Ropes & Gray > London, England > Firm Profile

Ropes & Gray > The Legal 500 Rankings

Finance > High yield Tier 2

Ropes & Gray LLP is known for its work on high-value and complex high yield financings for first-time and repeat issuer and underwriter clients. The London office is a key adviser to highly active issuers such as Liberty Global, as well as major investment banks, among them Citigroup, Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs. Michael Kazakevich, who is co-head of the firm’s global finance practice and co-chair of the firm’s investment banking industry group, acted for initial purchasers on Intrum AB’s  €450m offering of senior fixed rate notes. Up-and-coming partner Aditya Khanna also worked on that deal.  Key partner Robert Haak assisted VodafoneZiggo B.V. with a €2.1bn-equivalent cross-border sustainability-linked bond offering. London managing partner Jane Rogers worked with Haak on Liberty Global’s $924m debt buyback transaction.  

Corporate and commercial > Private equity: transactions – high-value deals (£250m+) Tier 3

‘Brilliant technical lawyers with good commercial sense and judgement‘, Ropes & Gray regularly works with a number of high-profile sponsors and portfolio companies on the gamut of corporate deals. The firm has made a number of lateral hires over recent years, most notably Dan Oates, who arrived from Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP. Oates joined from Fried Frank alongside Angela Becker and Simon Saitowitz, both of whom are noted for their transactional acumen. John Newton is a highly experienced partner who draws particular praise for his expertise in healthcare and life sciences-driven work. Drawing superlative praise from clients, the ‘outstanding‘ Helen Croke‘s capabilities span both large cap and mid-market deals, while Elizabeth Todd‘s recent engagements include cross-border acquisitions concerning targets in the media and logistics sectors. Shona Ha, who was promoted to partner in November 2022, is lauded for her ‘incredibly impressive, knowledgeable and commercial’ practice. Former London managing partner Will Rosen left the firm to join Bain Capital as its European general counsel in November 2022.

Investment fund formation and management > Private funds Tier 3

Ropes & Gray handles a wide range of mandates spanning GP and LP led matters, fund formation and transactions within the secondaries market. The team is led by the highly experienced Tom Alabaster, whose primary focus is on the EMEA markets. Alabaster is supported by Emily Brown, who has expansive expertise in cross-jurisdictional matters, specialising in venture capital and co-investments. Lavanya Raghavan, Chris Townsend and Alex Chauvin are also integral to the team.

Real estate > Commercial property: investment Tier 3

Praised as the ‘best in class when it comes to complex real estate private equity’, Ropes & Gray LLP continues to showcase its capability in handling big-ticket real estate transactions. The team also has thorough expertise across distressed, data centre, logistics, life science and student accommodation real estate. Co-lead of the team Will Bryant is a key port of call for pension funds, sponsors, and sovereign wealth funds on domestic and international investment, while co-head David Seymour advises investors on UK and European PERE deals. Other key contacts in the group include Harriet Banner and Joseph Patchitt.

Corporate and commercial > Corporate tax Tier 4

Ropes & Gray LLP‘s London tax team advises on the firm’s global level transactions, particularly in the key areas of private equity, fund formation, real estate and banking & finance. Team lead Brenda Coleman, who heads the European tax practice, is highly experienced in international tax planning. Andrew Howard specialises in financing transactions, and is a regular contributor to tax publications. Chris Agnoli has experience in cross-border M&A, employment tax issues, and real estate matters. Senior associate Benjamin Wonnacott joined from Goldman Sachs in 2021.

Finance > Acquisition finance Tier 4

Focused primarily on borrower-side work - particularly in light of ex-Goldman Sachs’ in-house counsel Carol Van der Vorst‘s move to Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP in September 2022 - Ropes & Gray LLP has deep knowledge in financings centred around both the syndicated public markets and highly structured private markets. As well as handling some work for sponsors, the team continues to regularly advise marquee clients, Altice and Liberty Global, on debt finance raising, including a considerable amount of acquisition finance due to their private equity-like instincts. The 'brilliant' Alex Robb is well-versed across a broad swathe of debt products, from unitranche to European TLB large-cap loans, and is a key member of the team that is headed by UK and New York law-qualified partner Michael Kazakevich.  

