JD Journal » Ropes & Gray

Goffer Insider-Trading Trial Deliberations Begin

EmploymentCrossing — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 09:56:29 +0000

The trial of Mr. Goffer and two others started Thursday who have been charged with insider-trading, conspiracy and securities fraud. Jurors asked for office supplies – dry erase board and the trading records cited as evidence. The trial shall be continued Monday. Two former lawyers of Ropes & Gray are alleged to have passed on the confidential information to Goffer through his friends against a substantial amount paid by him. They have already testified guilty along with two more and the four are listed as cooperating witnesses.

Read the original article here:

Deliberations Begin in Goffer Insider-Trading Trial

Snooping Went on at Ropes & Gray During Insider Trial

EmploymentCrossing — Thu, 26 May 2011 15:47:52 +0000

Attorney Brian Santerlas testifies at the insider trading trial of Zvi Goffer, Emanuel Goffer and trader Michael Kimelman. Santerlas was an attorney at the law firm of Ropes & Gray, and claimed that he would “snoop” on the law firm, and pass information to Goffer about 3Com and other companies. David Slaine later testified. Slaine cooperated with the FBI by wearing a wiretap to record conversations with the defendants, Goffer, Goffer, and Kimelman, showing that the inside information came from the Ropes & Gray law firm.

Read the full article here:

Attorney Details ‘Snooping’ at Firm During Insider Trial

Former Aide to Abramoff Must Pay Firm Millions in Restitution

rebneely — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 21:11:39 +0000

According to today’s article at AmLawDaily.com, Michael Scanlon, former aide to Greenberg Traurig partner Jack Abramoff, “cannot challenge the firm’s request that he pay $17.7 million in restitution to the firm for money it distributed to victims in a fraud scheme,” according to a federal judge’s ruling in Washington, D.C.. In other words, Scanlon will now have to pay the law firm the millions of dollars the law firm had to pay in restitution to fraud victims.

Scanlon, then a public affairs specialist, worked with now convicted felon and former lobbyist and Greenberg Traurig partner Jack Abramoff, on Native American casino issues. The pair stole nearly $20 million from certain Native American tribes. In February, Scanlon was sentenced to nearly two years in prison for his part in the scheme.

Many of the tribes have sued, or threatened to sue Greenberg Traurig for what the pair did.

The argument Stephen Braga of Ropes & Gray presented on behalf of Scanlon was that Greenberg Traurig knew about certain fees Scanlon was paying Abramoff.

Kevin Downey of Williams & Connolly has consistently fought Scanlon in court over the challenge to his making restitution.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 13:16:42 +0000

Good morning everybody! Today is Thursday, November 11th, and it’s Veterans Day. Here’s a quick look back at yesterday’s stories.

Austin-based labor and employment shareholder Peyton Smith was named Winstead PC’s new firm-wide lateral hiring shareholder…

McKool Smith ranked high in the “Top 100 Workplaces in Dallas/Fort Worth”…

Crowell & Moring launched the Retail Law Observer, a blog covering legal issues and key trends facing the retail industry…

Ropes & Gray added hedge funds lawyer Sarah Davidoff, formerly the co-chair of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan’s private funds group in New York, to its New York office…

As of yesterday, the leader in the Alaska Senate race was the generic “write in” vote, who many presumed was incumbent Senator Lisa Murkowski…

Almost a year and a half after announcing plans to move away from lockstep compensation and implement a merit-based pay system for its associates, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius decided against it…

Ropes & Gray Adds Former Practice Head in New York

joshua — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 18:38:09 +0000

Ropes & Gray has bolstered its New York office with the addition of hedge funds lawyer Sarah Davidoff, formerly the co-chair of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan’s private funds group in New York.

Davidoff counsels clients on the formation, structure, re-organization, and operation of hedge funds and assists them with structuring compensation and related profit-sharing arrangements. Additionally, she has advised clients on the launch of feeder funds, institutional seed investments, and managed account programs.

