The Financial Times Cites Ropes & Gray as a Leading Firm for Innovation

The Financial Times recognized Ropes & Gray among the leading innovative law firms in North America in its Innovative Lawyers 2015 report released on Dec. 8. The firm was also named a finalist for two awards at The Financial Times Innovative Lawyers awards in New York.

The firm received high marks across the report, highlighting ways in which Ropes & Gray helped clients enable their businesses and respond to compliance, as well as ways in which the firm committed to social responsibility through pro bono work. Among the firm’s successful results cited in the report:

• The firm was noted as a standout for leading a class action challenging the unconstitutional use of excessive force by Department of Correction staff against inmates of New York City jails on Rikers Island, with a resulting settlement that puts in place a comprehensive set of reform measures. Litigation partners Bill Sussman and Chris Conniff led a Ropes & Gray pro bono team that dedicated more than 30,000 hours to Nunez v. City of New York over a three-year period. The Financial Times commented that Ropes & Gray “succeeded where many others had not, and kick-started a robust dialogue on prison reform across the nation.”
• The firm was highly commended for its work on the sale of Norcraft Companies to Fortune Brands Home & Security in one of the first sales of a tax-efficient “Up-C” company, which allowed pre-initial public offering stakeholders to receive an accelerated payout. The Norcraft deal was led by private equity partner Carl Marcellino.
• The firm was commended for its role in helping Dunkin’ Brands Group refinance its credit facility with a new $2.6 billion securitization that reused a same special-purpose subsidiary from a previous securitization, saving both costs and time. Finance partner Winthrop Minot led the Ropes & Gray team on the deal.
• The firm was also commended for the development of a compliance service for private equity clients to ensure that they are current with SEC rules and prepared for assessments. Securities & futures enforcement partner Eva Carman and private investment funds partner Jason E. Brown led the firm initiative.

The firm’s work in Asia was recognized earlier in the year in the Asia-Pacific edition of the report.