In the latest installment of Ropes & Gray’s alumni podcast series, Alumni @ RopesTalk, asset management partner Jason Brown interviews Jacob Comer, general counsel and chief compliance officer at NovaQuest Capital Management, a leading investor in life sciences and health care companies. Jacob began his career at Ropes & Gray in 2003 as an investment management associate and has since taken on legal, regulatory and compliance roles for a private equity firm, venture capital firm and hedg...
Dec 14, 2020•27 min
In this Ropes & Gray podcast, asset management partners Isabel Dische and Adam Dobson, and litigation & enforcement counsel Steve Kaye discuss the use of rep and warranty insurance in fund recapitalization transactions and why its use in the fund recap context has been less common than in other types of M&A transactions. They also share recent developments in the types of coverage available that may make rep and warranty insurance more interesting to fund sponsors and secondary buyer...
Dec 10, 2020•8 min
The latest installment of R&G Insights Lab’s podcast series, Culture & Compliance Chronicles, explores the benefits of using analytics and technology in the compliance and risk management space. Zach Coseglia, managing principal and head of innovation of R&G Insights Lab, talks with two guests from compliance software company Lextegrity, founder and CEO Parth Chanda, and head of product Kara Bonitatibus. In the first of a two-part conversation, Parth and Kara talk about the benefits ...
Dec 01, 2020•25 min
In this episode of Women @ RopesTalk, partner Laura Hoey interviews Ilana Kukoff, founder and CEO of Cognition Builders. In this inspiring conversation, Ilana talks about how she stumbled onto the idea for Cognition Builders, an education team that immerses itself with families to help resolve social, emotional, behavioral, intellectual and other needs. She shares some wisdom from the book she co-authored titled Say This, Not That (To Your Teenage Daughter), including dispelling the idea that di...
Nov 18, 2020•26 min
In this inaugural episode of our ETF podcast series, Ropes & Gray asset management attorneys Paulita Pike, Jeremy Smith, Brian McCabe, and Ed Baer discuss recent developments in the ETF industry as well as share some insights to help sponsors prepare for the December compliance date for the ETF Rule.
Nov 11, 2020•26 min
In this Ropes & Gray podcast, asset management partners Isabel Dische, Peter Laybourn and Adam Dobson, and tax partner Dan Kolb discuss single asset recapitalization transactions. They provide a brief explanation of what these deals are, followed by a discussion of the typical structure for these deals and certain considerations fund sponsors will want to keep in mind, as well as certain key tax considerations.
Nov 09, 2020•11 min
In this Ropes & Gray podcast, asset management partner Melissa Bender and counsel Ed Baer and Charlie Humphreville discuss the various considerations that an investor should take into account when engaging a custodian to hold cryptocurrencies or digital assets such as Bitcoin or Ether.
Nov 02, 2020•12 min
In this episode of Women @ RopesTalk, hosted by partner Christine Moundas, partner Amanda Raad interviews Louise Dumican, the Managing Director and Head of Legal (Investments) for the Americas at The Carlyle Group. Louise started her legal career at a global law firm, where she first discovered her passion for private equity. That passion led Louise to a secondment opportunity at Carlyle, where she has worked for over 10 years. Amanda talks with Louise about her career path and why saying “yes” ...
Oct 14, 2020•26 min
In this Ropes & Gray podcast, asset management partners Melissa Bender and Marc Biamonte, and asset management counsel Jessica Marlin discuss the changes recently adopted by the SEC to modernize the definitions of an “accredited investor” in Securities Act Rules 215 and 501(a) and a “qualified institutional buyer” under Rule 144A.
Oct 06, 2020•11 min
In this introductory episode of Ropes & Gray’s new podcast, On the Ropes: Enforcement Risk Roundtable, partners María González Calvet and Andy Dale provide an overview of the series, where members of Ropes & Gray’s award winning team will speak with professionals in the anti-corruption and international risk compliance space working and specializing in particular jurisdictions.
