BOSTON – March 6, 2023 – Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP added Robert C. Ross, former chief legal counsel to Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, to its Boston Government Law & Policy Practice as of counsel. In this role, Ross will focus on guiding clients with a wide range of complex regulatory, governance, and transactional matters.
Ross brings over 23 years of experience advising senior government leaders and has worked with numerous state and local agencies on myriad legal, administrative, and legislative issues. He has held numerous state government roles in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, most recently serving as chief legal counsel for former Governor Baker, whose term ended in January. As the governor’s chief legal counsel, Ross oversaw a team of in-house attorneys and advised the governor’s office and state agencies on many issues, including the Commonwealth’s COVID-19 pandemic response. He also oversaw litigation and approved settlements on behalf of the Commonwealth.
Prior to his work as chief legal counsel, Ross was general counsel in the Executive Office for Administration and Finance, where he oversaw the drafting of legislation filed by the governor, including the preparation of five annual state budgets. As assistant attorney general and chief of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Business and Labor Bureau, he supervised the regulation and enforcement of various laws governing for-profit businesses and charitable organizations in Massachusetts. His other state governmental roles have included chief policy advisor for the Office of the Senate President, counsel and budget director for the Committee on Ways and Means, and counsel for the State Rating Bureau in the Division of Insurance.
“Bob brings an impressive combination of government law and administrative litigation experience to the firm’s Boston office,” said Terence P. McCourt and David J. Dykeman, co-managing shareholders of Greenberg Traurig’s Boston office. “His expertise will be invaluable to clients, particularly those in highly regulated industries, navigating the complexities of state laws and regulations.”
“Greenberg Traurig is strategically located in key state capitals, and the addition of Bob to the Boston office augments our growing government capabilities not only in that city, but around the country,” said Co-Chairs of the firm’s Government Law & Policy Practice Harold N. Iselin and Demetrius G. McDaniel.
Ross said, “Greenberg Traurig has a thriving Boston office and a vibrant state presence that is backed by the firm’s global footprint. This is an ideal platform for me to grow my practice and assist emerging and established companies that need to interact with state and local agencies.”
Ross obtained his J.D. from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and his B.A. from the College of William and Mary. He is subject to the Massachusetts Public Employee Ethics Law which prohibits the involvement of former state employees in particular matters that the individual participated in personally and substantially, and places a one-year restriction on matters over which the former state employee had official responsibility.
About Greenberg Traurig’s Government Law & Policy Practice: Greenberg Traurig’s Government Law & Policy Practice combines the capabilities of its Federal Practice in Washington D.C. with its state and local practices across the country. The firm’s national team of governmental affairs professionals and attorneys spans major political and commercial capitals throughout the United States, including: Albany, Austin, Denver, New York City, Philadelphia, Sacramento, Tallahassee, and Washington, D.C. Most recently, Greenberg Traurig’s Government Law & Policy team was “Top Listed” for Government Relations in Best Lawyers in America’s 2018 edition. The team was also named “Law Firm of the Year” for Government Relations by the U.S. News-Best Lawyers 2014 edition of “Best Law Firms.” The practice also received the most first-tier Government Relations rankings in the U.S.
About Greenberg Traurig’s Boston Office: Established in 1999, Greenberg Traurig’s Boston office is home to more than 80 attorneys practicing in the areas of bankruptcy and restructuring, corporate, emerging technology, energy, environmental, financial services, gaming, governmental affairs, intellectual property, labor and employment, life sciences and medical technology, litigation, public finance, real estate, and tax. An important contributor to the firm’s international platform, the Boston office includes a team of nationally recognized attorneys with both public and private sector experience. The team offers clients the value of decades of helping clients in complex legal matters and hands-on knowledge of the local business community, supported by the firm’s vast network of global resources.