Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP’s team capabilities a wide range of matters including traditional acquisitions of asset management companies, investments in hedge fund management companies, seed, stake, incubation transactions, and fund and investment platform restructurings. Team founder Lawrence Barshay, leads the practice, with a wealth of experience in representing and advising the most high-profile players in this space, on matters concerning   private equity transactions and mergers and acquisitions Jonathan Adler focuses his practice on complex transactions involving alternative investment vehicles, including hedge funds, real estate funds, private equity funds and hybrid funds while Jason Koenig represents asset managers on the formation, fundraising and management of funds across a wide range of strategies, including private equity funds, growth equity funds, multi-manager hedge funds, managed credit funds and tactical opportunities funds. All lawyers are based in New York unless stated otherwise.

The team at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP acts as trusted advisers to institutional and independent hedge fund managers, displaying strong capabilities across private equity, credit and hedge funds. The team is led by Udi Grofman, Marco Masotti, Brian Kim, Claudine Meredith-Goujon, Steven Williams, and Scott Barshay. Grofman’s extensive practice covers fund formation across hedge funds, credit funds, hybrid funds, private equity funds, as well as crisis management entailing internal investigations, regulatory examinations, investigations and litigation, while Masotti advises on a vast array of funds to some of the biggest names within the fund space. Kim focuses his practice on acquisition financing, distressed debt and other financing transactions, that assist overleveraged companies in restructuring their finances and Meredith-Goujon specializes in intellectual property transactions assisting public companies and private equity firms  leverage their IP assets. With vast experience in public company private equity transactions, Williams advises clients on auctions, joint ventures, carve-outs, and spin-outs while Barshay is well-regarded for his work on M&A transactions.

Renowned for its cross-border capabilities, the team Ropes & Gray LLP provide clients with full-service capabilities with regard to fund formation, operational and regulatory matters. With recent developments within the tech sector, the team has adapted its practice to include advice on matters related to cryptocurrency, insider trading issues around alternative data sources, and novel operational issues. The team is co-led by San Francisco and Silicone Valley based Melissa Bender and New York’s Marc Biamonte. Bender’s practice concerns private credit and debt, with particular experience in raising closed-end, open-end, hybrid and evergreen funds while Biamonte assists general partners with fundraising across a diverse range of fund types, including buyout, venture, hedge, and special focus funds. Leigh Fraser , sitting across Boston and New York, has extensive experience assisting with the formation of onshore and offshore open-end and closed-end private funds advises such entities on an ongoing basis with regulatory matters and the structuring of new investment products. Based in New York, Laurel FitzPatrick advises on credit fund formations across an impressive range of fund types including evergreen, treaty and rated notes structures, as well as traditional closed end credit funds while Sarah Davidoff , who is also based in New York, is well regarded with the alternative asset management space, guiding clients on aspects of raising and operating their buyout, credit, growth equity and venture capital funds. Laura Hirst is also a key contact in Boston, offering guidance across a variety of private investment funds and investment strategies.

The team at Sidley Austin LLP regularly advises both start-up managers and large institutional advisers on all aspects of structuring and other formation issues. Boston based practice head Elizabeth Shea Fries advises a diverse range of clients including, investment managers, broker-dealers, and insurance companies on a broad range of transactions concerning business and investment structures, as well as the regulatory aspects of such transactions. Daniel Spies is based out of New York and advises both start-up level and institutional-level asset management firms on the formation and operation of hedge funds, digital assets funds, private equity funds; as well as hybrid funds. Based out of Chicago, Janelle Ibeling handles a range of alternative investment products, including domestic and offshore hedge funds, funds of funds and ‘access funds’.

New York’s Barbara Niederkofler leads the alternative hedge funds team at Akin, bringing a global perspective to regulatory work in this space, and aiding non-US funds through complex legislation concerning fund formation.  Representing both domestic and offshore hedge fund managers, JP Bruynes is regularly sought after not only for his comprehensive expertise pertaining to structuring, negotiation, and documentation, but also thanks to his technical and regulatory know how of quantitative trading strategies. Ann E. Tadajweski’s practice focuses on advising both long-standing and emerging investment managers on the structuring, launch, and capital raising activities of alternative investment funds. All lawyers are based in New York.