Davidoff also focuses on the ongoing regulatory and compliance matters affecting her clients, guiding them through the more complex regulatory environment for hedge funds ushered in by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010.

“Sarah is well versed in establishing and operating hedge funds,” said Laurel FitzPatrick, head of Ropes & Gray’ s hedge fund practice. “Her impressive skill set perfectly complements the interests of our globally situated investor clients—be they institutional firms, independent managers, or individuals. We are pleased to have her join our team.”

Ropes & Gray has more than 1,000 lawyers in professionals operating in offices in New York, Washington, D.C., Boston, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Chicago, London, Tokyo, and Hong Kong.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 14:22:01 +0000

Good morning everybody! Today is Monday, October 18th. Here’s a quick look back at Friday’s stories.

Axinn Veltrop expanded its Washington D.C. litigation practice…

Buchanan Ingersoll bolstered its Oil and Gas practice…

International firm Ropes & Gray relocated its Boston office to the Prudential Center in Boston

Ropes & Gray Gets New Boston Office

joshua — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 19:35:29 +0000

International firm Ropes & Gray has relocated its Boston office to the Prudential Center, the firm said in a press release Thursday.

“Our move to the Prudential Center reinforces Ropes & Gray’s commitment to the Boston community within our strategy of national and international growth,” said Brad Malt, chairman of Ropes & Gray. “We will continue to bolster the firm’s core strengths in our leading practice groups while building our international capabilities.”

The new Prudential Center location has more than 400,000 square feet of state-of-the-art office space and a high-tech conference center that will house the firm’s 500 attorneys in Boston. Said Malt: “The open, technology-enabled environment will support collaboration with our clients and colleagues well into the future,” said Mr. Malt.

The new office, designed by Gensler, has modern work spaces and views of Boston and Cambridge.

Ropes & Gray has 1,000 attorneys and professionals around the world.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 12:43:01 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Thursday, August 12th. Here’s a quick look back at yesterday’s stories.

The National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms will hold its diversity conference in Washington D.C….

Boies, Schiller & Flexner partner Zack takes reins as ABA president…

Vault.com ranked Ropes & Gray as the “Best Firm to Work For” for the second year in a row…

Florida Attorney General issued subpoenas to three South Florida foreclosure law firms…

Ropes & Gray Dubbed ‘Best Firm to Work For’ by Vault.com

joshua — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 19:03:51 +0000

Vault.com has ranked Ropes & Gray as the “Best Firm to Work For” for the second year in a row. In revealing the rankings, Vault.com said, “Ropes & Gray manages…to combine a high level practice with a collegial and respectful culture.

The “quality of life” rankings were determined using a formula that weighed several categories, including satisfaction, hours, associate/partner relations, diversity, formal training, informal training, pro bono and business outlook.

Ropes & Gray was also No. 1 for hours, firm culture and informal training.

Here is the list of Top 10 firms:

1. Ropes & Gray

2. Williams & Connolly

3. Morrison & Foerster

4. Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto

5. Shook, Hardy & Bacon

6. Hughes, Hubbard & Reed

7. Jones Day

8. Davis Polk & Wardwell

9. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison

10. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom

With over 1,000 attorneys, Ropes & Gray is a global law firm with offices in Boston, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Tokyo, and Washington, DC.

Carlton Fields Again Tops Vault Diversity Rankings

joshua — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 17:11:07 +0000

For the second year in a row, Carlton Fields ranked No. 1 in the category of Overall Diversity in the Vault Guide to the Top 100 Law Firms (2011 edition). Hughes Hubbard & Reed, which last year ranked 18^th in diversity, leapfrogged to No. 2.

