Profile: Ropes & Gray LLP

Ropes & Gray LLP - Who's Who Legal '70'

What is the Who's Who Legal '70'?

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
The firm put in an extremely strong performance in the patents chapter, boasting the largest contingent in New York with five partners on our list. Herbert Schwartz is an experienced IP litigator, as is Albert Fey. The “excellent” Jesse Jenner has an enviable client list. He is joined by James Haley, head of patents in the corporate IP group. The other representative of the firm in this chapter is the “wonderful” Robert Morgan whose special knowledge of telecommunications, electronics, semiconductor technology, and medical instruments and products was noted.

In the trademarks arena, Vincent Palladino was praised for his “excellent” practice; Susan Progoff is “the real deal”, according to one of our sources. Both practise in New York. The firm also features in the internet and e-commerce chapter, thanks to Harry Rubin who joined Ropes & Gray LLP in 2007 and wrote the “very well-regarded” International Technology Transfers.

CORPORATE
Ropes & Gray is seen as a “super firm” for private funds work and provides a five lawyers for our chapter. From the Boston office, the “brilliant” Bradford Malt and “titan” Larry Jordan Rowe received a deluge of praise from contributors. In New York, William Hewitt was placed “among the top tier in the USA” and represents venture capital firms such as Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe. Also highly rated is John MacMurray, an “outstanding” lawyer who represents private equity sponsor groups. William McCormack is co-chairman of the private equity investment funds practice at the firm, also representing sponsor groups on a range of funds products.

The corporate tax chapter is another area where the firm is highly rated. Stephen Shay represents clients in a broad range of international tax issues and is a lecturer at the Harvard Law School where he teaches a course on international aspects of US income taxation. Eric Elfman joins Shay and is another prominent figure at the Boston Bar. Stuart Hirshfield features in the insolvency and restructuring chapter, he represents creditors’ committees; debtors; boards and committees of directors; acts for bank and financial institutions in loan workouts; international insolvency matters, structuring of deals; and handles bankruptcy mergers and acquisitions and bankruptcy litigation. Robert Nutt features in the corporate governance section and was praised for his work in this area.

DISPUTE RESOLUTION
The firm has an enviable reputation for white-collar criminal defence and the business crime chapter features two highly nominated practitioners. Michael Fee is “top for pharmaceutical and medical matters”, according to one source we spoke to. He has a background in the criminal division of the Department of Justice where he served as a prosecutor in the division’s public integrity section. Brien O’Connor, who served as chief of public corruption and special prosecutions for the United States attorney’s office, also comes highly recommended.

There are also two individuals from the firm in the commercial litigation chapter: John Donovan and Paul Galvani. Galvani is also included in the environment chapter alongside Colburn Cherney, who coordinates the environmental practice for Ropes & Gray in Washington, DC, and worked with the Environmental Protection Agency as its first assistant general counsel for Superfund as well as acting as associate general counsel responsible for water.

Cary Armistead features in our competition chapter. He is vice chairman of the corporate department, co-head of the firm’s international practice group and a former trial attorney with the Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice.