Ropes & Gray Podcasts

In this episode of Women @ RopesTalk, hosted by health care partner Christine Moundas, life sciences partner and Women’s Forum co-chair Katherine Wang interviews Ingrid Zhang, president of Novartis Pharmaceuticals China. Ingrid talks about her early interest in health care and why she decided to go to business school. As she reflects on her career path, from consulting to working in the pharmaceutical industry, Ingrid shares her advice for early career professionals, especially why developing a thick skin is so important for growth. She also describes the exciting regulatory changes in China’s health care market, as well as unique aspects of Novartis’s culture.

In the latest installment 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, ERISA and benefits partner Josh Lichtenstein, counsel Sharon Remmer, and associate Jon Reinstein continue the discussion from our prior episode about the Department of Labor’s proposed regulation pertaining to ERISA investment duties and ESG considerations, by focusing on (i) how the rule might change the market for retirement plan investing and (ii) what impact it could have on plan investment committees and asset managers who manage plan assets.

In this Ropes & Gray podcast, asset management partners Emily Brown, Isabel Dische, Adam Dobson, Lindsey Goldstein and Vincent Ip, and tax partner Dan Kolb share key trends and developments from the 2021 secondaries market and what secondary buyers, sellers and fund sponsors can expect in 2022.

Welcome to Scope of Practice, a new Ropes & Gray podcast series for law students and recent graduates that provides an inside look into different practice groups and the lives of attorneys in those groups at the firm. In this inaugural episode, asset management associate and host, Yoni Levy, speaks with asset management associate, Young Yoon, about life as an associate in the private funds practice at the firm.

This installation of Ropes & Gray’s podcast series Non-binding Guidance focuses on recent developments in FDA inspection policy, including implications of the pandemic-related slowdown on product quality and approval delays as well as progress FDA has been making in clearing the inspection backlog. In March 2020, many routine inspections, such as foreign pre-approval and for-cause inspection assignments not deemed “mission-critical,” were temporarily postponed, but FDA has recently restarted some inspections. In this episode, Ropes & Gray life sciences regulatory & compliance practice group leader, Greg Levine, and Ropes & Gray counsel and former FDA Office of Chief Counsel attorney, Beth Weinman, discuss the significance of these developments and what FDA-regulated entities can expect when thinking about and preparing for FDA inspections in 2022.

Ropes & Gray’s podcast series Talkin’ Trade explores the world of Section 337 unfair import investigations at the U.S. International Trade Commission. In this episode, which is part one of a three-part discussion on ITC remedies, Ropes & Gray intellectual property litigators Matt Rizzolo, Matt Shapiro, and Rebecca Gentilli discuss the various types of remedies that the ITC can impose when it finds a violation of Section 337 of the Tariff Act, and the unique aspects of these differing remedial orders that ITC litigants and practitioners should be aware of.

In this Ropes & Gray podcast, members of the finance practice group discuss the rise of ESG-linked credit facilities and bonds in the corporate and private fund finance markets, provide an overview of the mechanics of sustainability-linked debt instruments, discuss the forces driving their recent surge in popularity and consider what to expect for them going forward.

In this episode of Trainee Insights, Ropes & Gray London office managing partner, Jane Rogers, discusses the culture and strategy of the London office and what makes it stand out in the London legal market. Jane also details some of the key attributes required to operate as a trusted client advisor, both as an individual practitioner and as a member of the firm.

In this episode of Women @ RopesTalk, hosted by IP transactions partner Megan Baca, health care partner Torrey McClary interviews Anne Garcia, senior vice president and general counsel of The Ohio State University. Anne talks about how she moved from private practice to in-house roles in universities. In thinking about the last year and a half, Anne discusses how COVID has affected the university and her team. She also reflects on why she is big on incorporating “action” into her office’s diversity and inclusion efforts, and looks forward to some exciting priorities of Ohio State’s president Kristina Johnson.

Ropes & Gray’s podcast series Talkin’ Trade explores the world of Section 337 unfair import investigations at the U.S. International Trade Commission. One way in which ITC Section 337 investigations differ from district court litigation is that the day-to-day activities of ITC actions are overseen not by an Article III judge, but by one of six administrative law judges. In this episode, Ropes & Gray IP attorneys Matt Rizzolo, Matt Shapiro, Brendan McLaughlin, and Mike Morales delve into the role and responsibilities these ALJs play in managing a fast-paced Section 337 proceeding, including how the individual ALJs may differ in presiding over their particular cases.

