Global law firm Ropes & Gray announced that Martin Q. “Marty” Ruhaak has joined the firm in Chicago as a partner in the firm’s preeminent private equity transactions practice group.

With more than a decade of experience as a transactional lawyer Mr. Ruhaak combines legal acumen with business savvy to guide market-leading firms on their most business-critical transactions. He focuses on mergers and acquisitions, dispositions, leveraged buyouts, equity and debt financing, restructurings, and recapitalizations for private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies.

His clients have included Gryphon Investors, Onward Capital, Churchill Financial, Aon, PSP Partners, Blue River PetCare Group, Frontenac Company and BBH Capital Partners.

“Marty has earned the trust and respect of his clients because of his elite skillset and the unique, commercial value he delivers,” said Chicago-based Neill Jakobe, Ropes & Gray’s global co-leader for private equity transactions. “His practical, commercial approach, strong relationships with clients, and extensive experience with private equity transactions and knowledge of the Chicago market make him an excellent fit for our clients and for our team.”

At Ropes & Gray, Mr. Ruhaak joins a team of over 90 lawyers in Chicago, a network of more than 180 private equity transaction attorneys around the world, and the firm’s deep bench of approximately 1,400 lawyers across multiple disciplines serving PE and other asset management clients. Mr. Ruhaak is the third lateral private equity partner to join the firm in 2019, following Carolyn Vardi and Scott Abramowitz in the New York office.

The firm is known for its powerhouse PE practice. According to Private Equity International’s 2019 “PEI 300,” Ropes & Gray’s client base includes nine of the top 10 and 44 of the top 100 largest global funds, and more than 80 midmarket firms routinely doing $100 million to $1 billion transactions. The firm is routinely recognized as a top-tier firm for leading some of the most complex middle-market and multibillion-dollar deals in the world.

“Ropes & Gray is a premier firm for private equity and is home to an impressive group of innovative, experienced and influential attorneys,” said Mr. Ruhaak. “Its private equity practice in Chicago has developed a great reputation and impressive roster of clients.  It presents a unique opportunity for my practice and clients as I continue my work to work for my clients on deals that create value and impact for their investors.” 

Ropes & Gray is a recognized leader in private equity. In January, Law360 named Ropes & Gray “Private Equity Group of the Year” for the fifth time in recent years, and U.S. News & World Report-Best Lawyers named Ropes & Gray “Law Firm of the Year” for leveraged buyouts and private equity law in 2015, 2016 and 2019. The firm also is highly ranked in Bloomberg, PitchBook, and MergerMarket league tables based on deal count for buyouts, exits, healthcare, and business-to-business.

Mr. Ruhaak is recognized by The Legal 500—the world’s largest legal referral guide—as leading attorney in the “M&A/Corporate and Commercial – Private Equity Buyouts” category. In April 2019, Mr. Ruhaak was appointed to the Eastern Illinois University Board of Trustees.