Europe. The firm has more than 1,500 [[lawyer]]s and professionals worldwide, and its clients include corporations and financial institutions, government agencies, universities, and health care organizations. It was founded in 1865 in [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]] by [[John Codman Ropes]] and [[John Chipman Gray]].
'''Ropes & Gray LLP''' is an American multinational [[law firm]] with 14 offices located in the U.S., Asia and Europe. The firm has more than 1,500 [[lawyer]]s and professionals worldwide; its clients include corporations, financial institutions, government agencies, universities, and health care organizations. It was founded in 1865 in [[Boston]] by [[John Codman Ropes]] and [[John Chipman Gray]].

According to the 2021 Vault Rankings, the firm ranks #3 in the best law firms to work for and [[The American Lawyer]]'s Am Law 100 ranked the firm #6 in revenue and profits per equity partner in 2020.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.vault.com/company-profiles/law/ropes-gray-llp|title=Ropes & Gray LLP|date=April 30, 2021|work=vault.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.law.com/americanlawyer/2021/04/20/against-all-odds-the-am-law-100-were-stunningly-successful-in-2020/|title=Against All Odds, The Am Law 100 Were Stunningly Successful in 2020=April 20, 2021|work=law.com}}</ref> [[Forbes]] describes the firm as being recognized internationally for its fintech and global M&A work.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/companies/ropes-gray/?sh=5943c879e0ed|title=Ropes & Gray|date=October 2, 2019|work=forbes.com}}</ref>

The firm's major practice areas include [[private equity]], [[Mergers|mergers & acquisitions]], [[intellectual property]], complex [[Corporate law#Corporate litigation|business litigation]], [[securities]] litigation, [[health care]], [[life sciences]], [[bankruptcy]] and business restructuring, government enforcement and [[white collar crime]], privacy & data security, investment management, [[hedge fund]]s, [[antitrust]], [[employee benefits]], [[tax]], and [[real estate]]. The firm is active in several industries, including private equity, life sciences, health care, asset management, TMT (technology, media & telecommunications) and retail.


==History==
==History==
The firm was founded in 1865 by two Harvard Law School graduates, John Codman Ropes and John Chipman Gray. In 1878, [[William Loring (judge)|William Loring]], also a Harvard graduate, joined the firm, and it became "Ropes, Gray and Loring" until Loring's departure in 1899, when he was appointed to the [[Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court]].<ref name="Memorial">{{cite web|url=https://www.mass.gov/person/william-caleb-loring|title=William Caleb Loring, Associate Justice memorial, 277 Mass. 589 (1931)|publisher=Government of Massachusetts|date=1931|access-date=March 28, 2020}}</ref><ref name="Fitchburg">"Justice Loring Dies In Home At Age of 79", ''Fitchburg Sentinel'' (September 8, 1930), p. 1, 5.</ref> During that period, the firm represented the [[New York and New England Railroad]].<ref name="Memorial"/>
The firm was founded in 1865 by two [[Harvard Law School]] graduates, John Codman Ropes and John Chipman Gray. In 1878, [[William Loring (judge)|William Loring]], also a Harvard graduate, joined the firm, and it was renamed "Ropes, Gray and Loring" until Loring's departure in 1899, when he was appointed to the [[Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court]].<ref name="Memorial">{{cite web|url=https://www.mass.gov/person/william-caleb-loring|title=William Caleb Loring, Associate Justice memorial, 277 Mass. 589 (1931)|publisher=Government of Massachusetts|date=1931|access-date=March 28, 2020}}</ref><ref name="Fitchburg">"Justice Loring Dies In Home At Age of 79", ''Fitchburg Sentinel'' (September 8, 1930), p. 1, 5.</ref> During that time, the firm represented the [[New York and New England Railroad]].<ref name="Memorial"/>


In 2003, the firm acquired New York City-based private equity law firm Reboul, MacMurray, Hewitt & Maynard.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2003-05-03|title=Company Briefs|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/03/business/company-briefs-536482.html|access-date=2020-08-20|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In 2005, the firm acquired New York-based intellectual property law firm Fish & Neave.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=S|first1=Brenda|last2=November 09|first2=burg {{!}}|last3=AM|first3=2004 at 12:00|title=Fish & Neave to Combine with Ropes & Gray|url=https://www.law.com/almID/900005418205/|access-date=2020-08-20|website=Law.com|language=en}}</ref>
In 2003, the firm acquired [[New York City]]-based private equity law firm Reboul, MacMurray, Hewitt & Maynard.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2003-05-03|title=Company Briefs|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/03/business/company-briefs-536482.html|access-date=2020-08-20|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In 2005, it acquired NYC-based intellectual property law firm Fish & Neave.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=S|first1=Brenda|last2=November 09|first2=burg {{!}}|last3=AM|first3=2004 at 12:00|title=Fish & Neave to Combine with Ropes & Gray|url=https://www.law.com/almID/900005418205/|access-date=2020-08-20|website=Law.com|language=en}}</ref>