Finance > Bank lending: investment grade debt and syndicated loans Tier 4

Finance > Derivatives and structured products Tier 4

Ropes & Gray is a popular choice among asset managers, alternative credit providers, hedge fund managers and private equity firms, for which it handles high-value and innovative derivatives matters. Clients of lead partner Anna Lawry  remark that 'her knowledge, ability to issue spot issues, and ability to add value are second to none'. Lawry focuses exclusively on derivatives, in particular the regulatory regime governing the market, and has a strong track record in advising on transactions across all major asset classes, both OTC and exchange-traded. She also assist clients with ISDA, collateral, brokerage, clearing and custody issues. The London team also works closely with colleagues in the US to advise on cross-border matters.

Industry focus > Life sciences and healthcare Tier 4

The ‘exceptional‘ practice at Ropes & Gray LLP assists clients with a broad range of issues, including risk and crisis management, research and development strategies, and product life cycle management. The team acts for a number of notable clients, including Merck KGaA, Orphalan, and Allergan. With ‘unparalleled standing and credibility‘, practice head Lincoln Tsang handles a myriad of issues, from internal investigations and public policy matters, to product approvals and clinical trials. Tsang also has a great deal of experience in interactions with the European Medicines Agency.

Investment fund formation and management > Real estate funds Tier 4

Ropes & Gray LLP provides a full-service offering in the real estate funds space and acts for high-profile clients on fund formations, transactions, raisings, restructurings, joint ventures and secondaries. Tom Alabaster, who heads the EMEA funds practice, handles the structuring, marketing and operation of private funds, many of which are cross-border in nature. Strong support is provided by Emily Brown, who acts for private equity, real asset and venture capital sponsors on fundraisings and investments.

Risk advisory > Data protection, privacy and cybersecurity Tier 4

Ropes & Gray is regularly instructed by clients in the private equity and financial services sectors, as well as from the healthcare and life sciences industries, to advise on all aspects of compliance and enforcement-related data privacy and protection matters. The team is led by ‘superb‘ data protection and cybersecurity expert Rohan Massey, who specialises in international data transfer issues and global compliance matters. Working in close conjunction with its US offices, the team has particular strength in transatlantic data privacy mandates. At the senior associate level, the ‘knowledgeable, responsive, practical‘ Edward Machin is also recommended.

Risk advisory > Regulatory investigations and corporate crime (advice to corporates) Tier 4

Displaying a ‘broad breadth of experience’, the Ropes & Gray LLP anti-corruption and international risk practice is comprised of lawyers with deep expertise in money laundering, fraud, and sanctions violations. The firm’s strength and depth in the UK, US, and Asia, means the group is well equipped to deal with multi-jurisdictional investigations brought by domestic and international enforcement agencies. Amanda Raad leads the London-based offering, specialising in internal and regulatory proceedings concerning FCPA risk and global corruption risk, while US-trained lawyer Sean Seelinger focuses on government inquiries and whistleblower allegations. Paige Berges concentrates on AML matters and economic sanctions issues.

Corporate and commercial > EU and competition Tier 5

The ‘top-notch’ team at Ropes & Gray LLP attracts considerable praise from clients, who turn to the team for its wide-ranging capabilities across various competition matters, ranging from merger control and FDI clearances to conduct, compliance and antitrust counselling. The team is routinely engaged by blue-chip corporates, pharmaceutical companies and private equity clients on complex multi-jurisdictional merger control matters. Practice head Ruchit Patel is a key port of call for some of the word’s largest companies on matters before the CMA and European Commission.

Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: white-collar crime (advice to individuals) Tier 5

Real estate > Property finance Tier 5

At Ropes & Gray, David Seymour heads the collective real estate department where he specialises in UK and European private equity real estate deals across the risk spectrum for real estate funds, sovereign wealth funds, pension funds and family offices. Seymour also advises on structuring and executing both distressed and non-distressed transactions, investments and development financings. Associate Andrew Baker is an individual to note for debt finance.

Corporate and commercial > Financial services: non-contentious/regulatory Tier 6

The ‘solutions oriented’ team at Ropes & Gray LLP advises asset managers spanning the US, UK and Asia on regulatory matters, including ESG and securitization regulation, as well as fund formation issues and transactional mandates. Eve Ellis, who focuses on ESG-related matters confronting asset managers, jointly leads the practice alongside Anna Lawry, who has experience in derivatives and structured finance regulation.

United States > Labor and employment > Workplace and employment counseling

The team at Ropes & Gray LLP is based in Boston and advises clients in major industries including manufacturing, private equity and venture capital, retail, health care and life sciences. The team advises on employment concerns including personnel policies, wage and hour compliance, negotiation of employment and separation agreements and pay equity. Megan Bisk counsels employers on issues such as sexual harassment and non-competition matters. Doug Brayley has expertise in issues relating to Covid-19 such as vaccinations and workplace safety.