Ropes & Gray Makes Key Addition to Private Investment Funds Practice

NEW YORK, Aug. 11, 2016— Global law firm Ropes & Gray today announced that Amanda Persaud has joined the private investment funds practice as a partner in the firm’s 300-lawyer New York office.

Ms. Persaud’s practice focuses on the formation, fundraising and operation of private investment funds, including private equity funds, hedge funds, credit funds and other types of alternative asset funds. She regularly provides counsel on a wide range of governance, operational and regulatory matters affecting sponsor clients.  She frequently advises on significant business transactions such as purchases and sales of asset management businesses, spinouts and key person separations.

Ms. Persaud joins Ropes & Gray from Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, where she served as head of its private investment funds practice. 

“Amanda’s intelligence and the scope of her deep funds experience will be of great advantage to our diverse base of sophisticated clients,” said John Ayer, co-leader of Ropes & Gray’s private investment funds practice.

“We foresee that Amanda will play a prominent leadership role within our expanding practice in New York as we enhance our service offerings across a broader set of asset classes and grow client relationships,” said Matt Judd, co-leader of Ropes & Gray’s private investment funds practice.

“Joining a team that is highly regarded within the marketplace, with an exceptional platform and a premier global client base, is truly exciting,” said Ms. Persaud. “I’ve long known of the firm’s reputation as having a leading funds practice, and I am energized at the prospect of contributing my own leadership experience and capabilities as the firm increases its presence in New York.”

Ropes & Gray is widely recognized for having one of the largest and most sophisticated private investment funds practices, advising both fund sponsors and investors. The practice has been ranked by Chambers Global for the last eight years as one of the world’s leading fund formation practices. The firm’s other accolades include rankings in the top bands of The Legal 500 and IFLR1000, and for three consecutive years, being named as “Law Firm of the Year” for private funds/hedge funds law by U.S. News-Best Lawyers. 

With more than 300 lawyers in New York, Ropes & Gray is one of the largest law firms in the city. The firm has expanded its presence in New York significantly in the past 18 months with the addition of more than 10 partners and counsel in this time. Ms. Persaud is the sixth high-profile lateral partner to join our New York office in 2016, following Garrett Charon, who joined the firm’s private equity practice in July, Kristen Chang Winckler, who joined the tax practice in June; David Blittner, who joined the private equity practice in April; Gregg Galardi, who joined the business restructuring practice in February; and Michael Littenberg, who joined the securities & public companies practice in January.

“As our asset management practice expands and solidifies its position in New York, we are delighted to welcome Amanda to our office here,” said Eva Ciko Carman, co-managing partner of the firm’s New York office. “With the addition of more than 10 partners and counsel in the past 18 months to our New York office, this number demonstrates Ropes & Gray’s position as a destination for market-leading, world-class legal talent.”

Ms. Persaud received her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. She graduated with honors from Duke University with a B.A. in political science. 

About Ropes & Gray

Ropes & Gray is one of the world’s premier law firms, with more than 1,200 lawyers and legal professionals serving clients in major centers of business, finance, technology and government.

The firm has offices in New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Chicago, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, London, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo and Seoul, and has consistently been recognized for its leading practices in many areas, including private equity, M&A, life sciences, health care, finance, investment management, hedge funds, tax, intellectual property, securities litigation, government enforcement, and privacy & data security.