Oct 06, 2020•3 min
The eleventh installment of Ropes & Gray’s podcast series, Non-binding Guidance, focuses on the current regulatory landscape surrounding the use of real-world evidence in drug development and the impact of the COVID -19 pandemic. Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in reliance on real-world data and real-world evidence by FDA and other regulatory authorities, as well as industry. Innovative approaches and flexibility from the FDA during the pandemic ultimatel...
Sep 30, 2020•18 min
In this Ropes & Gray podcast, asset management partner Jason Kolman and counsel Jessica Marlin discuss the reasons for the increase in credit managers offering both open- and closed-end funds on a side-by-side basis. Jason and Jessica also discuss the benefits and challenges of pursuing this strategy, including how to consider allocation of investment opportunities, address conflicts that may arise, and explain these products to investors.
Sep 16, 2020•10 min
In this episode of R&G Insights Lab’s podcast series, Culture & Compliance Chronicles, litigation & enforcement attorney Tina Yu continues her discussion with Ropes & Gray partners who focus on data, privacy and security across the firm’s enforcement and transactional practices. Picking up from a conversation about the role of data and its commoditization, Ed Black and Rohan Massey delve into how the regulators in the U.S. and UK are approaching this new world of data, where comp...
Sep 14, 2020•16 min
In this episode of R&G Insights Lab’s podcast series, Culture & Compliance Chronicles, litigation & enforcement attorney Tina Yu speaks with Ropes & Gray partners who focus on data, privacy and security across the firm’s enforcement and transactional practices. In the first part of a two-part discussion, Ed Black and Rohan Massey discuss the legal issues that are raised as more companies utilize data for both commercial and compliance purposes. In a wide-ranging conversation, the...
Aug 25, 2020•27 min
In this Ropes & Gray podcast, asset management partners Tom Alabaster (London) and Jason Kolman (Boston), along with business restructuring partners Matt Czyzyk (London) and Matt Roose (New York), compare recent trends in the credit/distressed space throughout Europe and the U.S. in light of COVID-19. These global colleagues share the distinctions and commonalities between both geographies in regards to 1) changes in fund terms and structures, 2) government support, and 3) market predictions...
Aug 20, 2020•24 min
In this Ropes & Gray podcast, Ama Adams, Brendan Hanifin, and Emerson Siegle discuss recent changes to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) review process and implications for credit funds, including jurisdictional considerations, treatment of contingent equity interests, and risk mitigation strategies.
Aug 13, 2020•15 min
In this episode of Ropes & Gray’s podcast series, Culture & Compliance Chronicles, litigation & enforcement attorney Tina Yu continues the conversation with Julian Danobeitia, an executive coach and director at DownTheCorridor. Last episode, Tina and Julian discussed how important relationships are to improving the overall compliance culture. Now they delve into techniques legal and regulatory compliance teams can use to build relationships and enhance outreach. To make communication...
Aug 06, 2020•27 min
In this Ropes & Gray podcast, Ama Adams, Brendan Hanifin, and Emerson Siegle discuss anti-money laundering and economic sanctions considerations as well as best practices for fund sponsors, following recent reporting that U.S. law enforcement has developed concerns about potential widespread money laundering in the private equity and hedge fund industries.
Aug 05, 2020•16 min
In this Ropes & Gray podcast, Jason Brown and Jill Kalish Levy discuss the recent Risk Alert published by the SEC Office of Compliance and Inspections concerning the end of LIBOR, and what that Risk Alert means for market participants. Since the announcement of LIBOR’s cessation, the Fed has made great strides in pushing its replacement, “SOFR,” but this transition has proven to be operationally and logistically complicated. In this podcast, Jill and Jason examine these issues and how to pre...
Aug 03, 2020•10 min
In this Ropes & Gray podcast, asset management partners Melissa Bender and Isabel Dische discuss a subset of impact investing – gender-lens investing. In the course of their conversation, Melissa and Isabel provide an overview of both the objectives and different types of gender lens investments.