In 2017, the firm elected Julie Jones as chair. After serving as chair-elect for two years, Jones took the helm in 2020.<ref>Stokes, Samantha [https://www.businessinsider.com/these-9-women-lead-the-most-elite-law-firms-2021-3 "Female lawyers are gaining seats at the table. Here are 9 women in charge of elite law firms"] ''Business Insider'', March 12, 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2024.</ref> In 2024, Jones was re-elected to another five-year term.<ref name=BBrs>Strom, Roy [https://news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and-practice/ropes-gray-taps-julie-jones-for-second-term-as-firm-leader "Ropes & Gray Taps Julie Jones for Second Term as Leader"] ''Bloomberg Law'', September 24, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2024.</ref>
==Operations==


In July 2023, Ropes & Gray announced the relocation of some [[Shanghai]]-based lawyers to its [[Hong Kong]] operation and the launch of an office in [[Singapore]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ropes & Gray Plans to Launch Office in Singapore |url=https://www.law.com/international-edition/2023/07/24/ropes-gray-goes-in-on-southeast-asia-with-singapore-launch/ |access-date=2024-05-26 |website=Law.com International |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ropes Winding Down Chinese Operations To Focus On Hong Kong |url=https://www.law.com/international-edition/2023/07/25/ropes-gray-shrinks-mainland-china-operations-to-focus-on-hong-kong/ |access-date=2024-05-26 |website=Law.com International |language=en-us}}</ref>
Ropes and Gray has offices in Boston, Chicago, Dublin, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Tokyo and Washington, D.C.{{citation needed|date=March 2020}} The firm's Boston office is located in the [[Prudential Tower]] and is the global headquarters of the firm. The firm's New York office is located at [[1211 Avenue of the Americas]].
In November 2023, amid a wave of [[Antisemitism in the United States|antisemitic]] incidents at elite U.S. law schools, Ropes & Gray was among a group of major law firms who sent a letter to top law school deans warning them that an escalation in incidents targeting Jewish students would have corporate hiring consequences. The letter stated: "We look to you to ensure your students who hope to join our firms after graduation are prepared to be an active part of workplace communities that have zero tolerance policies for any form of discrimination or harassment, much less the kind that has been taking place on some law school campuses."<ref name="hiring">{{cite news |last1=Sorkin |first1=Andrew Ross |last2=Mattu |first2=Ravi |last3=Warner |first3=Bernhard |last4=Kessler |first4=Sarah |last5=Merced |first5=Michael J. de la |last6=Hirsch |first6=Lauren |last7=Livni |first7=Ephrat |title=Law Firms Warn Universities About Antisemitism on Campus |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/02/business/dealbook/law-firms-schools-antisemitism.html |access-date=2 November 2023 |work=The New York Times |date=2 November 2023}}</ref>


