Ropes & Gray has named a new leadership team across its corporate practices, appointing David Blittner as Corporate Group Leader and selecting Amanda McGrady Morrison and Michael Lee as co-leaders of the firm’s private capital transactions practice. The firm said the appointments are aimed at delivering faster, more integrated support to clients operating in an increasingly dynamic deal environment.
In announcing the changes, Ropes & Gray pointed to the scale of its private equity platform and recent activity as a differentiator in advising clients on market terms and transaction structures. The firm said that in 2025 it represented more than 83 private equity firms and advised on over 300 private equity transactions totaling approximately $175 billion in value, including 39 transactions exceeding $1 billion.
Blittner, who has led the global Private Capital Transactions group since December 2017, will now oversee firmwide strategy, innovation, and lateral growth across complex transactional practices as Corporate Group Leader. Ropes & Gray said his mandate includes driving a more connected approach across practice areas to help clients navigate matters from structuring and financing through regulatory and restructuring considerations.
Morrison and Lee will take on joint leadership of the private capital transactions practice, bringing what the firm described as complementary capabilities across M&A, sponsor relationships, and financing. Morrison brings private equity M&A experience along with an in-house perspective from a senior role at Advent and 14 years as a Ropes & Gray private equity partner. Lee adds finance experience, leadership of the firm’s infrastructure industry group, and longstanding sponsor relationships, according to the announcement.
Ropes & Gray framed the leadership appointments as part of a broader push to help clients move faster, improve decision-making with real-time market insight, and execute transactions more seamlessly across disciplines such as M&A, financing, and secondaries.
KEY QUOTES:
“We are driven to deliver the best possible client outcomes—with speed, clarity, and seamless execution on every transaction. This leadership team will help our clients move even faster, make more informed decisions, and capture opportunity in all market conditions.”
Julie Jones, Chair, Ropes & Gray
“Clients want a fully connected team that partners with them to understand their business and anticipates the full arc of any matter—from structuring and financing to regulatory and restructuring considerations. Our role is to seamlessly deliver the full power of Ropes & Gray so clients can act with confidence, mitigate risk earlier, and achieve better outcomes.”
David Blittner, Corporate Group Leader, Ropes & Gray
“Integrated execution gives clients a real edge—more liquidity, less risk, and faster results. When M&A, financing, and secondaries run in sync, clients gain earlier insight and the momentum to outpace the market.”
Michael Lee, Co-Leader, Private Capital Transactions, Ropes & Gray
“In a fast-moving private capital market, we partner with clients to deliver results and drive value creation—across take-privates, carve-outs, sponsor-to-sponsor deals, continuation solutions, and other strategic exits. With deep sector insight and an investor’s perspective, we help clients make sharper decisions and capture opportunities as they emerge.”
Amanda McGrady Morrison, Co-Leader, Private Capital Transactions, Ropes & Gray
