Risa Kuroda is an associate in Ropes & Gray’s corporate department. Risa practices primarily in the firm’s private capital transactions group and represents private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies in connection with a broad range of transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, equity investments and financings. Risa also conducts extensive research to evaluate emerging technologies and digital assets and their relationship to Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) principles. She also assists on cross-border regulatory and transactional matters focusing on artificial intelligence and blockchain-related technologies. In her pro bono practice, Risa provides non-profit development support for environmental and environmental justice organizations, and defends victims of cryptocurrency related fraud.
Risa earned a dual JD/Masters of Science in Sustainability, focusing on corporate social responsibility and ESG. During law school, Risa interned at Beth Israel Lahey Health (BIDMC) and Mass General Brigham’s sustainability department. She also served as a selected researcher for the Harvard Law & International Development Society and as an executive board member of the Boston College Environmental Law Society.
Experience
Mergers and Acquisitions
- Represented Genstar Capital and its portfolio company Signant Health in an undisclosed acquisition of a leading provider of software solutions for clinical trial conduct.
- Represented Audax Private Equity in its acquisition of Flow Control Solutions, a specialist supplier of pipeline equipment, valves, actuators, assemblies and controls.
- Represented AVALT, a family office that makes direct private equity investments, in the purchase of Ned Stevens, a leading provider of residential gutter cleaning and essential exterior home services.
- Assisted in the representation of McAfee Corp. throughout its $14 billion sale to a private equity consortium.
- Representing Crosspoint Capital Partners on portfolio company matters.
Finance
- Represented The Rise Fund in its co-lead investment in the $101M Series B financing of Persefoni AI, a software company that provides climate accounting software.
- Represented Genstar Capital in connection with obtaining debt financing for its acquisition of Tekni-Plex, a developer of highly engineered products, including medical tubing and compounds and specialty food packaging.
- Represented an ad hoc group of first lien lenders of K&N Engineering, Inc., a consumer-branded designer, manufacturer and marketer of high performance automotive and power sports aftermarket parts, in a $60 million new money financing in connection with its out of court restructuring of approximately $415 million of funded indebtedness.
- Representing Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe (WCAS), a leading private equity firm focused exclusively on healthcare and technology industries, in fund financing.
- Represented Prospect Hill Growth Partners in its sale of a significant minority investment in its portfolio company Walker Edison Furniture Company to Blackstone Tactical Opportunities.
- Represented a private equity buyout fund in a $30,000,000 NAV facility.
- Represented Golden Gate Capital portfolio company Tidal Wave Auto Spa in its acquisition financing of W4 Express Wash, a provider of car wash services.
General Corporate
- Provides ongoing ESG diligence services for private equity acquisitions.
- Provides research on corporate artificial intelligence policies.
- Ongoing representation of public company clients in connection with securities law and corporate governance matters in Japan.