== Prominent transactions ==
== Prominent transactions ==
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* Altimeter Growth Corp. in its merger to take [[Grab (company)|Grab]] public for $39.6 billion, the largest [[special-purpose acquisition company]] merger in history<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ropesgray.com/en/newsroom/news/2021/April/Ropes-Gray-Advises-in-Plan-to-Take-Grab-Holdings-Public-in-Partnership-with-Altimeter|title=Ropes & Gray Advises Altimeter in Nearly $40 billion Merger to Take Grab Holdings Public|date=April 13, 2021|work=ropesgray.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/13/softbank-backed-grab-agrees-to-deal-to-go-public-in-worlds-largest-spac-merger.html|title=SoftBank-backed Grab agrees to deal to go public in world's largest SPAC merger|date=April 13, 2021|work=cnbc.com}}</ref>
* Altimeter Growth Corp. in its merger to take [[Grab (company)|Grab]] public for $39.6 billion, the largest [[special-purpose acquisition company]] merger in history<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ropesgray.com/en/newsroom/news/2021/April/Ropes-Gray-Advises-in-Plan-to-Take-Grab-Holdings-Public-in-Partnership-with-Altimeter|title=Ropes & Gray Advises Altimeter in Nearly $40 billion Merger to Take Grab Holdings Public|date=April 13, 2021|work=ropesgray.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/13/softbank-backed-grab-agrees-to-deal-to-go-public-in-worlds-largest-spac-merger.html|title=SoftBank-backed Grab agrees to deal to go public in world's largest SPAC merger|date=April 13, 2021|work=cnbc.com}}</ref>
* The acquisition by private equity firms [[Thomas H. Lee (businessman)|Thomas H. Lee]] and [[Bain Capital]] of [[Clear Channel Communications]], for $26 billion
* The acquisition by private equity firms [[Thomas H. Lee (businessman)|Thomas H. Lee]] and [[Bain Capital]] of [[Clear Channel Communications]], for $26 billion
* Bain Capital's and The Blackstone Group's acquisition of The Weather Channel, in a multibillion-dollar deal
* Bain Capital's and The Blackstone Group's acquisition of The Weather Channel, in a multibillion-dollar deal{{Citation needed|date=January 2023}}
* The sale of the Warner Music Group to Access Industries by private equity firms Bain Capital and Thomas H. Lee, for $3.3 billion
* The sale of the Warner Music Group to Access Industries by private equity firms Bain Capital and Thomas H. Lee, for $3.3 billion{{Citation needed|date=January 2023}}
* Genzyme's acquisition by Sanofi-Aventis, for $20.1 billion
* Genzyme's acquisition by Sanofi-Aventis, for $20.1 billion
* NSTAR's merger with Northeast Utilities, for $7.1 billion
* NSTAR's merger with Northeast Utilities, for $7.1 billion
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* The Bare Escentuals merger with Shiseido of Japan, a $1.7 billion deal
* The Bare Escentuals merger with Shiseido of Japan, a $1.7 billion deal
* Bain Capital's acquisition of MYOB, Australia's largest financial software developer;<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bain-myob/bain-snaps-up-australian-tech-firm-myob-for-1-3-billion-idUSTRE77K0BD20110821|title=Bain snaps up Australian tech firm MYOB for $1.3 billion|author=Michael Smith and Stephen Aldred |date=August 21, 2011|work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref>
* Bain Capital's acquisition of MYOB, Australia's largest financial software developer;<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bain-myob/bain-snaps-up-australian-tech-firm-myob-for-1-3-billion-idUSTRE77K0BD20110821|title=Bain snaps up Australian tech firm MYOB for $1.3 billion|author=Michael Smith and Stephen Aldred |date=August 21, 2011|work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref>
* Bain Capital’s acquisition of Bellsystem24<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/company-news-story.aspx?storyid=200911152106rttraderusequity_0073 |title=Nasdaq |publisher=Nasdaq |date= |accessdate=January 28, 2012}}</ref>
* Bain Capital's acquisition of Bellsystem24<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/company-news-story.aspx?storyid=200911152106rttraderusequity_0073 |title=Nasdaq |publisher=Nasdaq |date= |accessdate=January 28, 2012}}</ref>
* TPG Capital and the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board’s $5.2 billion acquisition of IMS Health Inc., a provider of market intelligence to the pharmaceutical and health care industries
* TPG Capital and the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board's $5.2 billion acquisition of IMS Health Inc., a provider of market intelligence to the pharmaceutical and health care industries
* Genzyme Corporation’s $2.9 billion deal with Bayer Schering Pharma AG that expanded Genzyme's oncology portfolio by giving the company rights to marketed cancer drugs and control of a program in multiple sclerosis. The transaction was recognized as a "Deal of Distinction" by the Licensing Executives Society in September 2010<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ipwatchdog.com/2010/09/30/licensing-executives-society-2010-deals-of-distinction-awards/id=12663/ |title=IP Watchdog, Sept. 30, 2010 |publisher=Ipwatchdog.com |date=September 30, 2010 |accessdate=January 28, 2012}}</ref>
* Genzyme Corporation's $2.9 billion deal with Bayer Schering Pharma AG that expanded Genzyme's oncology portfolio by giving the company rights to marketed cancer drugs and control of a program in multiple sclerosis. The transaction was recognized as a "Deal of Distinction" by the Licensing Executives Society in September 2010<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ipwatchdog.com/2010/09/30/licensing-executives-society-2010-deals-of-distinction-awards/id=12663/ |title=IP Watchdog, Sept. 30, 2010 |publisher=Ipwatchdog.com |date=September 30, 2010 |accessdate=January 28, 2012}}</ref>
* Bain Capital’s 2018 sale by Toshiba Corp. of its semiconductor business to a group that included Apple, Seagate, Kingston, Hoya, Dell Technologies and SK Hynix. The transaction was Asia’s largest leveraged buyout and private equity deal ever, and was valued at approximately $18 billion<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.law360.com/articles/1071591/ropes-gray-can-breathe-easy-with-toshiba-deal-sealed|title=Ropes & Gray Can Breathe Easy With Toshiba Deal Sealed |date=August 17, 2018|work=[[Law360]]}}</ref>
* Bain Capital's 2018 sale by Toshiba Corp. of its semiconductor business to a group that included Apple, Seagate, Kingston, Hoya, Dell Technologies and SK Hynix. The transaction was Asia's largest leveraged buyout and private equity deal ever, and was valued at approximately $18 billion<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.law360.com/articles/1071591/ropes-gray-can-breathe-easy-with-toshiba-deal-sealed|title=Ropes & Gray Can Breathe Easy With Toshiba Deal Sealed |date=August 17, 2018|work=[[Law360]]}}</ref>
* Nippon Steel Corporation's 2023 definitive agreement to purchase U.S. Steel for $14 billion. <ref>{{cite web | url=https://investors.ussteel.com/news-events/news-releases/detail/659/nippon-steel-corporation-nsc-to-acquire-u-s-steel | title=Nippon Steel Corporation (NSC) to Acquire U. S. Steel, Moving Forward Together as the 'Best Steelmaker with World-Leading Capabilities' | date=December 18, 2023 }}</ref>


