Ropes & Gray Names 21 New Partners

Global law firm Ropes & Gray announced today that 21 attorneys have been named partners of the firm, effective November 1. 

The new partners are outstanding advisers to the firm’s global clients. They represent practices and specialties of critical importance across multiple industries, including asset management, private equity, finance, real estate, life sciences, health care, technology, employment, executive compensation, benefits, litigation and enforcement. 

“We are pleased to welcome this new group of partners, who are uniquely positioned to help our clients thrive in today’s uncertain economic environment,” said Julie Jones, chair. “These lawyers are problem solvers and big-picture thinkers, guided by a commercial approach and a deep understanding of the law.” 

The new partners embody the firm’s commitment to excellence and strong values, as exemplified by its recent #1 ranking on The American Lawyer’s annual A-List. 

“Our new partners are committed team players from diverse backgrounds, are trusted advisors to our clients and are dedicated to our firm and our communities,” said David Djaha, managing partner.  

Meet Ropes & Gray’s newest partners: 

Samantha Barrett Badlam – Samantha guides clients through high-stakes investigations and enforcement matters, relying on extensive experience with government-facing and internal investigations and a keen understanding of company compliance programs across industries. She is a trusted advisor to global multinational companies across a wide range of sectors, including healthcare, life sciences, energy, and oil and gas, supporting their compliance and enforcement needs related to various U.S. fraud and corruption statutes. 

Stephanie Bruce – A go-to employment lawyer, Stephanie is sought out to steer transactions involving non-compete and worker classification issues. In addition to providing transactional support, she assists clients with a wide range of labor and employment issues. Stephanie has deep knowledge about restrictive covenants across all 50 states, as well as years of employment litigation experience.

Drew Clary – Drew is a health care lawyer who advises insurance companies, hospitals and health systems and a range of other providers on a broad range of regulatory, transactional and compliance issues. Clients from New York and across the United States rely on Drew for his deep experience in the areas of Medicaid, managed care structures and transactions, value-based care payments, risk-bearing models and New York State health care regulations.

Dan Coyne – Dan focuses his practice on leveraged financings for private equity sponsors in a broad range of industries, including healthcare, software and financial services. He advises clients across the full spectrum of financing transactions, from smaller financings for middle-market private equity firms to the most complex multitranche financings for large-cap leveraged buyouts. Clients enjoy working with Dan for his mastery of complex finance structures. 

Sally Davis – Sally acts for real estate equity investors in a wide range of transactions. Working with leading hedge funds, private equity funds and asset managers, Sally advises on joint ventures, financings, acquisitions and dispositions, as well as real estate aspects of corporate transactions. She is known for developing innovative solutions for achieving client business goals such as expanding into innovative asset types, creating hybrid deal structures, or exploring new approaches to governance. Sally is a co-leader of the firm’s initiative on ESG in commercial real estate. 

Bil Davison – Bil is an experienced civil litigator who handles bet-the-company litigation for clients in the financial services and pharmaceutical industries. He also has deep familiarity with  investment management litigation and SEC enforcement matters. Bil is highly regarded by clients for his strategic thinking and ability to turn a complex set of facts into a persuasive piece of advocacy. A thought leader in ESG fund litigation risk assessment, Bil has co-authored a number of articles on the subject.

Gabrielle DiBernardi – Gabrielle guides private equity sponsors and other investment management firms in leveraged buyouts, mergers and acquisitions, strategic acquisitions, and dispositions. She assists clients with investments across various industries, including health care, life sciences and software/technology. Gabrielle also has extensive experience representing financial sponsors and other clients in investments in distressed companies and restructuring matters. 

Shona Ha – A private equity lawyer, Shona excels at complex, cross-border transactions, including buyouts, disposals, carve-outs, joint ventures and co‐investments. She works often with clients pursuing health care and life sciences deals. Shona has co‐authored a U.K.-focused chapter in The Legal 500’s Comparative Guide to Private Equity. She helped launch R&G Insights Lab. 

Laura Hirst – Laura is a versatile private funds lawyer who handles everything from closed-  and open-end funds for sponsors to complicated primary and secondary transactions for investors. Laura assists asset managers and other financial services companies in launching and operating a variety of fund types, including credit and hybrid funds. A former in-house attorney for two global asset managers, Laura is known for developing cutting-edge solutions for her clients. 

