Ropes & Gray Names 19 New Counsel

Global law firm Ropes & Gray is pleased to share that 19 attorneys have been promoted to counsel, effective November 1.

These lawyers advise the world’s leading companies, investment funds and institutions in their most complex and challenging legal and business matters. Their experience spans industries, including private equity, asset management, health care, life sciences, technology, real estate and retail.

“Our new counsel have established the deep trust of our clients by handling their complex legal work, while balancing their business goals. They are talented lawyers who have a track record of success for our clients,” said Julie Jones, chair.

“These accomplished lawyers represent a key part of the future of our firm. They are driven to succeed for our clients, and embody skills, the professional excellence, colleagueship and commitment to our firm and communities that are hallmarks of Ropes & Gray,” said David Djaha, managing partner.

Meet Ropes & Gray’s newest counsel:

• Michael Allen (Boston) advises on real estate investments & transactions for a wide range of asset classes and transaction types, including primary and secondary financings, joint ventures and co-investments. He represents institutional real estate investors, public REITs and other clients.
• Natalie Blanc (London) advises clients on complex restructuring and insolvency transactions, distressed M&A transactions, and special situations financings. She has extensive experience working with credit funds, bank lenders, private equity sponsors, corporate debtors, and insolvency practitioners in the UK and globally.
• Minal Caron (Boston) guides health systems, universities, pharmaceutical and device manufacturers, and investors on regulatory, compliance and transactional issues relating to health care, scientific research and development, and federal funding.  Minal regularly advises on high-stakes investigations relating to these issues.
• Jessica Dormitzer (Boston) advises private equity firms and businesses seeking counsel on anti-corruption and international risk issues, including anti-money laundering and sanctions risk management, throughout all stages of the investment life cycle.
• Zahra Fatima (New York) is a private funds lawyer who guides sponsors in formation, fundraising, regulatory and compliance matters, as well as internal firm economic and governance arrangements. Zahra also represents institutional investors in connection with their private fund investments.
• Anne Fox (Chicago) represents private funds—including hedge funds and real estate funds—and investment advisers in transactional, regulatory and compliance matters.  She assists clients with the creation and operation of new and existing investment products designed primarily for institutional investors.
• Samantha Galvin (Boston) counsels public and private companies in the structuring, negotiation and implementation of employment and compensation arrangements. She also advises clients on the regulatory framework governing executive compensation, including with respect to securities law disclosure requirements.
• Stephen Iacovo (Chicago) is a corporate restructuring attorney and counsels public and private companies, boards, financial sponsors and distressed investors across industries. His work includes out-of-court liability management transactions, in-court chapter 11 proceedings and distressed acquisitions.
• Joshua Jackson (Boston) advises technology, financial services, investment management, biotechnology and digital health companies on the management of strategic intangible assets, including the transfer and licensing of IP, commercial agreements, product development, research collaborations, joint ventures, and mergers and acquisitions.
• Tom Jackson (London) advises clients on a broad spectrum of complex cross-border compliance and risk issues. Tom conducts internal and government-facing investigations, counsels investors on compliance risk in a transactional context, and advises clients on developing and implementing effective compliance programs.
• Hyun-Joong (Daniel) Kim (New York) is a trial attorney litigating patent disputes in federal courts and before the ITC. From pre-suit investigation through trial and appeal, Daniel advises both U.S. and foreign clients on complex IP issues across numerous industries, including life sciences and high tech.  
• Edward Machin (London) provides business-focused advice in the evolving areas of privacy, data protection and security, e-commerce and marketing, and technology law. His practice encompasses regulatory compliance, incident response and transactional work for organizations across Europe, the US and Asia.
• Dorota Maj (London) advises financial institutions, fund managers and fintech companies on a range of compliance and financial services regulatory matters.
• Luwam Mezue (London) advises corporations, funds and banks on leveraged finance and high yield transactions, including acquisition commitments, US securities offerings, ESG financing, loan transactions and liability management transactions. She also worked for a year in the leveraged finance team of Goldman Sachs while on secondment. 
• Nicholas C.H. Roper (Boston) advises public companies, investment banks and private equity firms and their portfolio companies in capital markets transactions, mergers & acquisitions and other strategic transactions, as well as securities law compliance and corporate governance matters. 
• Georgina Jones Suzuki (Silicon Valley) counsels clients in the life sciences and technology industries on technology transfer and licensing, collaborations, joint ventures and other strategic agreements. Her clients include pharmaceutical and biotech companies and private equity funds. 
• Zakkary Wedemeyer (Boston) advises private equity sponsors on all aspects of their business, focusing on the formation and operation of private funds. He guides sponsors pursuing a range of strategies across asset classes, including venture, growth, buyout, real estate, infrastructure, and secondaries.
• Charlie Zagnoli (Chicago) is a commercial litigator who supports life sciences clients, private equity firms and asset managers through all phases of complex litigation. He has significant trial and appellate experience in state and federal courts across the country.
• Billy Zhang (Hong Kong) counsels private fund sponsors and investors across the globe. His experience guiding major investors in secondary transactions includes structuring both GP- and LP-led continuation vehicles. His practice spans private equity, real estate, infrastructure, venture capital, and TMT.