Ropes & Gray will welcome 20 new partners across several offices in the U.S. and U.K. on Nov. 1. These partners have a track record of guiding major global investment funds, companies and institutions on complex legal and business matters.
“We are proud to welcome such talented lawyers into our partnership,” said David Djaha, managing partner. “From diverse backgrounds, practices and geographies, and with a demonstrated commitment to our clients and firm, they are already trusted stewards of our firm’s culture.”
Below is a primer on the new partners whose practices focus on alternatives, including private equity firms and their portfolio companies, and asset management, finance and real estate stakeholders.
Boston
- Jessica Cooney works with global private equity firms in transactions ranging from leveraged buyouts and consortium deals to mergers and acquisitions and dispositions.
- Rajarshi Banerjee specializes in life sciences, providing advice to venture capital firms, emerging biotechs and large pharmaceutical companies.
- Brandon Dunn provides commercial tax advice to private equity firms and strategic clients on matters including M&A, dispositions and restructurings.
- Franziska Hertel provides tax advice to the asset management and nonprofit sectors. Her experience covers registered funds, private funds and tax-exempt organizations.
- Matt Byron works with strategic companies in M&A across life sciences, technology and consumer brands, among other industries.
New York
- Sam Duncan’s practice serves asset management clients dealing with the tax aspects of fund formation and complex sponsor transactions. He also has a wealth of experience counseling private equity clients on tax matters arising from investment transactions.
- Tristan Evans-Wilent counsels large-cap and middle-market private equity firms on tax issues related to acquisitions and recapitalizations.
- Doug Giannantonio is a deal lawyer serving private equity firms and portfolio companies. His expertise encompasses M&A, leveraged buyouts, dispositions and general corporate matters across industries including healthcare and software/technology.
- Sam Levitt guides private equity sponsors and portfolio companies in complex transactions, including leveraged buyouts, carve-outs and cross border M&A.
- Sharon Remmer represents asset management clients on all ERISA matters that can arise during a fund’s life cycle.
- Patricia Teixeira guides private investment funds on fund-level financings. She works with borrowers and lenders across strategies including private equity, credit and real estate funds.
London
- Alex Chauvin spearheads secondaries deals in Europe and the U.S., advising asset managers and institutional investors including funds of funds, secondary buyers and sovereign wealth funds.
- Lisa Kaltenbrunner is an antitrust lawyer who counsels private equity funds, tech companies and global health care and life sciences companies.
- Chris Townsend represents U.S. and international private fund sponsors and investors. His experience includes co-investments, secondary liquidity solutions and separately managed accounts across asset classes.
San Francisco
- Catherine Skulan is a private funds lawyer representing sponsors in fund formation and other matters. She specializes on West Coast-based managers in growth and venture capital, hedge and fund of funds investments, among other strategies.
- Chelsea Childs counsels registered fund sponsors on all businesses matters, in addition to working with private funds and retail alternatives.