== Prominent cases ==
== Prominent cases ==
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* Representing Harris Associates in a seminal case for the mutual funds industry. In March 2010, the Supreme Court ruled in [[Jones v. Harris Associates]], which definitively established the standard governing claims of excessive mutual fund fees under § 36(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/09pdf/08-586.pdf |title=Jones et. al. v. Harris Associates L.P. |date= |accessdate=January 28, 2012}}</ref>
* Representing Harris Associates in a seminal case for the mutual funds industry. In March 2010, the Supreme Court ruled in [[Jones v. Harris Associates]], which definitively established the standard governing claims of excessive mutual fund fees under § 36(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/09pdf/08-586.pdf |title=Jones et. al. v. Harris Associates L.P. |date= |accessdate=January 28, 2012}}</ref>
* Defending former BP engineer Kurt Mix against obstruction of justice charges related to the [[BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/charges-dropped-against-deepwater-horizon-engineer|title=Charges Dropped Against Deepwater Horizon Engineer |date=November 10, 2015|work=The Maritime Executive}}</ref>
* Defending former BP engineer Kurt Mix against obstruction of justice charges related to the [[BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/charges-dropped-against-deepwater-horizon-engineer|title=Charges Dropped Against Deepwater Horizon Engineer |date=November 10, 2015|work=The Maritime Executive}}</ref>

== Public Service ==

Ropes & Gray attorneys provide public service in the form of pro bono legal work, community service and charitable donations. Notable pro bono cases include:

* The Supreme Court marriage equality case [[Obergefell v. Hodges]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2015/04/24/politics/supreme-court-gay-marriage-lawyers/index.html|title=Meet the lawyers who will argue the gay marriage case|date=April 27, 2015|work=[[CNN]]}}</ref>
* Nunez v. City of New York, a lawsuit seeking to end inmate abuse at [[Rikers Island]] in New York City.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/22/nyregion/judge-approves-settlement-of-suit-on-rikers-island-brutality.html?_r=0|title=Judge Approves Settlement of Suit on Rikers Island Brutality |date=October 21, 2015|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>
* Exonerating John Huffington, who was imprisoned for 32 years for a 1981 double murder that he did not commit, in State of Maryland v. Huffington.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/harford/aegis/ph-ag-huffington-plea-hearing-1110-story.html|title=John Huffington enters Alford plea in 1981 Harford double-murder case, likely to go free|date=November 9, 2017|work=[[The Baltimore Sun]]}}</ref>

== Diversity and inclusion ==

* The firm’s Roscoe Trimmier Jr. Diversity Scholarship offers $25,000 and a summer associate position to second-year law students who are members of populations historically underrepresented in the legal profession.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagolawbulletin.com/archives/2015/08/17/in-the-news-8-17-15|title=In the News|date=August 17, 2015|work=Chicago Daily Law Bulletin}}</ref>


== Awards ==
== Awards ==
* Received five Law360 “Practice Group of the Year” awards for private equity, fund formation, securitizations, health care and white collar in 2019.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.law360.com/articles/1228868/law360-names-practice-groups-of-the-year|title=Law360 Names Practice Groups Of The Year|date=January 12, 2020 |work=Law360}}</ref>
The firm received five Law360 “Practice Group of the Year” awards for private equity, fund formation, securitizations, health care and white collar in 2019.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.law360.com/articles/1228868/law360-names-practice-groups-of-the-year|title=Law360 Names Practice Groups Of The Year|date=January 12, 2020 |work=Law360}}</ref>

==Miscellaneous==
In late 2010, the firm's Boston office moved to the top office floors of the [[Prudential Tower]] in the [[Back Bay]] neighborhood.