According to a press release from Carlton Fields, the firm ranked nationally in the following Quality of Life categories:

1st in Overall Diversity (second year in a row)
1st in Diversity Issues with Respect to Women (second year in a row)
1st in Diversity Issues with Respect to Minorities (second year in a row)
5th in Diversity Issues with Respect to GLBT (moved up from 20th in 2010)
6th in Informal Training
9th in Associate Satisfaction
14th in the Best Law Firms to Work For

Carlton Fields was honored for its top ranking during a Diversity Awards Breakfast on July 30 at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington D.C.

The Vault rankings are based on associate surveys on various “Quality of Life” criteria. A team of Vault researchers surveyed 170 of the nation’s largest firms, including Carlton Fields. The top 20 for Overall Diversity scored the highest nationally across all three diversity categories (Women, Minorities, GLBT).

Vault is an insider career network providing detailed information on careers with thousands of companies and dozens of industries.

Here is the complete Top 5:

1. Carlton Fields

2. Hughes Hubbard & Reed

3. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison

4. Ropes & Gray

5. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton

Firms Looking to Increase Summer Hires

joshua — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:08:16 +0000

AM Law Daily provided some encouraging news Friday in a preview of the upcoming summer hiring season. According to its reporting, summer associate class-size is expected to show significant increases in some cases among the more prestigious firms.

Cravath, Swaine & Moore, which has a summer class size of 23 now, is expected to increase its hiring to around 75 for next summer. The story notes how Cravath “shocked the market” when it slashed its summer class size from 123 in 2009 to this year’s low number.

The number of summer associates at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom fell from 225 in 2009 to 79 this year, but that number could jump back to over 100.

While still not at the levels from before the cuts, the AM Law Daily notes that the increases are “a modest jump, but modest jumps are what pass for good news these days.”

Ropes & Gray could go over 100 summer associates after having 82 this year. Jones Day expects to increase its summer class from the 124 of this year and Proskauer Rose will hold steady.

None of this is official, however, as much of the information for the story is based largely on anonymous sources.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 11:33:52 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Thursday, July 1st. Here’s a quick recap of yesterday’s stories.

Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan ended her Senate testimony…

Lindquist & Vennum attorney John A. Chanin was named president-elect of The Faculty of Federal Advocates…

Greenberg Traurig’s Reorganization and Bankruptcy Practice Group received the Global M&A Network’s 2010 Turnaround Atlas Award…

Four McKool Smith principals have been named to to the Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America list…

Nixon Peabody announced partner Kari K. Harris joined the firms’ private equity fund practice in its Boston office…

Fried Frank introduced a partner in its Asset Management Group…

Winston & Strawn adds partner to Trusts And Estates Group…

Clark Hill PLC, through lateral hires absorbed the Chicago based IP firm Trexler, Bushnell, Giangiorgi, Blackstone & Marr…

Nixon Peabody Boosts Its Equity Fund Practice

eric — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 17:27:00 +0000

Nixon Peabody has announced the arrival of new partner Kari K. Harris. Ms. Harris, who joins the firm from Ropes & Gray, comes to the firm’s private equity fund practice at its Boston office, says Franchise Law News. Her focus is the representation of private investment funds in connection with their fundraising, as well as representing institutional investors in an advisory fashion. She also has extensive experience in fund structuring.

Nixon Peabody is one of the largest general practice law firms in the country with 17 offices in the United States in addition to locations in London, Paris and Shanghai. The firm has more than 800 lawyers in 25 different areas of practice and clients including emerging and middle-market businesses, national and multinational corporations, financial institutions, public entities, educational and non profit organizations, and individuals. The firm was formed in 1999 by a merger of two firms: Nixon, Hargrave, Devans & Doyle LLP and Peabody & Brown.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 11:05:05 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Monday, June 14th. Here’s a quick recap of Friday’s stories.