In the latest installment 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, ERISA and benefits partner Josh Lichtenstein, benefits consulting group principal David Kirchner, and benefits consultant Aneisha Worrell revisit the Department of Labor’s (DOL) regulation of ERISA investment duties and ESG considerations, and in particular, its recently re-proposed rule. As compared to the prior rule passed by the Trump administration at the end of last year, which Messrs. Lichtenstein and Kirchner and Ms. Worrell discussed in the first episode of this series in February, the latest proposal signifies a major shift in the Department’s attitude towards ESG factors, and if finalized, would significantly alter the investment landscape for ERISA plan sponsors and fiduciaries.

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 various countries. In this episode, we are joined by Stéphanie De Smedt, counsel at Loyens & Loeff CVBA in Belgium. Alison Fethke, counsel at Ropes & Gray, discusses with Stéphanie the regulatory framework in Belgium and key risks for life sciences and health care clients. They also discuss emerging trends, such as the new medical device

In this episode of our Trainee Insights podcast series, first seat trainee, Katie Gerasimidis, shares her insights into the graduate recruitment process and whether her experiences at Ropes & Gray so far align with her expectations before joining the firm.

This installation of Ropes & Gray’s podcast series Non-binding Guidance focuses on the Biden administration's recent proposal to repeal the Medicare Coverage of Innovative Technology ("MCIT") final rule, which was published in January 2021 and initially scheduled to become effective on December 15, 2021. This proposed rule, although published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ("CMS"), relates directly to FDA regulation of medical devices because it would provide automatic Medicare coverage to products that FDA approves or authorizes under its Breakthrough Device Program. In this episode, Ropes & Gray life sciences regulatory & compliance head, Greg Levine, and health care partner, Tom Bulleit, will discuss the significance of this development—a reversal of what would've been a significant innovation for Medicare coverage and payment of new device technology—and share some pathways manufacturers of breakthrough devices can use to obtain Medicare coverage after approval while FDA and CMS collect

: Ropes & Gray’s podcast series Talkin’ Trade explores the world of Section 337 unfair import investigations at the U.S. International Trade Commission. Historically, challenges to patent subject matter eligibility under Section 101 of the Patent Act have been rare at the ITC, as the Commission’s Section 337 proceedings necessarily involve tangible, physical goods. But recent changes in the case law from the Federal Circuit and the Supreme Court have led to a noticeable uptick in the numbers of times the Commission and its ALJs have been forced to grapple with patent eligibility issues. Ropes & Gray attorneys Matt Rizzolo, Matt Shapiro, Josef Schenker, and Brendan McLaughlin discuss how Section 101 challenges have evolved over time at the ITC, and how this issue may be litigated differently before the Commission than in district court patent litigation. They also provide an update on recent proposed litigation that may affect Section 337 proceedings.

In the latest installment of Ropes & Gray’s alumni podcast series, Alumni @ RopesTalk, life sciences and health care partner Michael Beauvais interviews Julie Constable, vice president of legal and compliance at Blackstone. Julie spent almost a decade at Ropes & Gray as an associate before taking a senior legal role at Blackstone. Julie talks about what a typical day looks like in-house as she leads transactions emerging from the Blackstone Life Sciences team. She reflects on how Ropes & Gray prepared her for her position now by training her to think more critically. Julie also talks about the unique pro bono partnership between Ropes & Gray and Blackstone that she helped to develop, benefitting organizations such as The Innocence Project.

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 various countries. In this episode, we are joined by our partner in Mexico, Lourdes Salazar. Lourdes is an attorney at Von Wobeser. Alison Fethke, counsel at Ropes & Gray, discusses with Lourdes the regulatory regime in Mexico, key risks for compliance, and changes in law to be aware of.

The Ropes & Gray Decoding Digital Health podcast series discusses the digital health industry and related legal, business and regulatory issues. On this episode, IP transactions partner Regina Sam Penti joins the Digital Health Initiative co-leads, Kellie Combs, Christine Moundas and Megan Baca, to discuss the increasing prominence of artificial intelligence (“AI”) and machine learning technology in the health care and life sciences industry. The discussion reviews key applications of AI, the IP protections around machine-learning, transactional and licensing issues that arise in the context of AI, as well as the health care and FDA regulatory issues to consider.

In this Ropes & Gray podcast, litigation & enforcement partner Ryan Rohlfsen, who is co-chair of the firm’s global anti-corruption and international risk practice, is joined by Jerry Kral, SVP, chief risk, ethics & compliance officer at Brown-Forman Corporation, for an enthusiastic discussion about emerging risks and trends in the modern day market, as well as practical advice for the future.

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.