Ropes & Gray Enhances Private Equity Practice with Arrival of Partner Garrett Charon in New York

Global law firm Ropes & Gray announced today that Garrett T. Charon has joined the firm’s top-ranked private equity practice as a partner in the firm’s 300-lawyer New York office. 

Alternative asset managers, particularly private equity sponsors, will benefit from Mr. Charon’s vast experience in a wide variety of transactions, including leveraged buyouts, going-private deals, mergers and acquisitions, strategic investments and dispositions. With a diverse corporate counseling and transactional practice, he has advised many leading global private equity sponsors throughout the life cycle of their investments in portfolio companies, from initial investment through ultimate exit.  

“Garrett is a talented lawyer with an impressive track record advising on complex transactions,” said William Shields, co-head of Ropes & Gray’s private equity practice. “His strategic approach and experience working with sophisticated clients will strengthen our capabilities and depth and enhance the value we bring to our private equity clients in New York and globally. We are delighted to welcome Garrett to the firm.”

Mr. Charon joins Ropes & Gray from Weil, Gotshal & Manges in New York, where he was a partner. He received his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School and his B.A. from Colgate University in New York.  

Ropes & Gray has been at the forefront of private equity deals since the invention of the leveraged buyout, and is active in both multi-billion-dollar and middle-market deals. U.S. News & World Report-Best Lawyers named Ropes & Gray “Law Firm of the Year” for leveraged buyouts and private equity law in 2015 and 2016.

With more than 300 lawyers in New York, Ropes & Gray is one of the 20 largest law firms in the city, where it continues to grow. In the past 18 months, the firm has added 10 lateral partners in New York. Mr. Charon is the fifth lateral partner to join in 2016. His arrival follows Kristen Chang Winckler, who joined the tax practice in June; David Blittner, who joined the private equity practice in April; Gregg Galardi who joined the business restructuring practice in February; and Michael Littenberg, who joined the securities & public companies practice in January.