Ropes & Gray opens Hong Kong office

Ropes & Gray has opened an office in Hong Kong to serve its clients interested in investing in China, as well as Asia generally. The office is Ropes & Gray’s third new location in eight months, following the opening of its Chicago and Tokyo offices.
As with the Chicago office, the Hong Kong office will specialize in private equity initially. The Tokyo office, in contrast, is staffed exclusively by intellectual property lawyers. All three new offices are meant to serve clients around the world.
Ropes & Gray partner and private equity specialist Alison Bomberg will relocate to Hong Kong to lead the
office, along with partner Scott Jalowayski, a new hire from Morrison & Foerster. Brian Schwarzwalder and Jay CS Tai, both former senior associates in Morrison & Goerster’s Hong Kong office, will also join the team.
Bomberg began her career with Ropes & Gray in 1994. She has specialized in debt financing transactions, including leveraged buyouts and structured financings, as well as private equity investments and fundraisings.
Jalowayski has experience in cross-border mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, restructurings and venture financings.
Schwarzwalder specializes in private equity transactions, direct investment and venture capital, while Tai concentrates on mergers and acquisitions and private equity transactions.
Both are fluent in Mandarin. Jim DeGraw, a corporate partner in the firm’s Tokyo office, will also assist in the launch of the new office, though he will remain in Japan.
DeGraw specializes in technology, commercial and intellectual property transactions. He will apply his experience in setting up the Tokyo office in October 2007 to help the Hong Kong team, the firm said.
“This is both an exciting challenge and terrific opportunity to enhance our service to clients in Asia and throughout the world,” Bomberg said. “With a local presence in Hong Kong, as well as the addition of colleagues who are fluent in Mandarin, clients will be better able to benefit from our first-rate, innovative approach to problem-solving.”