==Notable current and former attorneys==
==Notable current and former attorneys==
*[[Eleanor D. Acheson]] (Associate 1974-1983, Partner, 1983-1993) – Vice president and general counsel of [[Amtrak]]. Former [[Assistant Attorney General of the United States]].
*[[Eleanor D. Acheson]] (associate 1974–83; partner, 1983–93), [[Amtrak]] executive and [[Assistant Attorney General of the United States]]
*[[Henry Adams]], historian and member of the [[Adams political family]]
*[[Michael P. Allen]] – [[United States federal judge|judge]] of the [[United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims]]
*[[Brooks Adams]], historian and member of the [[Adams political family]]
*[[Mark Barnes]] (Partner) – Activist and academic, former Chief Research Compliance Officer, [[Harvard University]].
*[[Michael P. Allen]], [[United States federal judge|Judge]] of the [[United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims]]
* [[Marta Belcher]] (Attorney) – Pioneer in the area of blockchain law.
*[[Michael J. Astrue]], associate (1984–85), poet and Commissioner of the [[Social Security Administration]]
*[[Yochai Benkler]] (Associate, 1994-1995) – Jack N. and Lillian R. Berkman Professor for Entrepreneurial Legal Studies, [[Harvard Law School]].
*[[Mark Barnes]] (partner), activist, academic, former Chief Research Compliance Officer at [[Harvard University]]
*[[Janis M. Berry]] (Partner, 1986-1997) – Associate Justice of the [[Massachusetts Appeals Court]].
* [[Marta Belcher]] (attorney), blockchain law pioneer
*[[Eric Bjornlund]] – co-founder of [[Democracy International (American organization)|Democracy International]]
*[[Yochai Benkler]] (associate, 1994–95), professor at [[Harvard Law School]]
*[[Stephen L. Braga]] (former Partner) – Criminal defense attorney known for his successful pro bono representation of [[Martin Tankleff]].
*[[Levin H. Campbell]] – Judge of the [[United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit]].
*[[Janis M. Berry]] (partner, 1986–97), Associate Justice of the [[Massachusetts Appeals Court]]
*[[William Birdthistle]] (associate, 2001–06), director of [[Securities and Exchange Commission]] Division of Investment Management
*[[Jennifer Choe-Groves]] – [[United States federal judge|judge]] of the [[United States Court of International Trade]]
*[[Eric Bjornlund]], co-founder of [[Democracy International (American organization)|Democracy International]]
*[[Robert C. Clark]] (Associate, 1972-1974) – Former Dean of the Faculty of Law (1989-2003), and Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor (2003–present), Harvard University.
*[[Joan Toland Bok]], (associate, 1955–59), chair of New England Electric and director of [[Avery Dennison]]
*[[Archibald Cox]] (Associate, 1938-1945) – [[U.S. Solicitor General]] under President [[John F. Kennedy]]; first [[special prosecutor]] for the [[Watergate scandal]].
*[[John F. Bok]], (associate, 1955–{{circa|1960s}}), influential Boston municipal lawyer
*[[Lee M. Friedman]] (Associate, 1895-1897) – lawyer and historian
*[[Robert F. Bradford]], 57th Governor of Massachusetts
*[[George S. Hawkins (lawyer)|George S. Hawkins]] – General Manager of the [[DC Water and Sewer Authority]].
*[[Stephen L. Braga]] (partner), criminal defense attorney known for successful ''pro bono'' representation of [[Martin Tankleff]]
*[[Olin M. Jeffords]] – (Associate, 1919-1921) – Chief Justice of the [[Vermont Supreme Court]],
*[[Levin H. Campbell]], Chief Judge of the [[United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit]]
*[[Henry Cabot Lodge]] – (Associate, 1875-1880) – American statesman and 1st [[U.S. Senate Majority Leader]].
*[[George H. Lyman]] (Associate) – chairman of the Massachusetts Republican state committee and collector of customs for the port of Boston.
*[[Allison G. Catheron]], member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
*[[Jennifer Choe-Groves]], [[United States federal judge|Judge]] of the [[United States Court of International Trade]]
*[[R. Bradford Malt]] (Chairman, 2004–2019) – Served as sole trustee of the Romney blind trusts during [[Mitt Romney]]’s tenure as governor of Massachusetts and during his two presidential runs.
*[[John Demers]] (associate, 2000–03), [[United States Associate Attorney General]] for the [[United States Department of Justice National Security Division]]
*[[Diane Bemus Patrick]] (Partner) – Former First Lady of [[Massachusetts]].
*[[John Palfrey]] (Associate, 2001-2002) – President of the [[John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation]].
*[[Robert C. Clark]] (associate, 1972–74), Dean of the Faculty of Law at Harvard University
*[[Archibald Cox]] (associate, 1938–45), [[U.S. Solicitor General]] and [[special prosecutor]] for the [[Watergate scandal]]
