Global law firm Ropes & Gray has promoted six attorneys to counsel. Their experience spans private equity, hedge funds, finance, asset management, real estate, tax and estate planning. “These are best-in-class advisors who know their industries inside out,” says chair Julie Jones. “Our newly elevated counsel each have the experience and know-how to strategically tackle challenging client issues, and they are excellent collaborators and colleagues.”
“In the finest Ropes & Gray tradition, these lawyers are relentlessly focused on our clients,” says managing partner David Djaha. “They are in the trenches with them, digging into complex issues and securing the best results.”
Chris Agnoli (London) spans all areas of corporate tax, including cross-border mergers and acquisitions, private equity and hedge fund structuring, employment tax, financial markets transactions, and real estate. His clients have included institutional investors, investment managers, hedge funds, private equity funds, REITs and public companies.
Charles Humphreville (Seattle) focuses on fund formation, management company structures, trading issues and regulatory compliance. He also advises US and non-US investment managers regarding the US investment adviser regulatory regime, and his experience includes counselling clients on investments in cryptocurrencies and digital assets. Charlie works through Ropes & Gray’s offsite program.
Chrystal LaRoche (New York) has built a robust, broad-based real estate practice working with prominent investment firms as well as Fortune 500 and midmarket companies on matters ranging from the purchase and sale of real properties and mortgage portfolios to joint ventures and leasing. LaRoche also has works with clients in Ropes & Gray’s private equity and finance practices on real estate aspects of mergers, acquisitions and related financings.
With a background that includes in-house hedge fund and SEC experience, Jessica Marlin (New York) has a practical understanding of client issues and in-depth knowledge of complex fund structures and the overall regulatory landscape to her legal work for asset management clients. She advises private fund sponsors on all aspects of their businesses, including fund launches, seed arrangements, separate accounts, regulatory and compliance issues, and day-to-day business and personnel matters. She counsels these clients on a wide range of product types—including hedge funds, credit funds, private equity funds, hybrid funds, funds of funds, funds of one and CLO-management vehicles—representing a broad cross section of investment strategies.
Eli S Rosenbaum (Boston), in the firm’s asset management practice, focuses on advising institutional investors on their investments in the full range of private funds. He also has experience representing sponsors of private funds with respect to both formation and compliance matters. Eli’s experience includes negotiating private fund investments on behalf of university endowments, foundations, pension funds, funds of funds and other large investors; helping form buyout, hedge, real estate, credit, natural resources and venture funds; and advising participants in co-investment deals, both domestic and cross-border.
Kevin Willis (Boston), is a probate and trust counsel in the firm’s private client group. He has advised clients for nearly 25 years, creating sophisticated estate plans, settling estates and trusts, and advising fiduciaries concerning their responsibilities. He also advises beneficiaries of their rights in the trust and estate settlement process, and works with both fiduciaries and beneficiaries in connection with fiduciary litigation matters.
