About Ropes & Gray
Ropes & Gray is a preeminent global law firm. The firm has been ranked in the top three on The American Lawyer's prestigious A-List for eight consecutive years and #1 on Law.com's UK A-List twice in the past three years - rankings that honor the "best of the best" law firms. The firm has approximately 2,500 lawyers and professionals serving clients in major centers of business, finance, technology, and government in Boston, Chicago, Dublin, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Milan, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, D.C.The firm has consistently been recognized for its leading practices in many areas, including asset management, private equity, M&A, finance, real estate, tax, antitrust, life sciences, health care, intellectual property, litigation & enforcement, privacy & cybersecurity, and business restructuring. Ropes & Gray is an equal opportunity employer.
Overview
The PR Manager is responsible for developing and executing integrated, data-driven external communications strategies that enhance the firm’s reputation across priority practice areas, including private equity, M&A, asset management, and regulated sectors such as healthcare and life sciences.
This role serves as a strategic advisor to partners and senior leadership, positioning the firm and its lawyers as market leaders through proactive media engagement, thought leadership, and rankings strategies. The PR Manager will leverage advanced technologies, including AI-driven tools, to inform decision-making, generate insights, and drive measurable impact across communications initiatives.
The successful candidate will bring a strong understanding of the legal industry, particularly corporate transactional practices, and a demonstrated ability to translate complex legal matters into compelling narratives for external audiences.
Responsibilities
- Lead the development and execution of integrated communications strategies for key practice groups, industries, and firmwide initiatives
- Partner closely with practice leaders in high-growth areas—including private equity, M&A, asset management, healthcare, and life sciences—to enhance market visibility and support business development objectives
- Serve as a trusted advisor to partners on media strategy, messaging, and positioning, including media training and preparation
- Oversee the execution of PR campaigns, media outreach, thought leadership, and editorial content aligned with firm priorities
- Direct and manage programs for legal directories, rankings, awards, and related submissions to strengthen the firm’s market profile
- Utilize AI-enabled tools and analytics platforms to support media monitoring, sentiment analysis, content development, and competitive intelligence
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with key members of the media, including legal, financial, and industry trade press
- Monitor and analyze communications performance, preparing regular reports with actionable insights and recommendations
- Lead a competitive intelligence program to track peer firm positioning, emerging trends, and market opportunities
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree required; JD or advanced degree preferred
- Minimum of eight (8) years of relevant professional experience in a law firm, PR agency, media organization, or similar professional services environment
- Demonstrated experience supporting corporate transactional practices, including private equity, M&A, capital markets, or asset management; experience in healthcare or life sciences sectors is a plus
- Demonstrated experience and skill in proactive media pitching, including identifying newsworthy opportunities, crafting compelling pitches, and securing media coverage across relevant outlets
- Advanced proficiency in leveraging AI and emerging technologies to enhance communications strategy, including media intelligence, predictive analytics, and content generation
- Exceptional writing and editing skills, with experience drafting for senior executives and legal audiences
- Strategic thinker with the ability to align communications initiatives to firmwide business objectives
- Ability to synthesize complex information quickly and communicate key messages clearly and effectively
- High degree of professionalism, discretion, and sensitivity in handling confidential firm and client matters
- Proactive and solutions-oriented, with a strong sense of ownership and accountability
- Ability to operate effectively within a partnership structure and navigate a complex organizational environment
- Strong collaboration skills, with the ability to work across practices, functions, and seniority levels
- Adaptability and intellectual curiosity, particularly in relation to evolving technologies such as generative AI and their application to communications and marketing
- Strong understanding of media landscape, including print, broadcast, digital, and social channels
- Proven ability to translate complex legal and business concepts into clear, compelling messaging
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to influence and advise senior stakeholders
- Demonstrated success managing high-impact PR initiatives in a complex, fast-paced organization
- Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
- Experience leading and developing high-performing teams
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and familiarity with media and analytics platforms
Compensation and Total Rewards Package
Ropes & Gray is proud to offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package to our business support team members. The firm also offers comprehensive health and well-being benefits, personal and professional development, career growth opportunities and a collegial and supportive culture. The anticipated pay range for this role is listed below and represents our good faith and reasonable estimate of the starting salary range at the time of posting. In addition, this role is eligible for a discretionary bonus based on performance. The actual offered rate for this position will be determined based on job-related, non-discriminatory factors, including qualifications and experience, geographic location, education, external market data and consideration of internal equity.
New York: $145,800 - $222,350
Working Conditions
This position requires hybrid on-site presence as an essential function of the role. Consistent and predictable on-site presence is required for ongoing business continuity, professional development and effective collaboration with colleagues and management.