Julie Jones Renewed for Second Term as Chair of Ropes & Gray; Neill Jakobe Appointed as Vice Chair

Global Law Firm Announces Leadership Team Focused on Clients

Ropes & Gray announced today that Julie Jones has been renewed for a second term as Chair of the 1,500-lawyer global firm. Neill Jakobe has been appointed Vice Chair for a five-year term beginning in January 2025. David Djaha, who has served as Managing Partner, is retiring in 2025 and will complete his five-year term in December 2024.

Jones became chair in 2020. Under her leadership, Ropes & Gray has been named The American Lawyer's “Law Firm of the Year,” is consistently ranked top-three on its prestigious “A-List,” and the firm’s lawyers have been named as its “Dealmakers of the Year” for four straight years. Jones herself has been honored on the Forbes “50 over 50” and its “America’s Top Lawyers,” and by Financial Times' “Top Law Firm Leaders.” She is ranked by Chambers as an Eminent Practitioner for corporate M&A, among many other awards and accolades.

“We are excited to build on our momentum, by serving clients in ways that are notably different from our competitors. We do that by being a “relationship first” firm, with clients and colleagues alike,” said Jones. “When you know clients’ businesses as well as they do and think about clients’ problems and opportunities as if they were your own, you can help them achieve extraordinary things. Everything we do for clients is rooted in a culture of teamwork, caring and mutual support that we zealously protect.”

Jakobe, a member of the firm’s management committee and previously head of the Chicago office and co-head of the firm’s global Private Equity practice, has been appointed to a five-year term as Vice Chair, beginning in January 2025. Jakobe focuses on private equity buyouts and strategic M&A. He has helped steer an international roster of private equity and strategic clients through complex deals worth billions of dollars. As Vice Chair, Jakobe will be primarily focused on client growth initiatives, while continuing his active engagement in client work.

“Neill is known for his extreme devotion to our clients. He is a superb lawyer and importantly, a trusted advisor to clients who knows their businesses inside and out, standing with them as they confront their most critical issues,” said Jones. 

Djaha, who has served as Managing Partner since 2020, previously announced his plan to retire from practice at the end of 2025, concluding a distinguished 37-year career in elite law. 

“Upon his retirement, David will leave an enduring legacy at our firm. In his role as the leader of our global real estate practice, his membership on our management committee and acting as the firm’s Managing Partner, he has helped build an impressive client base and recruit market-leading talent to the firm,” said Jones. “He is respected for his client service as well as his signature warmth, devotion to the partnership, and embodiment of the firm’s culture of collegiality and community.”

Ropes & Gray is a $3 billion, 14-office global powerhouse, 3,000 people strong, with a 500+ lawyer New York office. The firm is devoted to building long-term client relationships grounded in delivering the best outcomes and highest-touch client service. Ropes & Gray’s strategy focuses on the sectors that shape the global economy such as private capital, asset management, healthcare, business restructuring, life sciences, technology, infrastructure and more. Its clients are worldwide market leaders in those industries, including half of the 150 largest PE firms and nine of the 10 largest biotech companies.