Ropes & Gray’s 100-Lawyer Chicago Office Continues to Expand with Arrival of Leading Finance Partner

In The News
September 8, 2021

Gregory Bauer, a nationally recognized leveraged finance lawyer, joined the firm’s finance practice today. Greg is based in Ropes & Gray’s 100-lawyer Chicago office – a team known for “talented, sophisticated problem solvers” who “understand what is important to clients,” according to Chambers USA in its 2021 guide. The firm continues to expand its leveraged finance practice in the Midwest, complementing a world-class team of private equity and M&A business advisers. 

Greg brings with him more than 20 years of experience working on a wide variety of financing and restructuring transactions. He is recognized for a commercial approach to advising clients on complex financing transactions including senior, mezzanine and subordinated debt placements, acquisition financings, asset-based loans, venture capital financings, sponsor lines of credit and general working capital facilities. 

Greg represents private equity sponsors, borrowers, institutional investors, lenders and mezzanine funds in secured and unsecured finance transactions. He also has noteworthy experience in business restructurings including negotiating debtor-in-possession and other bankruptcy related financings, workouts and secured party sale transactions. 

“Ropes & Gray’s leveraged finance practice has a platinum reputation, and Greg is a perfect fit because he acts both as a business and legal adviser to clients,” said Stefanie Birkmann, co-chair of Ropes & Gray’s global finance practice. “Greg has a longstanding and successful track record in this space and helps us to expand our top-rated finance teams.”  

“Our Chicago office offers a one-stop-shop for global investors, whether they are based here in Chicago, or around the world. We have a world-class team of deal lawyers who help clients navigate uncertainty and negotiate great deal terms on tight timeframes,” said Paulita Pike, managing partner of Ropes & Gray’s Chicago office. “We are thrilled to welcome Greg to our dynamic, practical, clever and close-knit group.” 

Ropes & Gray is a leading law firm in Chicago. In 2021, the finance practice grew in Chicago with the arrival of counsel Nichole Lopez-Tackett. In 2020, the firm added business restructuring partner Ryan Preston Dahl, executive compensation and employee benefits partner Matthew R. Jones, and business restructuring counsel Benjamin Rhode to its Chicago office. In 2019, the firm welcomed private equity partner Martin Ruhaak. Established in 2008, Ropes & Gray’s Chicago office has grown from three lawyers to a fully integrated team of roughly 100 attorneys advising an increasingly broad range of local, regional, national and international clients.