Ropes & Gray names 26 new partners as London makes a comeback

Ropes & Gray has announced its largest partner promotions round in at least three years, naming 26 new partners globally, including four in London.

David Dowling, Edward Machin, Dima Orendarets and Rupert Phillips are among those promoted in the firm's London office, spanning its corporate, finance and regulatory practices. The promotions take effect on 1 January 2027.

Boston, where the firm is headquartered, accounts for half of the promotions, with 13 new partners. All but one are based in the US and UK, with the remaining promotion in Hong Kong.

The latest round marks a significant increase from previous years. Ropes promoted 20 lawyers to partner in 2025 and 12 in 2024, with neither round including any London lawyers.

Unlike most major US firms, Ropes still operates an all-equity partnership, with no non-equity tier.

The London four

Dowling, an M&A lawyer, advises investors, venture capital funds and startups on transactions, with a particular focus on life sciences, healthcare and insurance.

Machin specialises in data privacy and cyber security, and also helps clients respond to requests from law enforcement and data protection authorities.

Orendarets leads the firm's London real estate finance practice, advising sponsors, debt funds and institutional investors on property financing transactions.

Phillips advises on UK and EU competition law, including international merger control, foreign investment and regulatory investigations.

Rohan Massey, managing partner of Ropes & Gray's London office, said the four lawyers would add “real depth” to the firm's capabilities across cross-border M&A, competition, real estate finance and digital regulation.

The promotions follow a busy year of lateral hiring for Ropes in Europe. In London, the firm has recruited restructuring partner Edward Downer from Willkie, life sciences partner Alison Dennis from Winston Taylor and private equity partners Lavinia Ralli and Paul Dali, the former M&A general counsel at EQT.

Private capital focus

The wider promotions round also reflects Ropes & Gray's focus on private capital, with 10 of the 26 new partners specialising in asset management and alternative assets.

The group includes lawyers advising on fund formation, GP-led secondaries and continuation vehicles, areas where major law firms have been expanding their capabilities amid growing demand for specialist private markets advice.

Update: This article was updated to clarify the description of Edward Machin’s practice.