For the second year running, Chambers honored Dechert LLP with the Award for Excellence in Product Liability…

McDermott Will & Emery was selected as Chambers’ Winner For Health Team Of The Year…

Chambers named Ropes & Gray number one in the field of intellectual property for 2010…

Greenberg Traurig received the Chambers award for its Real Estate Practice group…

Sidley Austin was honored by Chambers as the best in international trade…

Chambers presented Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom with its annual Award for Excellence in the Tax Category…

New York based Chadbourne & Parke LLP was honored by Chambers for Excellence in the Energy Projects category…

Chambers awarded Sullivan & Cromwell for its excellence in the field of Energy Projects…

Weil Gotshal’s Bankruptcy Group rated for excellence by Chambers…

Gibson Dunn received Chambers annual Award for Excellence in the Antitrust Category…

National labor and employment firm Fisher & Phillips LLP is increasing its associate pay scale…

Venable LLP was the recipient of the Chambers Annual Award for Excellence in the Advertising and Marketing Category…

Have An Idea To Protect? Go To Ropes & Gray

eric — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 19:04:53 +0000

If your company needs top notch representation to protect its intellectual property, then look no further than the Boston based Ropes & Gray LLP. Chambers’ has named it number one in the field for 2010. Its USA publication, available today, ranks the leading firms and lawyers in an extensive range of practice areas throughout America.

With more than 130 years of experience serving individual inventors and industry innovators, Ropes & Gray’s IP Group has built on the legacy of Fish & Neave, the IP boutique it merged with in 2005, to become one of the highest rated, consistently rewarded, and most respected IP practices in the profession. The Intellectual Property Group provides a full range of IP rights and management services from licensing and transactions to rights protection and full-scale litigation. Its IP team has more than 200 lawyers, 43 patent agents and technical advisors and 34 paralegals.

With over 1,000 attorneys, Ropes & Gray is a leading global law firm with offices in Boston, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Tokyo, and Washington, DC.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 11:45:20 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Friday, March 26, and before we head into the weekend let’s take a look back at yesterday’s headlines…

All 60 members of UCI’s inaugural class have landed summer jobs…

Morris Manning & Martin has established a foothold in South America by forging an alliance with a Brazilian firm…

A federal judge has rejected a settlement agreement in a class action lawsuit brought by workers involved in the cleanup from 9/11…

Lady Gaga is facing a lawsuit brought by a former boyfriend and business associate…

Duane Morris is the latest firm to report good numbers for 2009…

California voters will get the chance to vote on an initiative legalizing marijuana…

A group of workers in Louisiana has won a large class action lawsuit for occupational hearing loss…

and Ropes & Gray has been hit with a plagiarism lawsuit…

Ropes & Gray Slapped With Plagiarism Suit

joshua — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:19:28 +0000

A genetic research laboratory is seeking up to $82.5 million in compensatory and punitive damages from Ropes & Gray in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. In the suit, Cold Springs Harbor Laboratory alleges they were denied a patent application because a partner at Ropes & Gray plagiarized language from a rival scientist.

According to the New York Law Journal, an internal investigation by Cold Springs into why the application was denied led them to find that 11 pages of the application produced by former Ropes & Gray partner Matthew Vincent was taken directly and without attribution from one filed by Andrew Fire, a Nobel Prize winner in medicine.

Ropes & Gray filed a motion to dismiss on Tuesday, citing the fact it is common practice to copy text from other patents.

“Cold Springs Harbor Laboratory’s lawsuit lacks merit because the determination of the (Patent and Trademark Office) to reject the patent applications is based on the existence of prior work with other respected scientists and not on our firm’s efforts,” the firm said in a statement.

Vincent was fired by Ropes & Gray last year, according to the NYLJ, for allegedly owning a secret patent database company that billed the firm and its clients for more than $730,000.

Ropes & Gray has over 1,000 lawyers with offices in Boston, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Tokyo and Washington D.C.