*[[Elliot Richardson]] (Associate, 1949-1953, 1955-1957; Partner, 1961-1965) – Former [[U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services|U.S. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare]] (1970-1973); [[U.S. Secretary of Defense]] (1973); [[U.S. Attorney General]] (1973); [[United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom]] (1975-1976); and [[U.S. Secretary of Commerce]] (1976-1977).
*[[Bessie Dewar]] (associate), Associate Justic eof the [[Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court]]
*[[John Richardson (born 1886)|John Richardson]] (1911–1970s) – Specialized in corporate and trustee work and was responsible for hiring young lawyers to join the firm. Political supporter of Herbert Hoover and Republican National Committeeman from Massachusetts from 1932 to 1936.
*[[Lee M. Friedman]] (associate, 1895–97), lawyer and historian
*[[Charles Soule]] – comic book writer for [[Marvel Comics]]
*[[John Chipman Gray]] (founding partner), property law scholar and half-brother of Supreme Court Justice [[Horace Gray]]
*[[Clayton Spencer]] (Partner, 1986-1989) – president of [[Bates College]]
*[[Rebecca Haffajee]] (associate), acting [[Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for Planning and Evaluation]]
*[[Christopher Taylor (politician)|Christopher Taylor]] (Associate) [[Mayor of Ann Arbor]] since 2014.
*[[George S. Hawkins (lawyer)|George S. Hawkins]], general manager of the [[DC Water and Sewer Authority]]
*[[James Vorenberg]] (Associate, 1954 – 1960; Partner, 1960-1962) – Former Dean of the Faculty of Law, Harvard University (1981-1989).
*[[Horace Hildreth]], 59th Governor of Maine
*[[Jane Willis]] (Partner) - Part of the [[MIT Blackjack Team]] later fictionalized in [[Bringing Down the House (book)|''Bringing Down the House'']].
*[[Olin M. Jeffords]], (associate, 1919–21), Chief Justice of the [[Vermont Supreme Court]]
*[[William Loring (judge)|William Loring]] (named partner), Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, Harvard Law School professor, and general counsel of the [[New York and New England Railroad]]
*[[Nikolas P. Kerest]], (associate, 2001–04), United States Attorney for the District of Vermont
*[[Isabelle Kinsolving]] (associate, 2012–22), member of the 2004 United States Olympic rowing team
*[[John Kingston III]], (associate), general counsel of [[Affiliated Managers Group]] and candidate for United States Senate in 2018
*[[Cheryl LaFleur]], commissioner of the [[Federal Energy Regulatory Commission]]
*[[Joshua S. Levy]] (partner), United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts
*[[Henry Cabot Lodge]], (associate, 1875–80), United States Senator from Massachusetts
*[[Frederick Charles Lough]], decorated veteran of [[World War II]] and brigadier general in the United States Army
*[[George H. Lyman]] (associate), chairman of the Massachusetts Republican state committee and Collector of the Port of Boston
*[[R. Bradford Malt]] (chairman, 2004–19), sole trustee of [[Mitt Romney]]’s blind trusts during his tenure as Governor and two presidential campaigns.
*[[Diane Bemus Patrick]] (partner), First Lady of [[Massachusetts]] (2007–15)
*[[John Palfrey]] (associate, 2001–02), president of the [[John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation]]
*[[Elliot Richardson]] (associate, 1949–53, 1955–57; partner, 1961–65), [[U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services|U.S. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare]] (1970–73), [[U.S. Secretary of Defense]] (1973), [[U.S. Attorney General]] (1973), [[United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom|U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom]] (1975–76), and [[U.S. Secretary of Commerce]] (1976–77)
*[[John Richardson (born 1886)|John Richardson]] (1911–1970s; hiring partner), [[Republican National Committee]]man from Massachusetts (1932–36)
*[[John Codman Ropes]] (founding partner), military historian
*[[Theodore Ruger]], dean of the [[University of Pennsylvania School of Law]]
*[[Heather Sanborn]], member of the Maine Senate
*[[Henry Lee Shattuck]], member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, member of the Boston City Council and philanthropist
*[[Charles Soule]], comic book writer for [[Marvel Comics]]
*[[Clayton Spencer]] (associate, 1986–1989), president of [[Bates College]]
*[[David O. Stewart]], author
*[[Christopher Taylor (politician)|Christopher Taylor]] (associate) [[Mayor of Ann Arbor]], [[Michigan]]
*[[Robert Troyer]], (associate, 1990–93), United States Attorney for the District of Colorado
*[[James Vorenberg]] (associate, 1954–60; partner, 1960–62), Dean of the Faculty of Law of Harvard University
*[[Dalila Argaez Wendlandt]] (partner), Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
*[[Jane Willis]] (partner), member of the [[MIT Blackjack Team]] fictionalized in [[Bringing Down the House (book)|''Bringing Down the House'']] and [[21 (2008 film)|''21'']]
*[[Keith Wofford]] (partner), candidate for New York Attorney General in 2018
*[[Louis C. Wyman]], (associate) United States Senator and United States Representative from [[New Hampshire]]


