Health Care Counsel Rejoins Ropes & Gray

August 4, 2021

Leslie Thornton, Ph.D., J.D., rejoined Ropes & Gray’s health care practice as counsel in San Francisco. 

Leslie returns to the firm from a publicly traded, global consumer technology company. There, she served as senior health privacy counsel, supporting the company’s health research initiatives and working directly with business and engineering teams to design privacy solutions for related products and services. In this role, Leslie utilized experience gained as a health care associate at Ropes & Gray (2012 – 2019), as well as pre-law experience in public health research and methods.

“Leslie’s return to the firm is welcome because she brings the combination of law firm and in-house perspectives to health care, digital health, biomedical research, and technology clients,” said Timothy McCrystal, partner and co-chair of Ropes & Gray health care practice. “We are thrilled to welcome her back to the team.”

“No health care practice matches its depth of industry expertise. Ropes & Gray has advised major health care clients on strategic, operational, and regulatory aspects of privacy/security, digital health and clinical research matters, positioning the firm for growth and success during the pandemic and beyond,” said Leslie.

Leslie is joined in the health care practice by two preeminent, California-based health care lawyers, who arrived earlier this year: Torrey McClary as a partner and Ranee Adipat as a counsel. Last year partner Stephanie Webster, one of the top health care reimbursement lawyers and appellate litigators in the country, and Margaux J. Hall, a leading lawyer in drug pricing, managed care and value-based payment arrangements, joined the firm’s Washington, D.C. office.

The health care industry in the 21st century faces tremendous change driven by growing demand, new technologies, shifting business models and intense government scrutiny. Clients benefit from Ropes & Gray’s deep experience in health care law, and our intimate knowledge of our clients’ industries, which position the firm to preempt and resolve legal issues across the full range of relevant practices.

In 2021, the firm received every major health care award for its work. This includes:

  • Chambers USA 2021 “Health Care Firm of the Year” award, and also ranks the firm’s work highly, as does The Legal 500 US.
  • The American Lawyer’s “Corporate Legal Department of the Year, Health Care”
  • The Deal’s “Health Care, Pharma & Biotech Law Firm of the Year”
  • Law360’s “Health Care Practice Group of the Year” – the second year in a row
  • Financial Times’ award for the best law firm in “Enabling Business Response to COVID-19”
  • U.S. News–Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms”, “Law Firm of the Year, Health Care”