Morning Roundup

sara — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:55:22 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Wednesday, February 24, and here’s a look back at yesterday’s stories…

Curtis Mallet reports an increase in profits and revenues in 2009…

Revenue is down and profits are up at Patton Boggs…

Arnold & Porter report that revenue and profits increase…

Honolulu law firms are the target of an email scam…

Revenue and profits fall at Munger, Tolles…

Maryland courtrooms will ban electronic devices….

Christopher J. Austin joins Goodwin Procter’s Boston office…

Jonathan Guest joins McCarter & English’s Boston office…

DLA Piper increases their presence in Turkey…

Massachusetts challenges the Defense of Marriage Act…

The University of Maryland investigates payments to former law school dean Karen Rothenberg…

Sam Buffone leaves Ropes & Gray for BuckleySandler…

Revenue and profits increase at Crowell & Moring…

Alice Thomas earns her law degree at age 79…

Cannabis shops fight legal action in Los Angeles…

Sam Buffone Leaves Ropes & Gray for BuckleySandler

joshua — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:14:37 +0000

Samuel J. Buffone has left Ropes & Gray’s government enforcement practice group to become a partner in Washington D.C.-based financial services law firm BuckleySandler.

Buffone had been with Ropes & Gray since 1992. According to a firm press release, Buffone brings over 35 years of experience representing individual and corporate clients in criminal and complex civil litigation and enforcement matters in the U.S. Among his notable achievement, Buffone argued and won an appeal in the U.S. Supreme Court last year barring further prosecution of a former Enron executive on the grounds of double jeopardy (Yeager v United States 129 S Ct. 2360 (2009).

“Sam is one of the leading criminal and civil enforcement lawyers in Washington, DC. His extensive trial and appellate experience will substantially enhance BuckleySandler’s enforcement capabilities. We are delighted to have him join us,” said Andrew L. Sandler, co-chair of BuckleySandler.

Buckley Sanders has over 75 lawyers with offices in Washington D.C., Los Angeles and New York.

Austin Joins Goodwin Proctor’s Boston Office

joshua — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:58:21 +0000

Christopher J. Austin, a 16-year veteran of Ropes & Gray, has joined Goodwin Procter’s Boston office. Austin previously was co-head of Ropes & Gray’s technology company and venture capital practice. In his new role Austin’s practice will focus on public and private technology and life sciences companies, venture capital funds and investment banks.

“I have sat across the table on deals with Christopher many times over the years, and have great respect for him,” said Bill Schnoor, co-chair of Goodwin Procter’s technology companies practice. “He is widely recognized for the depth of his expertise in capital markets and the breadth of his practice across industry sectors including health care IT, life sciences and medical devices, all of which dovetail well with Goodwin’s strengths.”

Austin was a co-founder of Ropes & Gray’s San Francisco office and was there three years before returning to Boston.

“One of Goodwin Procter’s strengths is the sophistication of its public company practice combined with its focus on serving emerging companies and venture capital firms,” said Austin. “Ultimately I concluded that this would be the best platform for me to continue to grow and expand my practice.”

Goodwin Procter has been in expansion mode of late and currently has more than 160 lawyers in its technology companies group. The firm has offices in Boston, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Silicon Valley and Washington D.C.

Former Ropes & Gray Employee Charged in $53 Million Insider-Trading Case

joshua — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 11:35:00 +0000

Arthur Cutillo, a former employee of the New York law firm Ropes & Gray, pleaded not guilty in federal court in Manhattan yesterday, along with six others charged in a $53 million insider-trading case.

Cutillo is accused of illegally sharing information regarding mergers with an insider-trading network linked to the Galleon Group LLC hedge fund.

Evidence against the seven includes wiretap recordings made by the government, instant messages, trading records and statements some of them made after their arrest, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Fish said in court Tuesday.

According to federal prosecutors, Cutillo allegedly provided inside information regarding pending acquisitions of Basking Ridge-based Avaya Inc., 3Com Corp. and Axcan Pharma Inc. If convicted, Cutillo could face up to 25 years in prison and upwards of $5.25 million in fines.

