The Week at Ropes & Gray: The Deal Features Ropes & Gray’s “Busy Spring”; AmLaw’s Litigator of the Week; Driving Successful Credit Fund Platforms; Enforcement and Data Analytics; PTAB Changes; Recognition for Record-Breaking Deal Work in Asia

Weekly highlights of what’s happening at Ropes & Gray:

• Citing more than $20 billion in transactions announced or closed by Ropes & Gray’s clients in two weeks, The Deal published a feature article titled “Behind Ropes & Gray's Busy Spring.” The article highlights our clients’ and attorneys’ success navigating complex transactions on four continents. Recent transactions include:
• Cressey & Company has recapitalized Elite Dental Partners LLC, a leading doctor-led dental support organization, investing and partnering alongside current shareholders Tyree & D’Angelo Partners and management. Ropes & Gray served as regulatory advisor to Elite Dental Partners in the recapitalization.
• Reed Mackay, an international travel management company, has acquired Hillgate Travel, a leading UK-based travel management company. The deal takes Reed & Mackay’s global turnover past the £600m mark. Ropes & Gray advised Reed Mackay on the acquisition.
• WayPoint Capital Partners, the direct investing affiliate of a single family office with several billion dollars in assets under management, announced their $16 million Series B financing in Simple Contacts, a telemedicine platform designed to empower patients to renew their contact lens prescriptions from home. Ropes & Gray advised WayPoint Capital Partners in the transaction.
• New Mountain Capital, a New York-based private equity firm, has partnered with MAG Aerospace, a leading turnkey provider of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance solutions, providing MAG with significant financial and strategic resources to support future growth initiatives. Ropes & Gray represented New Mountain Capital in the partnership.
• TPG Growth, the global middle market and growth equity platform of alternative asset firm TPG, announced the sale of NorthStar Anesthesia, a leading national anesthesiology platform, to Cranemere. Ropes & Gray represented TPG Growth in the transaction.
• Credit funds continue to gain traction as successful platforms for asset managers. On Thursday, we hosted a webinar highlighting some of the key issues and topics discussed at Ropes & Gray’s recent Credit Funds Forum, which focused on how credit funds may address challenges and take advantage of opportunities in private credit. You can view a recording of the webinar presentation here.
• The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is also focusing on credit funds. It is employing big data analytics to address issues related to fixed income and credit fund managers, specifically, by identifying problematic trading patterns, among other issues. In this video, Dan O’Connor, co-leader of Ropes & Gray’s securities & futures enforcement practice, addresses the recent uptick
• The Patent Trial and Appeal Board is experiencing significant practice changes thanks to recent feedback from the Supreme Court and the appointment of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Director, who has committed to bringing further change to the PTAB. In this podcast, Doug Hallward-Driemeier, chair of the firm's appellate & Supreme Court practice, and Scott McKeown, chair of the firm's PTAB practice, discuss these changes and what they might mean for stakeholders. Please visit Scott’s blog www.patentspostgrant.com for additional news and analysis on this topic.
• Ropes & Gray continues to receive high praise for the firm’s record-breaking deal work in Asia. Most recently, Asian Legal Business honored the firm as a winner in three categories at the Asian Legal Business Japan Law Awards 2018, an annual award series recognizing the top legal practitioners, deals and dealmakers in the international legal market. The accolade recognized Ropes & Gray’s work advising a Bain Capital-led consortium in the $18 billion buyout of Toshiba Corps.’s semiconductor business, Asia’s largest-ever leveraged buyout deal. This follows The Financial Times ranking Ropes & Gray as a top firm for innovation in its “Asia-Pacific Innovative Lawyers Awards 2018,” among other recognition. Learn more about our Asia-Pacific offices here.
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