Alumni @ RopesTalk

On this episode of Ropes & Gray’s Alumni @ RopesTalk podcast, M&A counsel Sarah Davis is joined by alums Jenn Borggaard and Rob Shapiro to discuss the rewarding experience of serving on boards. Rob, a retired partner, and Jenn, a former associate and now a co-founder and partner at AlderBrook Advisors, share their personal journeys to board membership and the impact it has had on their careers and communities. They offer valuable advice for those considering board service, highlighting the importance of passion for the mission, the balance of time, talent, and treasure, and the unique perspective lawyers bring to board seats.

On this episode of Ropes & Gray’s Alumni @ RopesTalk podcast, private equity partner Carl Marcellino interviews #1 New York Times-best-selling novelist, comic book writer and musician Charles Soule, who was an associate at Ropes & Gray from 2000-2004. They discuss how Charles built a creative life while practicing as a lawyer. Charles shares his experiences working on comics for DC and Marvel, as well as publishing three novels, including some in the Star Wars universe. For anyone trying to improve their networking, Charles’s description of how he broke into the comic book business is a master class. 

On this episode of Ropes & Gray’s Alumni @ RopesTalk podcast, health care partner Christina Bergeron interviews alum Eric Yecies, chief legal officer and general counsel at LifeMD. Eric discusses his journey from practicing IP litigation as an associate at Ropes & Gray from 2004–2008 to becoming a key figure in a publicly traded telehealth company. Gain insights into the unpredictability of his day-to-day responsibilities, the strategic thinking essential for in-house roles, and the impact of telehealth on LifeMD's rapid growth.

In this installment of Ropes & Gray’s Alumni @ RopesTalk podcast, strategic transactions group co-leader Marko Zatylny interviews alum George Kopcsay, general counsel of Atlas Air. George was an associate at Ropes & Gray for five years before going in-house at Atlas, where he has been for 13 years. George talks about the experience of taking the company private in 2023 and the differences between being a lawyer at a public company versus a private one. In thinking about the role of a corporate generalist, he explains the “quarterbacking” skill that is essential to his job. George also shares a valuable (and easy) thing outside counsel can do to cultivate closer relationships with their in-house colleagues. 

In the latest installment of Ropes & Gray’s Alumni @ RopesTalk podcast, life sciences partner Amanda Austin, who’s also a member of the firm’s alumni committee, interviews alum and friend Heidy (Abreu) King-Jones, former chief legal officer at Provention Bio. Heidy was an associate at Ropes & Gray from 2008 – 2013, after which she took in-house roles at Sarepta Therapeutics, Axcella and Provention Bio. As a self-described “student of law, student of biotech and student of life,” Heidy talks broadly about her career, with detours into the experience of working at Provention Bio during its acquisition by Sanofi. She shares what she learned at Ropes & Gray, including an important lesson about client service. For anyone thinking about next steps in their career, Heidy also offers great advice focused on where you find professional joy versus professional drain. This interview was recorded on May 25, shortly before Heidy’s departure from Provention Bio, which was acquired by Sanofi in April.

In the latest installment of Ropes & Gray’s Alumni @ RopesTalk podcast, strategic transactions partner Abby Gregor interviews Beibei Sun, senior corporate counsel of global licensing and business development at Sanofi. Beibei was an associate in the life sciences group at Ropes & Gray before joining Sanofi in 2021. At Sanofi, she supports the specialty care business unit on licensing transactions and the ventures team on venture capital transactions. In this interview, Beibei talks about the differences between being a deal lawyer at a big firm versus in-house. In thinking about her career, she shares the three pieces of advice she would give to newer lawyers. Beibei also reflects on her time at Ropes & Gray—what she gained from the firm, what she misses most, and how she’s been able to continue doing pro bono work in collaboration with the firm as an alumni.