Ropes & Gray is a leading global law firm with offices in Boston, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Tokyo, and Washington, DC.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:22:25 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Tuesday, February 2, and here’s a quick peek back at yesterday’s headlines…

Ropes & Gray adds a former Assistant to the Solicitor General…

McDermott Will & Emery added one to its IP practice…

A forthcoming DoJ report will admonish but not sanction the lawyers who authored the “torture memos“…

UC San Diego is working on plans for a new law school…

DLA Piper hired Pfizer’s assistant general counsel…

Lateral moves were at a record high in 2009…

A Federal Court has ruled in favor of a blind law student trying to take the bar exam…

Jones Day has issued a memo in opposition to the NALP recruitment report…

Two more Paul Hasting lawyers moved to Haynes and Boone, bringing the total to six…

Chadbourne & Parke added one to its anti-trust practice…

Latham & Watkins added eight more from White & Case…

And Paul Weiss had record high profits in 2009…

Former Assistant to Solicitor General Joins Ropes & Gray

joshua — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:45:29 +0000

Douglas Hallward-Driemeier, formerly Assistant to the U.S. Solicitor General, has joined Ropes & Gray as a partner in its Appellate and Supreme Court practice. Hallward-Driemeir began his legal career as an assoicate with Ropes & Gray so this is a bit of a homecoming for him.

Hallward-Driemeier has handled appeals and Supreme Court litigation for the U.S. Department of Justice for more than a decade. He was Assistant to the Solicitor General in from 2004-09 in which he argued 13 cases before the Supreme Court.

Ropes & Gray has over 1,000 lawyers with offices in Boston, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Tokyo and Washington D.C.

Firms Tighten up in Partnership Promotions

joshua — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:21:46 +0000

In a year that has been notable for salary cuts, layoffs, associate deferrals and smaller bonuses, it should come as no surprise that promotions to partner are also down across the board. Profits are down, and firms are reluctant to increase the number of slices of the shrinking pie. Although not every firm has announced this years promotions yet, plenty have.

Here’s a sampling of prominent firms that have announced a smaller partnership class this year compared to last year: Cleary Gottlieb, Latham & Watkins, Ropes & Gray, Proskauer Rose, Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz, Skadden Arps, Davis Polk, Paul Hastings, Gibson Dunn, Mayer Brown, Kirkland & Ellis. The list of firms bucking the trend is much smaller and those that have promoted larger classes have promoted only marginally more partners while some of the firms with smaller classes have cut promotions by as much as half. Fried Frank for example promoted seven new partners, up from five the previous year, but did so in a year where its total number of attorneys shrank by 26%.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:25:41 +0000

Good morning everyone! It’s Thursday, October 29th and here in Las Vegas it feels like winter has already arrived. As I write this, my house is being buffeted by gusts of wind up to 50mph.

Here’s a quick look back at yesterday’s stories…

Foley & Lardner has struck a deal with the NIH…

McGuire Woods gets around to making some of its offers to its summer class…

Ropes & Gray adds another attorney to its new office in London…

A beauraucratic snafu may cost Pepsi $1.2 billion…

and our condolences go out to the family and friends of Texas lawyer Sidney Davis, who died this week from complications due to the swine flu…

Also of note – several sites yesterday were carrying stories about a possible merger between Hogan & Harston and the UK firm Lovells. We reported on this story a few weeks ago, and there isn’t really anything new to report yet. For our original story, look here. We will of course bring you any updates as they arise.

Another One for Ropes & Gray in London

joshua — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:57:13 +0000

We told you last week that Ropes & Gray is opening a new office in London. The office is being setup with two partners who moved from White & Case and two partners from the US. Now Ropes & Gray has a fifth partner in London. Jonathan Bloom, also formerly of White & Case, will join his former colleagues in Ropes & Gray’s new office.

