Having re-shuffled its City management almost a year ago, Ropes & Gray has added three more practice heads in London while Mike Goetz (pictured) steps down as co-finance chief.
The new leadership roles have been introduced to the City after the firm’s drive to develop its European offering focused on building new practice areas in London.
Partner Matthew Judd, who joined the firm in 2012 from White & Case where he served as head of its funds group, has become co-head of the firm’s private equity investment funds group, alongside Boston-based John Ayer.
The move also sees former Clifford Chance partner Iain Morpeth named as co-head of the firm’s real estate investments and transactions group, alongside Marc Lazar in Boston, and Will Rosen, who was DLA Piper’s private equity chief for EMEA before joining Ropes in 2011, appointed co-head of the international practice group, along with current leaders Harry Rubin and Rom Watson in Boston, and co-chair William Kim in Korea.
Replacing Goetz, who will continue in his role as London managing partner, will be finance partner Jane Rogers, alongside co-leaders Byung Choi in Boston and Jay Kim out of New York. Peter Baldwin will continue in his role as co-head of the firm’s special situations practice.
‘We have increased our management roles in the City from three to five. It used to be centralised for a long time but now the firm is managed more globally and less out of Boston,’ Goetz told Legal Business.
In July last year, the firm saw former co-managing partners Mike Goetz and Maurice Allen split from their dual role with Allen appointed to the newly created role of senior partner.
The firm recently launched its first London-based commercial litigation practice with the hire of K&L Gates disputes partner Thomas Ross in April, and posted a London office revenue increase of 30% in 2014 to around $64m.
jaishree.kalia@legalease.co.uk