Jul 30, 2020•6 min
In this Ropes & Gray podcast, asset management partners Melissa Bender and Isabel Dische discuss how market participants are rethinking social factors – the “S” in ESG – in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. Their conversation focuses on why asset managers may want to consider integrating social factors into their investment analysis and some challenges in doing so.
Jul 23, 2020•6 min
In this Ropes & Gray podcast, asset management partner Jason Brown and litigation partner Dan O’Connor discuss the SEC’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (“OCIE”) risk alert providing observations and guidance on compliance issues for registered investment advisers that manage private equity funds or hedge funds. Based on years of experience representing registered investment advisers, Jason and Dan provide their own observations on the compliance deficiencies that OCIE high...
Jul 22, 2020•18 min
The tenth installment of Ropes & Gray’s podcast series, Non-binding Guidance, focuses on FDA regulation of COVID-19 diagnostic tests, with a particular focus on employee testing. In this episode, chair of Ropes & Gray’s FDA regulatory practice, Greg Levine, interviews Lauren Silvis, a former FDA official and currently Senior Vice President of External Affairs for Tempus, a clinical molecular technology company, to hear her input on the role employee testing can play in maintaining a safe...
Jul 21, 2020•24 min
In this Ropes & Gray podcast, asset management partners Isabel Dische and Lindsey Goldstein discuss what it means for a fund to “fall out of carry,” as recent months have shown some significant market declines in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic. They’ll also discuss considerations that both fund sponsors and investors will want to keep in mind if their funds no longer accrue carry.
Jul 17, 2020•6 min
In this episode of Ropes & Gray’s podcast series, Culture & Compliance Chronicles, litigation & enforcement attorney Tina Yu talks with Julian Danobeitia, an executive coach and director at DownTheCorridor. The first of a two-part discussion, this episode focuses on how the legal and compliance functions are often perceived within organizations, and why that impacts their ability to perform. Drawing on professional experiences, movies and psychology, the two also drill down on what k...
Jul 16, 2020•23 min
The Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Enforcement Division of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released the Second Edition of A Resource Guide to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) on July 3, 2020 (the “2020 Resource Guide”), updating the first edition released in November 2012 (the “2012 Resource Guide”). The 2020 Resource Guide does not make fundamental changes to its predecessor, but serves as a repository of various legal and regula...
Jul 15, 2020•33 min
The latest installment of Ropes & Gray’s podcast series, Culture & Compliance Chronicles, explores company culture in times of crisis. In the final part of a three-part discussion, litigation & enforcement attorney Amanda Raad talks with three partners at EY—Maryam Hussain, Melissa Myatt and Katharina Weghmann—all of whom study decision-making in the corporate context. In this episode, the group explores what effective remediation looks like and how it all ties back to the root cause...
Jul 01, 2020•23 min
The latest installment of Ropes & Gray’s podcast series, Culture & Compliance Chronicles, explores company culture in times of crisis. In part two of a three-part discussion, litigation & enforcement attorney Amanda Raad talks with three partners at EY—Maryam Hussain, Melissa Myatt and Katharina Weghmann—all of whom study decision-making in the corporate context. In the last episode, the group considered what the research says about the drivers of firm culture. In this episode, they ...
Jun 15, 2020•32 min
In this Ropes & Gray podcast, moderated by health care associate Michael DiMaio, the co-leaders of the firm’s Global Health Care Compliance Initiative, Amanda Raad, Andy Dale and Alison Fethke, discuss compliance concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. They address issues that are top-of-mind for health care and life sciences clients, including shifts in business practices and enforcement risks, and operational challenges such as drug supply limitations.
Jun 04, 2020•14 min
In the latest installment of Ropes & Gray’s alumni podcast series, Alumni @ RopesTalk, IP litigation partner Matt Rizzolo interviews Jason Idilbi, general counsel at Passport Labs, a mobility software platform that facilitates mobile parking and transit ticketing applications. Jason reflects on his “non-linear” legal career path, which began at Ropes & Gray in 2008 and led to roles as a judicial clerk, litigator and in-house counsel. Now at Passport, Jason talks about the most difficult ...
Jun 03, 2020•28 min