Ropes & Gray LLP is an international law firm with offices located in Boston, New York City, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Washington, Chicago, Hong Kong,Tokyo and soon in London. The firm has over 1,000 lawyers worldwide.

Friday Roundup

joshua — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:55:40 +0000

Good morning everyone, and TGIF!

An army reservist has won his summary judgement against SUBWAY…

Ropes & Gray is opening a London office soon…

WilmerHale laid off some of its staff…

and there is a new class of partners at Sullivan & Cromwell…

Ropes & Gray Opening London Office

joshua — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:15:34 +0000

Ropes & Gray is launching a new office in London, slated to open in January of next year. The office will be led by Maurice Allen and Michael Goetz who are moving over from White & Case. Two senior partners from the US, Newcomb Stillwell and David Chapin, will also join the London office.

Ropes & Gray Loses 1 Partner to Treasury, Gains Another

Erik Even — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 19:41:39 +0000

Tax partner Stephen E. Shay is leaving Ropes & Gray to join the US Treasury as deputy assistant secretary for international tax affairs.

Before joining Ropes & Gray in 1987, Shay was international tax counsel for the Treasury.

Meanwhile, Mark Popofsky joins Ropes & Gray in Washington DC as co-head of the antitrust practice group. He was previously chair of the Technology and Competition practice group at Kaye Scholer. Before that, Popofsky was senior counsel to the assistant attorney general in charge of the US Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, where he played a key role in United States v. Microsoft.

Popofsky is an adjunct professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, and earned his JD at Harvard Law School, where he was executive editor of the Law Review.

Ropes & Gray LLP is a national law firm with offices located in Boston, New York City, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Washington, Chicago, Hong Kong and Tokyo; and a conference center in London. The firm has over 1,000 lawyers worldwide.

Ropes & Gray Offers Summers a $60K Fellowship

Erik Even — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 01:07:26 +0000

Ropes & Gray, which in July deferred its 2009 summer associates to “no earlier than January 2011,” is offering those associates a public interest fellowship worth $60,000.

The firm would not confirm rumors that every single one of its current summers was offered a job, but said there would be a “very high offer rate.”

In addition to the $60,000, public interest fellows will get medical, dental and vision coverage, plus a bar exam stipend. They may also accept a $20,000 loan, to be repaid after joining the firm.

Ropes & Gray Defers 2009 Summer Associates to 2011

Erik Even — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:55:50 +0000

Boston-based Ropes & Gray, which in March deferred its 2009 associate class, is deferring its current summer associates to “no earlier than January 2011.”

It is encouraging those deferred to find a public interest fellowship or a clerkship.

There has been no mention of stipends.

If you have any additional details about deferrals at Ropes & Gray, please send us a confidential tip!

Virtual Law Partners Hires Four Attorneys

Erik Even — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:07:57 +0000

Virtual Law Partners, which hired five new partners four weeks ago, has this week brought on four new partners for its commercial lending and intellectual property practices.

David Lawson joins from Troutman Sanders, where he was a partner, to chair Virtual Law’s commercial lending practice. He earned his JD from the University of Southern California Law Center.

Janyce Mitchell joins from Strategic Patent Group, where she was a vice president. She received her JD from the UC Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law, and her MS and C. Phil in Physics from the University of California, San Diego.

Stephen Sullivan also joins from Strategic Patent, where he was president. He will focus on patent prosecution for software companies. His JD is from the Santa Clara University School of Law.

David Roise joins from Ropes & Gray, where he was an associate. He is a former assistant professor of biochemistry and cellular biology at UC San Diego. He specializes in patent law. He earned his Ph.D in biochemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and his JD from Stanford Law School.

Founded in 2008, Virtual Law Partners is a distributed, web-based law firm that goes beyond the constraints of brick & mortar law firms to provide legal services at rates lower than those of conventional law firms. Powered by a digital infrastructure, VLP eliminates costly physical offices and minimizes environmental impact, while significantly lowering administrative costs and overhead.