Yoni Levy – Yoni guides sponsors and investors through fundraising, ranging from first-time offerings to billion-dollar funds. With a broad practice, Yoni works across fund types, including LBO, credit, energy, evergreen and fund of funds. In addition, Yoni has substantial transactional experience, including on bespoke asset management deals such as spinouts and restructurings of private equity firms. 

Nichole Lopez-Tackett – Nichole, part of the firm’s leveraged finance team, acts for private equity sponsors, as well as corporate and other borrowers, in complex middle-market and large-cap acquisition financing transactions. She also has significant experience representing clients in all aspects of the private equity life cycle, including liability management, restructuring transactions and fund financings. 

Jessica Marlin – Jessica advises private fund sponsors on all aspects of their businesses, including fund formation, management company matters, and regulatory and compliance issues, focusing on bespoke products and diverse business lines, and with particular expertise advising credit fund and hedge fund sponsors. Jessica also represents large institutional investors with capital deployment in alternatives, negotiating anchor investments in primary and secondary/continuation vehicle structures. 

Pascal Mayer – Pascal advises clients on their executive compensation and benefits matters in transactions for sponsors, private companies and public companies. He helps design equity compensation arrangements and advises on associated tax and securities laws implications. He also has considerable experience representing executives and sponsors in the negotiation of employment and separation arrangements. Pascal works a wide range of industries, leveraging his prior experience as an investment banker to provide clients with practical solutions to complex legal and business issues. 

Anthony Mongone – With an exceptional combination of both commercial real estate (CRE) debt and equity experience, Anthony guides clients in a wide range of real estate transactions, including CRE repurchase facilities, note-on-note financings and syndication strategies for mortgage REITs and private debt funds. He also represents funds in acquisitions, dispositions and scalable joint ventures, focusing on distressed and value-add assets. 

Jessica Reece – Jessica advises registered investment companies, their independent trustees and investments advisers on regulatory, transactional and compliance matters. A skilled regulatory lawyer, her experience extends beyond traditional registered funds work and includes deep knowledge of ETFs, BDCs, REITs, data security compliance, Advisers Act compliance and FINRA regulation. She regularly works with broker-dealers that operate in the registered funds space on FINRA and other matters. 

Ben Rhode – Ben guides clients in all aspects of corporate restructuring, bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings. He brings significant company-side and creditor-side experience to his practice, along with a strategic mindset and deep market knowledge. Over his career, Ben has represented many distressed companies, boards of directors, financial sponsors and investors. He works with clients across a broad range of industries, including private equity, healthcare, aerospace, and media and entertainment. 

Scott Rolnik – A seasoned finance lawyer, Scott advises global private equity firms and their portfolio companies on bank, bond, preferred equity and other capital markets transactions, as well as liability management transactions. In addition, Scott counsels leading global real estate investment firms on leveraged finance-style transactions in the capital markets space. Clients regularly rely on Scott to provide highly tailored, market-leading terms for their most complex financing transactions.

Alexander Simkin – Alex is an experienced litigator who has represented sophisticated financial institutions and other corporate clients through all stages of complex commercial litigation, from pre-litigation advisory services through trial and appeal. During his career, Alex has earned praise as a trusted advisor to clients in private equity, banking and insurance. He has appeared for plaintiffs and defendants in federal and state courts across the United States. 

Annie Sipe – Annie guides private equity clients and strategic investors through complicated M&A transactions, leveraged buyouts, minority investments, recapitalizations and more. She has deep experience with cross-border and carve-out transactions. Annie is known for her ability to pivot across industries, focusing on serving clients in the healthcare, life sciences and technology sectors.

PJ Sullivan – PJ is a dynamic and multifaceted private equity lawyer, having established deep client relationships with investors in the middle-market and large-cap spaces and in a range of industries, including TMT, retail, consumer products, healthcare, industrials and asset management. Although M&A is his focus, clients turn to PJ for their most bespoke and high-stakes transactions, valuing his approach to solving complex issues.  

Dan Zuckerman – Dan provides tax advice to private equity and hedge fund sponsors and investors through the full life cycle of funds—from structuring through ongoing operations and dispositions—across a range of asset classes. He has experience in continuation funds, treaty funds, SPAC offerings and tax planning for carried interest.