==See also==
==See also==
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[[Category:Law firms based in Boston]]
[[Category:Law firms based in Boston]]
[[Category:Foreign law firms with offices in Japan]]
[[Category:Foreign law firms with offices in Japan]]
[[Category:Multinational law firms]]
[[Category:1985 establishments in Massachusetts]]

Latest revision as of 20:13, 14 December 2024

Ropes & Gray LLP
HeadquartersPrudential Tower
Boston, Massachusetts
United States
No. of offices14
No. of attorneys~1,300[1] (2024)
Major practice areas
  • Private equity
  • Asset management
  • Health care & life sciences
  • Finance & Special Situations
  • Mergers & acquisitions
  • Litigation
Key people
  • Julie Jones
  • (Chair)
  • David Djaha
  • (Managing Partner)
  • Akhil Sethi
  • (Chief Operating Officer)
[2]
Revenue$2.992 billion (2023)[3]
Date founded1865
FounderJohn Codman Ropes
John Chipman Gray
Company typeLimited liability partnership
Websiteropesgray.com

Ropes & Gray LLP is an American multinational law firm with 14 offices located in the U.S., Asia and Europe. The firm has more than 1,500 lawyers and professionals worldwide; its clients include corporations, financial institutions, government agencies, universities, and health care organizations. It was founded in 1865 in Boston by John Codman Ropes and John Chipman Gray.

History

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The firm was founded in 1865 by two Harvard Law School graduates, John Codman Ropes and John Chipman Gray. In 1878, William Loring, also a Harvard graduate, joined the firm, and it was renamed "Ropes, Gray and Loring" until Loring's departure in 1899, when he was appointed to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.[4][5] During that time, the firm represented the New York and New England Railroad.[4]

In 2003, the firm acquired New York City-based private equity law firm Reboul, MacMurray, Hewitt & Maynard.[6] In 2005, it acquired NYC-based intellectual property law firm Fish & Neave.[7]

In 2017, the firm elected Julie Jones as chair. After serving as chair-elect for two years, Jones took the helm in 2020.[8] In 2024, Jones was re-elected to another five-year term.[1]

In July 2023, Ropes & Gray announced the relocation of some Shanghai-based lawyers to its Hong Kong operation and the launch of an office in Singapore.[9][10] In November 2023, amid a wave of antisemitic incidents at elite U.S. law schools, Ropes & Gray was among a group of major law firms who sent a letter to top law school deans warning them that an escalation in incidents targeting Jewish students would have corporate hiring consequences. The letter stated: "We look to you to ensure your students who hope to join our firms after graduation are prepared to be an active part of workplace communities that have zero tolerance policies for any form of discrimination or harassment, much less the kind that has been taking place on some law school campuses."[11]

Prominent transactions

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Ropes & Gray lawyers have advised on major transactions, including:

  • Altimeter Growth Corp. in its merger to take Grab public for $39.6 billion, the largest special-purpose acquisition company merger in history[12][13]
  • The acquisition by private equity firms Thomas H. Lee and Bain Capital of Clear Channel Communications, for $26 billion
  • Bain Capital's and The Blackstone Group's acquisition of The Weather Channel, in a multibillion-dollar deal[citation needed]
  • The sale of the Warner Music Group to Access Industries by private equity firms Bain Capital and Thomas H. Lee, for $3.3 billion[citation needed]
  • Genzyme's acquisition by Sanofi-Aventis, for $20.1 billion
  • NSTAR's merger with Northeast Utilities, for $7.1 billion
  • China Everbright's acquisition of Focus Media, for $3.7 billion
  • TPG Capital's acquisition of J.Crew, for $3 billion
  • A private equity group's acquisition of Dunkin' Donuts, for $2.4 billion
  • Berkshire Partners acquisition of Lightower Fiber Networks and Sidera Networks, for $2 billion
  • The Bare Escentuals merger with Shiseido of Japan, a $1.7 billion deal
  • Bain Capital's acquisition of MYOB, Australia's largest financial software developer;[14]
  • Bain Capital's acquisition of Bellsystem24[15]
  • TPG Capital and the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board's $5.2 billion acquisition of IMS Health Inc., a provider of market intelligence to the pharmaceutical and health care industries
  • Genzyme Corporation's $2.9 billion deal with Bayer Schering Pharma AG that expanded Genzyme's oncology portfolio by giving the company rights to marketed cancer drugs and control of a program in multiple sclerosis. The transaction was recognized as a "Deal of Distinction" by the Licensing Executives Society in September 2010[16]
  • Bain Capital's 2018 sale by Toshiba Corp. of its semiconductor business to a group that included Apple, Seagate, Kingston, Hoya, Dell Technologies and SK Hynix. The transaction was Asia's largest leveraged buyout and private equity deal ever, and was valued at approximately $18 billion[17]
  • Nippon Steel Corporation's 2023 definitive agreement to purchase U.S. Steel for $14 billion. [18]

