Ropes & Gray is saddened to report the passing of former firm Chair Douglass N. Ellis Jr. on January 3 at age 82.
A remarkable leader and a person of great warmth, Doug was a friend and mentor to many at Ropes & Gray, where he spent an illustrious 36-year career. He was a graduate of the University of Virginia and Boston College Law School and joined Ropes & Gray after his military service in 1972.
Doug became a corporate partner in the investment management practice group in 1981 and served as the firm's hiring partner. As Chair from 1999 to 2004, he played an instrumental role in Ropes & Gray’s evolution from a New England legal institution into an elite national firm. His leadership during the firm’s 2003 combination with boutique firm Reboul MacMurray Hewitt & Maynard was a pivotal moment in Ropes & Gray history, growing our New York presence and bolstering our private equity and litigation practices.
Ropes & Gray Chair Julie Jones said “Doug loved this firm, and its people, like few others. He was so proud of our clients and our lawyers, often reaching out to us to express congratulations on our key achievements.”
Retired Chair Brad Malt remembers Doug as “a person of few words but great wisdom, with a passion for advancing the capabilities and stature of the firm.”
Beyond his professional achievements, Doug was well known for his dry sense of humor, his ability to earn the loyalty and respect of clients and colleagues alike, and his dedicated mentorship of generations of Ropes & Gray lawyers and leaders. He will be deeply missed.
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