Ropes & Gray Appoints Paulita Pike Chicago Managing Partner

Global law firm Ropes & Gray is pleased to announce that asset management partner Paulita Pike has been named managing partner of the firm’s 130-person Chicago office.

Laura Hoey, who has served as the Chicago managing partner for nearly two years, has been appointed a co-leader of Ropes & Gray’s litigation & enforcement practice group.

Paulita Pike

Paulita represents registered funds, and their investment advisers and boards, counseling on structuring innovative investment products, including regulatory and compliance obligations associated with bringing these products to market. She also counsels clients on a host of governance issues, M&A and joint ventures, registration and disclosures, governance, compliance, industry best practices, regulatory investigations, and cybersecurity issues, among other areas. 

Crain’s Chicago Business twice named Paulita one of “Chicago’s Notable Women Lawyers.” Chambers USA, The Legal 500 and Best Lawyers in America also rank Paulita as one of the nation’s top lawyers. She is also a Fund Directions Mutual Fund Awards Hall of Fame Inductee, having twice won the publication’s Independent Counsel of the Year award.

“Ropes & Gray is one of the elite law firms in the city.  Paulita is a natural leader who will help the firm continue to thrive in the Chicago market. She is one of Chicago’s very best lawyers, and a connector of people. Paulita leads an outstanding team in Chicago that works together and with lawyers across the firm to lead our clients in areas where Ropes & Gray excels, including private equity, asset management, health care, litigation and enforcement,” said firm chair Julie Jones.

Commitment to the community is a hallmark of Ropes & Gray, and Paulita makes a deep civic contribution to Chicago and its surrounding communities. Paulita is a member of the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, where she serves as Treasurer and Chair of its Finance Committee; is a member of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Sustaining Fellows; and is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Paulita is passionate about fostering an inclusive community of professionals, heading several firmwide diversity programs and trainings. She is also is deeply committed to pro bono legal service, reinforcing Ropes & Gray’s long-standing focus on pro bono causes. Our lawyers committed more than 155,000 hours to pro bono legal service in 2020, tackling the most complex issues before us: racial justice and equity and pandemic response among them. The firm is a charter member of the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance. It also recently helped Illinois hospitals respond to COVID-19 by licensing medical professionals across state lines, and has helped small businesses in the Midwest access needed financial relief and legal guidance. In addition, Paulita helps DACA recipients extend or change their immigration status.

In 2017, Paulita created and launched our firm’s Community Engagement and Outreach program to encourage associates to find civic and nonprofit organizations that they can serve and support.

Laura Hoey

Laura is a Chambers-ranked lawyer and a former federal prosecutor. She represents clients in the pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostic laboratory and dental industries that are facing government investigations and congressional inquiries. Laura is known for her deep understanding of creative and tenacious defenses and for efficient, well-managed internal investigations.

Laura was twice named one of Crain’s Chicago Business’s “Chicago’s Notable Women Lawyers”, received Chicago Daily Law Bulletin’s “Salute! Women in Law” award in 2020, and was also named to the Law Bulletin’s “40 under 40” list.  Chambers USA and The Legal 500 rank Laura as one of the nation’s top litigation and enforcement lawyers. She previously co-chaired Ropes & Gray’s Women’s Forum, which supports the development and advancement of women in business and law.

“Ropes & Gray’s Chicago office is a powerhouse and has benefited from Laura’s vision, drive and commitment to excellence. She kept our Chicago office growing and united in common cause for our clients, and each other, during the pandemic,” said firm managing partner David Djaha. “We are excited Laura will continue to play an important role as co-chair of our global Litigation and Enforcement group.” 

Several of the city’s most talented lawyers have recently joined Ropes & Gray in Chicago. In 2020, Ryan Preston Dahl joined the firm’s restructuring practice and Matthew Jones joined the benefits practice. In 2019, Martin Ruhaak joined the private equity practice.