Prominent cases

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Ropes & Gray lawyers have litigated high-profile cases, including:

Awards

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The firm received five Law360 “Practice Group of the Year” awards for private equity, fund formation, securitizations, health care and white collar in 2019.[28]

Notable current and former attorneys

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Strom, Roy "Ropes & Gray Taps Julie Jones for Second Term as Leader" Bloomberg Law, September 24, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  2. ^ "AKHIL SETHI". Ropes & Gray. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  3. ^ "Ropes %26 Gray". Law.com. August 22, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "William Caleb Loring, Associate Justice memorial, 277 Mass. 589 (1931)". Government of Massachusetts. 1931. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  5. ^ "Justice Loring Dies In Home At Age of 79", Fitchburg Sentinel (September 8, 1930), p. 1, 5.
  6. ^ "Company Briefs". The New York Times. May 3, 2003. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  7. ^ S, Brenda; November 09, burg |; AM, 2004 at 12:00. "Fish & Neave to Combine with Ropes & Gray". Law.com. Retrieved August 20, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ Stokes, Samantha "Female lawyers are gaining seats at the table. Here are 9 women in charge of elite law firms" Business Insider, March 12, 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  9. ^ "Ropes & Gray Plans to Launch Office in Singapore". Law.com International. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
  10. ^ "Ropes Winding Down Chinese Operations To Focus On Hong Kong". Law.com International. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
  11. ^ Sorkin, Andrew Ross; Mattu, Ravi; Warner, Bernhard; Kessler, Sarah; Merced, Michael J. de la; Hirsch, Lauren; Livni, Ephrat (November 2, 2023). "Law Firms Warn Universities About Antisemitism on Campus". The New York Times. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  12. ^ "Ropes & Gray Advises Altimeter in Nearly $40 billion Merger to Take Grab Holdings Public". ropesgray.com. April 13, 2021.
  13. ^ "SoftBank-backed Grab agrees to deal to go public in world's largest SPAC merger". cnbc.com. April 13, 2021.
  14. ^ Michael Smith and Stephen Aldred (August 21, 2011). "Bain snaps up Australian tech firm MYOB for $1.3 billion". Reuters.
  15. ^ "Nasdaq". Nasdaq. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  16. ^ "IP Watchdog, Sept. 30, 2010". Ipwatchdog.com. September 30, 2010. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  17. ^ "Ropes & Gray Can Breathe Easy With Toshiba Deal Sealed". Law360. August 17, 2018.
  18. ^ "Nippon Steel Corporation (NSC) to Acquire U. S. Steel, Moving Forward Together as the 'Best Steelmaker with World-Leading Capabilities'". December 18, 2023.
  19. ^ "Wollschlaeger v. Governor of Fla". Casetext. February 16, 2017.
  20. ^ "Gawker Turns To Tireless Ropes & Gray Atty For Ch. 11 Rescue". Law360. June 10, 2016.
  21. ^ "Top U.S.O.C. Officials Failed to Act on Nassar Allegations, Report Says". The New York Times. December 10, 2018.
  22. ^ "Gordon Caplan Set to Appear Alongside Lori Loughlin in College Admissions Case | The American Lawyer".
  23. ^ dal-probe/ "Caplan's Plea Deal With Prosecutors Calls for Prison Time", by Jack Newsham, The American Lawyer, April 8, 2019. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  24. ^ Andrew E. Lelling , U.S. Department of Justice, District of Massachusetts,March 27, 2019. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  25. ^ "Meet the Big Law Alums Prosecuting the College Admissions Scandal", by Mike Scarcella and Nate Robson, March 13, 2019. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  26. ^ "Jones et. al. v. Harris Associates L.P." (PDF). Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  27. ^ "Charges Dropped Against Deepwater Horizon Engineer". The Maritime Executive. November 10, 2015.
  28. ^ "Law360 Names Practice Groups Of The Year". Law360. January 12, 2020.
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