The Week at Ropes & Gray

This week, Ropes & Gray advised on a private equity fundraise and produced commentary on key legal developments in intellectual property litigation, health care and life sciences. The firm earned recognition for innovation and legal expertise, and our attorneys were recognized for their excellence across multiple practice areas, including health care, litigation, private equity, and securities & public companies. Here’s a summary of the week’s highlights:

• Parthenon Fund VI, an affiliate of private equity firm Parthenon Capital, announced its closing with more than $2 billion in commitments, exceeding its initial fund target of $1.5 billion. Ropes & Gray represented Parthenon Fund VI on the fundraise.
• The Worcester County District Attorney dropped its case against Massachusetts resident Gary Cifizzari, who was wrongfully convicted of a murder in 1979 and spent 35 years in prison. Mr. Cifizzari’s exoneration was the result of a joint pro bono effort between the New England Innocence Project and a Ropes & Gray litigation team.
• Several developments in intellectual property litigation, health care and life sciences are capturing headlines. To shed light on these legal issues, Ropes & Gray lawyers shared their insights:
• The authority of courts to review a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office decision to hold a patent validity trial based on the timing of a challenge was recently examined during oral argument before the U.S. Supreme Court. IP litigation partner Matt Rizzolo commented on the case in Bloomberg Law.
• China’s new Drug Administration Law encourages the development of innovative drugs, provides pathways to expedite the approval timeline and increases penalties for misconduct. Life sciences regulatory & compliance partner Katherine Wang and associate Tina Wu authored an Asia-Pacific Biotech News article examining the law’s potential impact on life sciences companies.
• U.S. hospital groups have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over a new federal rule that would require them to disclose the discounted prices they give insurers for various procedures. Ropes & Gray appellate and Supreme Court practice leader Douglas Hallward-Driemeier discussed the hospitals’ First Amendment case in The New York Times.
• Ropes & Gray attorneys earned recognition for innovative legal work across multiple practice areas:
• For the eighth straight year, Ropes & Gray was named a top firm in North America for innovation and legal expertise at the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Awards. Among this year’s honors, health care partner Mark Barnes was named “Legal Innovator of the Year” in recognition of his leadership in health care and life sciences.
• Health care partner John Chesley II also received accolades this week for their contributions to the health care field. John was named a 2019 Top Healthcare Lawyer in California by the Daily Journal in recognition of his work in health care finance and restructuring.
• Litigation & enforcement partner Joan McPhee was recognized by Law360 as a 2019 White Collar MVP. She was honored for her work on high-profile white collar defense matters, including the 10-month independent investigation into sexual abuses by former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar.
• Ropes & Gray was profiled by Bloomberg Law as one of the top law firms advising on special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) IPOs. Bloomberg Law highlighted securities & public companies partners Paul Tropp and Christopher Capuzzi as notable attorneys working on SPAC offerings. 
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