They’ve Got Next: The 40 Under 40 - Abigail Gregor of Ropes & Gray

Please describe two of your most substantial, recent wins in practice.

Although it has been a few years, one matter that stands out is my team’s representation of Blackstone in its $2B strategic financing collaboration with Alnylam. This was a very complex transaction with multiple deals rolled into one—a royalty monetization, a product financing, an equity component, and a debt component--and the complexity (and expedited timeline) really allowed Ropes to showcase its depth.

It also stands out because we were at the peak of negotiations when the 2020 Covid-19 shutdown went into effect, and it was my first deal finalized in an entirely remote environment.

Another substantial recent win was my team’s representation of ImmunoGen in its worldwide exclusive license with Eli Lilly for up to $1.7B under ImmunoGen’s novel camptothecin technology to advance ADCs directed to certain Lilly-selected targets. This was an exciting deal to work on, given the potential of ADC technology in the oncology space.

What is the most important lesson you learned as a first-year attorney and how does it inform your practice today?

I learned as a junior associate that you have to own your career. I started in the Ropes corporate department without a group preference while the fallout from the 2008 financial crisis was ongoing (and billable hours were tough to come by). I then discovered Ropes’ Life Sciences practice, and knew I wanted to be a part of it. I worked my way into the group through sheer willpower, in spite of being initially assigned to a different group.

I showed up for trainings that I wasn’t invited to, reached out to partners to introduce myself, and volunteered for non-billable projects, until I received my first billable project from Joy Liu (now the general counsel of Vertex Pharmaceuticals, a longtime Ropes client). From then on, I pushed to gain traction- first on regulatory matters, and then in licensing.

Over the past 12 years, including through two maternity leaves and coming up for partner during Covid-19, I have followed this same principle: advocate for yourself, and create your own path. My focus now is on passing this message to younger generations, and to support associates as they do the same, especially female attorneys.

How do you define success in your practice?

Success in my practice is two-fold. Externally, on the client-facing front, it means that on the transaction signs, my clients walk away with the best possible deal terms, while maintaining a collaborative negotiation process that has set the parties up for success in their future partnership.

A typical collaboration may have a term spanning 10 to 20 years, and during this time, the success of the partnership depends on the parties’ ability to work together to navigate issues that were not contemplated during negotiations. A successful negotiation for me means that the parties have developed a solutions-oriented framework for problem solving that sets the tone for years to come.

Internally at the firm, success means that I have managed the associates on my teams in a way that fosters personal and professional growth on each deal. This might mean encouraging associates to take the lead on client calls or to speak up during negotiations or helping associates to gain confidence in business development efforts.

It also requires taking the time to provide feedback and to walk through novel concepts with associates. Success in my practice means that my teams are also succeeding.

What are you most proud of as a lawyer?

I am most proud of the relationships and friendships that I have developed through the course of my legal career. Many of these relationships were formed at Ropes—working together tirelessly on complex, mind-bending transactions, through shared life experiences, like figuring out how to manage a full calendar with a pumping schedule, or through mentor/mentee opportunities.

Over the years, as colleagues have transitioned to other opportunities, these friendships have endured, and I am incredibly proud to now have the opportunity to work with these former colleagues in a different capacity on both transactional matters and pro bono partnerships, such as recent client partnerships with the Innocence Project and Project Citizenship.

Separately, my non-alumni transactional work has frequently developed into lasting friendships with client teams, whether it’s running a 5K with a client at a biotech conference for moral support, attending a family barbecue at a client’s home, or joining a send-off dinner for a client headed to a new opportunity, these are the interactions I cherish most in my job, and I am incredibly proud of the network of amazing people that I have gotten to know.

Who is your greatest mentor in the law and what have they taught you?

Susan Galli, a former partner in Ropes & Gray’s life sciences practice, was a leader in a group of partners that heavily skewed male. She simultaneously built her brand and her family and demonstrated that it is possible to succeed on both fronts.

Susan was the first partner to give me the latitude to develop my style and lead a deal as an associate. I’ll never forget her telling me that I would be traveling to Texas for a negotiation without her, and while she would be available for questions, I was more than capable of handling it.

This was my first solo negotiation, and I came away from the trip with an entirely different perspective and a newfound confidence as a lawyer. It also solidified for me that I wanted to make partner, an endeavor that Susan always supported wholeheartedly.

Although she was retired by the time I came up, we spoke frequently throughout the process, and she constantly reiterated that I was a contender, that I deserved to be in the game, and not to underestimate myself.

Tell us your two favorite songs on your summer music playlist.
My summer music playlist was curated with the summer concert lineup in mind, so I would have to go with Beyoncé’s “Run the World (Girls)” and Taylor Swift’s “You’re on Your Own, Kid” (not on The Eras Tour set list, but my favorite from the Midnights album).

Abigail Gregor (l.) of Ropes & Gray with sisters at Taylor Swift concert.

Abigail Gregor and Jonathan Hurtarte/Bloomberg Law

Abigail Gregor, in addition to her transactional work with pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device companies, is active in pro bono initiatives such as the Innocence Project and Project Citizenship. She is a board member of the Women’s Bar Foundation of Massachusetts, which provides free legal counseling and representation in civil legal matters for low-income women and children.