Raj Marphatia
Partner
IN MEMORIAM (1959-2020)
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Raj Marphatia, a partner in Ropes & Gray’s asset management practice and co-office managing partner of the firm’s West Coast offices. Raj passed away on May 8, 2020.
“Raj was a Ropes & Gray treasure—a shining light as a colleague, friend and counselor for the past 30 years,” said Julie Jones, chair of Ropes & Gray. “How lucky we are to have had him in our lives. We will miss his sage advice and steady hand.”
Raj was a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, where he served as president of the Harvard Law Review. Raj joined Ropes & Gray in 1989 and became a partner of the firm in 1997.
Over the course of his career, Raj practiced in the area of tax before focusing on private investment funds, where he guided both sponsor and investor clients. Raj was also a longtime leader of the firm’s private investment funds practice and helped guide that practice into what it is today, including by helping to build the firm’s presence on the West Coast.
In addition, Raj was a member of Ropes & Gray’s diversity committee and active in the firm’s pro bono program. “Raj was always a leader in our firm and he set the bar for commitment to the firm in every way,” said Julie. “While he was deservedly well known for his grace and fierce determination as a lawyer, most importantly, Raj was a champion of people. He supported the underdog. He treated everyone with equal respect. He mentored and trained and encouraged. He was always available to help.”
Publications
- Co-author, “Risk avoidance and allocation in secondaries transactions,” Private Equity International (September 8, 2019)
- Quoted, “The SEC isn’t taking its eye off private funds” Private Equity International (March 25, 2018)
- Featured, “Secondaries transactions: the lawyers’ take,” Secondaries Investor (March 16, 2017)
- Co-author, “Legal issues in secondaries transactions,” The Secondaries Market (Private Equity International, December 2016)
- Co-author, “Squaring the letter of California's new fee disclosure law with the realities of alternative investment funds,” Pensions & Investments (December 28, 2016)
- Co-author, “Best practice: Considerations in the face of California’s new fee disclosure law,” HFM Investor Relations (October 28, 2016)
- Co-author, The Limited Partner’s Perspective, chapter in Global Investment Funds (2016), published by Global Law and Business Ltd.
- Co-author, “California’s New Alternative Investment Fee Disclosure Bill,” The Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation (October 3, 2016)
- Co-author, “Political contributions,” The US Private Equity Fund Compliance Guide (Private Equity International, April 2016)
- Co-author, “European Union Directive on Alternative Investment Fund Managers: Impact on US fund managers,” The US Private Equity Fund Compliance Guide (Private Equity International, April 2016)
- Quoted, “Avoiding Co-investing’s ‘Third Rail,” GP Operations Compendium – A Privcap Special Report (July 2016)
- Co-author, “European Union Directive on Alternative Investment Fund Managers: Impact on US fund managers,” The US Private Equity Fund Compliance Guide (Private Equity International, January 2012)
- Co-author, “Political contributions,” The US Private Equity Fund Compliance Guide (Private Equity International, January 2012)
- John Ayer, Raj Marphatia & Susan Eisenberg, “United States,” chapter nine of The Private Equity Review (Law Business Research, 2012)
- Co-author, “Overview of Legal and Regulatory Considerations for Investor Relations Professionals,” chapter eighteen of The Investor Relations Manual (Private Equity International, 2011)
- Co-author, “Political contributions,” The US Private Equity Fund Compliance Guide (Private Equity International, October 2010)
- Co-author, “European Union Directive on Alternative Investment Fund Managers: Impact on US fund managers,” The US Private Equity Fund Compliance Guide (Private Equity International, October 2010)
Presentations
- Panelist, NYPPEX Webinar on Secondary Private Equity Markets Worldwide: 2019 Midyear Review and Outlook, (July 31, 2019)
- Speaker, NYPPEX Roundtable Webinar, NYPPEX Private Markets (October 2017)
- Speaker, “Intricacies of Fund Restructurings,” Secondaries Investor’s 2017 Secondaries Retreat (June 21, 2017)
- Speaker, “Fund restructurings,” Secondaries Investor’s 2016 Secondaries Retreat,” (June, 2016)
- Panelist, "The JOBS Act: How It Will Change Fundraising For PE Firms," Dow Jones Webcast (November 2012)
Education
- JD, Harvard Law School, 1988
- AB, Harvard College, 1981