RopesTalk

In this episode of Women @ RopesTalk, IP transactions partner Megan Baca is joined by Kim McCaslin, a managing director at Bain Capital, for an in-depth conversation around Bain’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals and commitment to advance diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I). As the leader of Bain Capital’s portfolio group in North America, Kim discusses her group’s values-driven focus on growing great companies “in the right way”—with integrity, humility, respect for people, and a focus on citizenship and lasting impact. She breaks down how her group prioritizes ESG-related goals and provides insights about their innovative approach to strengthening diversity and inclusion, both at Bain and its portfolio companies.

In this seventh episode in a series of Ropes & Gray podcasts addressing emerging issues for fiduciaries of 401(k) and 403(b) plans to consider as part of their litigation risk management strategy, litigation & enforcement partner Dan Ward and ERISA and benefits partner Josh Lichtenstein discuss some recent updates on the continued ERISA retirement plan litigation landscape, including current trends and important takeaways for plan sponsors.

This edition of Ropes & Gray’s podcast series, Non-binding Guidance, focuses on one of the most fundamental concepts in FDA regulatory law: intended use. On August 2, FDA issued a final rule amending its drug and medical device regulations describing the types of evidence the Agency considers relevant to determining a product’s “intended use.” The new regulations just took effect on September 1. Join Kellie Combs, a partner in Ropes & Gray’s life sciences regulatory and compliance practice, Doug Hallward-Driemeier, a partner in the litigation & enforcement practice and head of the firm’s appellate & Supreme Court practice, and Josh Oyster, a senior associate in the life sciences regulatory and compliance practice group, as they discuss this final rule and what its implementation means for the drug and medical device industry.

The Ropes & Gray Global Health Care Compliance Initiative’s virtual trip around the world podcast series highlights our collaboration with our local counsel contacts, in particular the Local Law Comparison Guide. The Local Law Comparison Guide (the “Guide”) is a resource tool providing country-specific surveys that analyze legal, regulatory and industry requirements governing industry interactions with health care professionals. As part of this series, Ropes & Gray attorneys interview our local counsel partners, who are based around the world and helped develop the Guide. These discussions highlight notable health care regulations and developments impacting compliance in our local counsel partners’ respective countries. In this episode, we are joined by our partner in the Netherlands, Jacobine van Beijeren. Jacobine is a senior associate at Loyens & Loeff. Alison Fethke, counsel at Ropes & Gray, discusses with Jacobine the regulatory framework in the Netherlands and key risks for life sciences and health care clients. They also discuss emerging trends, such as the new medical device regime and how COVID-19 is changing practices and presenting new challenges.

Ropes & Gray’s podcast series Talkin’ Trade explores the world of Section 337 unfair import investigations at the U.S. International Trade Commission. On this episode, IP attorneys Matt Rizzolo, Matt Shapiro, and Brendan McLaughlin are joined by special guest Scott McKeown, a leading PTAB litigator, to discuss the issues arising when a patent asserted in an ITC investigation also has its validity challenged at the PTAB—including whether and to what extent the respective agencies defer to each other’s decisions or schedules, and what considerations are important for litigants to keep in mind to get the optimal resolution. 

In this Ropes & Gray podcast, finance associate Justin Gaudenzi and counsel Patricia Teixeira update listeners on the recent fraud case involving JES Global Capital, providing insights into how subscription facility lenders are reacting to the case in their underwriting and diligence processes.

The Ropes & Gray Global Health Care Compliance Initiative’s virtual trip around the world podcast series highlights our collaboration with our local counsel contacts, in particular the Local Law Comparison Guide. The Local Law Comparison Guide (the “Guide”) is a resource tool providing country-specific surveys that analyze legal, regulatory and industry requirements governing industry interactions with health care professionals. As part of this series, Ropes & Gray attorneys interview our local counsel partners, who are based around the world and helped develop the Guide. These discussions highlight notable health care regulations and developments impacting compliance in our local counsel partners’ respective countries. In this episode, we are joined by Ana Cândida, partner, and Maira Materagia, attorney, at Mattos Filho, our local partners in Brazil. Alison Fethke, counsel at Ropes & Gray, discusses with Maira and Ana Brazil’s regulatory regime and changes brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this Ropes & Gray podcast, asset management partners Lindsey Goldstein and Isabel Dische provide a snapshot of recent developments in the fundraising market for secondaries funds, and discuss how some trends with deal activity in the secondaries market may influence fundraising in this sector over the months ahead.

This installment of Ropes & Gray’s podcast series Non-binding Guidance explores the current legal challenges relating to vaccine mandates for public and private sector employers and institutions of all types. Join Greg Levine, head of Ropes & Gray’s life sciences regulatory and compliance practice, Megan Bisk, a partner in the employment, executive compensation, and employee benefits practice and lead of the employment specialty group, and David Peloquin, a partner in the health care practice group, as they discuss ongoing lawsuits related to COVID-19 vaccine mandates, the context of approvals through Emergency Use Authorizations, the PREP Act and data privacy implications, and employment law considerations.

In this sixth episode of our Ropes & Gray podcast series addressing emerging issues for fiduciaries of 401(k) and 403(b) plans to consider as part of their litigation risk management strategy, Doug Hallward-Driemeier, chair of Ropes & Gray’s appellate and Supreme Court practice, and Josh Lichtenstein, a benefits partner and head of the ERISA fiduciary practice, discuss the Supreme Court’s decision to hear the Northwestern University retirement plan case next term, which will examine what the applicable pleading standard should be for bringing a claim of fiduciary imprudence in violation of ERISA in connection with the management of a defined contribution plan. The podcast also includes an update on the DOL’s cybersecurity guidance.