• Armstrong joins as a partner following 16 years at global investment firm Permira
• Appointment builds on private equity team’s success over recent years

Global law firm Ropes & Gray has bolstered its private equity offering with the addition of Paul Armstrong as a Partner in London. Paul joins the firm in January 2024 following a period of strong performance and team growth in recent years.

Paul joins Ropes & Gray from global investment firm Permira, where he was a Managing Director in London, responsible for executing and structuring private equity transactions globally. During his 16 years with Permira, he advised on complex, cross-border private equity mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, growth investments and take-private transactions. He was also a member of Permira’s Equity Capital Markets group, advising on all aspects of public markets transactions and listed company governance globally. Prior to joining Permira, Paul was in private practice focusing on sponsor backed public and private company M&A, leveraged buyouts and other investments.

Paul joins one of the world’s leading private capital law firms, whose 300+ private equity and M&A lawyers advised on 325 transactions worth $186 billion in 2022. In that year, the London private equity team advised on over 80 transactions worth £67 billion, working on a diverse range of transactions for private equity houses, asset managers and sovereign wealth funds across Europe, Asia and North America.

Julie Jones, Chair of Ropes & Gray, said: “Paul’s experience at Permira, and in private practice, is matched with the agency and ambition that make him a trusted adviser to the world’s leading funds.”

David Blittner, Chair of Ropes & Gray’s Global Private Equity Transactions Group, said: “Paul is a seasoned advisor and the breadth of his 25+ years’ experience and insight will bolster our London team and further strengthen our leading global private equity offering. We are excited to have him onboard.”

Jane Rogers, Managing Partner of Ropes & Gray’s London office, added: “We’re delighted that Paul is joining us.  His arrival, which follows the addition of four partners to our team in London last year, reflects our notable trajectory and our ambition for further growth.”

Paul Armstrong said: “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to join such a high-quality firm and team during a period of strong growth. Ropes & Gray’s leading practice and global capabilities give clients access to high quality, sophisticated, client-centric advice, and I look forward to leveraging my experience to help clients navigate the broad array of opportunities and challenges that they are presented with.”