With its strategic presence in the nation’s capital, Ropes & Gray’s Washington, D.C. office provides vital support to clients with legal issues involving a strong government component. Established in 1981, the office draws exceptional attorneys stimulated by the challenge of practicing law at the highest levels. Our Washington-based team includes attorneys who have worked at government and regulatory agencies—the same bodies before which they now represent clients.

Practices of particular importance in our Washington, D.C. office include:

  • Administrative Litigation. From challenging U.S. federal and state regulations to defending against government lawsuits, we help clients successfully navigate complex— and often costly—administrative litigation. Our administrative litigation team has a strong presence both in Washington, D.C., where the regulators are based, and across the United States, where our clients operate. We have experience representing clients before 20 government agencies.
  • Appellate & Supreme Court. Ropes & Gray has advocated for clients before the U.S. Supreme Court, federal circuit courts and state appellate courts. Our team includes veteran appellate attorneys who have served in the Office of the Solicitor General, on the appellate staffs of the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil and Antitrust Divisions, and as special assistants to state attorneys general.
  • Antitrust. Built around veterans of the DOJ and FTC and incorporating litigators and former prosecutors with deep antitrust experience, our antitrust team has the knowledge and practical business understanding to assist clients in the full range of antitrust matters.
  • FDA Regulatory. Our Washington-based FDA regulatory team includes attorneys who have worked at the FDA and as key policy advisors in Congress. In addition to handling FDA-related work, we also counsel clients with regard to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), among other agencies.
  • IP Litigation. Our attorneys represent companies at both the trial and appellate levels in key patent litigation courts nationwide. We also litigate matters before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, and tribunals around the world. 
  • ITC Proceedings. With a proven track record at the ITC and in the IP litigation community, Ropes & Gray’s ITC litigators are among the most capable at handling 337 investigations. 
  • Government Enforcement. Our team of enforcement defense attorneys—including former federal prosecutors and enforcement attorneys at U.S. Attorney’s offices, the DOJ and the SEC— understands the complexities of the global regulatory and enforcement environment, as well as the intricacies of working with the U.S. government, providing clients with efficient, cutting-edge advocacy.
  • Investment Management. More than 100 Ropes & Gray attorneys—including litigators who have served as federal prosecutors or enforcement attorneys—focus on serving clients in the investment management industry. We advise these clients on regulatory, compliance, and securities enforcement and litigation matters in dealings with the SEC and other regulators.