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP’s hedge fund practice represent all types of domestic and offshore hedge funds, across a broad range of investment and financing strategies, including crossover, hybrid, master-feeder funds, and permanent capital vehicles. The team is co-led by New York-based hedge funds expert Jedd Wider , who is well regarded for his vast experience with domestic and  international private investment funds and Stephen Tirrell , who co-leads the team from Boston, and has considerable knowledge with regards to fund structure, securities laws, and jurisdictional planning. Located in Boston, Richard Goldman advises on a broad range of issues, including fund formation and product structuring, giving strategic advice to both emerging and longstanding funds. Based out of Miami, Ethan Johnson , adds to the firm’s international operations guidance to investment managers.

Employing a multidisciplinary approach to help clients with novel investment strategies involving cryptocurrency, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP advises sophisticated funds and managers ion a full range of fund formation issues including structuring, seeding, credit arrangements and compensation. Leor Landa and Gregory Rowland jointly head the team, with Landa advising on the formation and operation of private investment funds, including hedge funds, credit funds, secondary funds, and real estate funds while Rowland assists funds in connection with a variety of issues concerning digital currency and blockchain matters, including digital currency fund formation. Benjamin Milder regularly represents institutional investors in connection with their investments in hedge funds while also representing buyers, sellers and sponsors in a range of secondary transactions. All listed lawyers are based in New York.

Specializing in advising quantitative firms, the hedge fund practice at Katten is led by global chair Lance Zinman from the Chicago office as well as Wendy Cohen and Allison Yacker from New York office. Zinman has significant experience representing quantitative asset managers and proprietary trading firms that deploy volatility, algorithmic, low-latency and other quantitative trading strategies, while Cohen has vast domestic and international knowledge of  securities, futures and cryptocurrencies. Yacker is frequently sought after by a variety of funds to assist on a variety of strategic issues such as quantitative trading, private credit, and distressed debt. Based in New York, Henry Bregstein  specializes in advising on insurance dedicated alternative investment funds and privately placed life insurance and annuities providing guidance on fund formation and regulatory compliance in this space.

The team at Kleinberg, Kaplan, Wolff & Cohen, P.C. provides a comprehensive advisory service in relation to domestic and offshore funds and fund-of-funds, assisting managers from the funds creation to the lifecycle of the fund. Eric Wagner and Jamie Nash jointly lead the team, with Wagner representing all types of private funds including hedge, credit, and venture funds while Nash represents start-up, emerging and mature managers in connection with a variety of capital raising structures. Jason Grunfeld regularly handles seed deals, managed account agreements, and special purpose vehicles alongside management companies while Kelly Zelezen assists clients with a range of issues related to formation and operation, and compliance. All listed lawyers are based in New York.

The team at Lowenstein Sandler LLP is based across New York and New Jersey and lends itself to an array of matters including fund formation and structuring, regulatory and compliance, as well as cryptocurrency and digital assets issues in this space. Robert Minion, Marie DeFalco, and Scott Moss jointly lead the team with Minion standing out for his organization and structuring of a variety of fund types including hedge and private equity, and multi-strategy while Moss focuses his practice on representing offshore and US-based funds, investment advisers, broker-dealers, commodity pool operators, and commodity trading advisors in formation and structuring as well as mergers and acquisitions, and other financial transactions. David Goret assists managers with various types of transactions and compliance matters while Boris Liberman advises US and international hedge funds, mutual funds, and managed accounts on investment and trading strategies.

Seward & Kissel LLPs team is based in New York, and provides clients with a holistic approach to their fund formation needs, often collaborating with departments such as tax and litigation to assist clients with their legal and regulatory needs. The team is jointly led by Patricia Poglinco and Kevin Neubauer who both advise a large number of funds in this space. Steven Nadel is well regarded for his work with top global hedge funds while Christopher Riccardi  collaborates with sponsors and managers of hedge funds, commodity pools, and hybrid funds.

Boasting a diverse client base, the team at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP handles transactional, regulatory and enforcement matters within the hedge fund space. The firm assists clients across hedge and private equity funds, commodity pools, registered funds and broker dealers. The team’s leadership group including Phillip Isom, Margery Neale, Lior Ohayon, Joseph Cunningham , Rita Molesworth, and Mark Vandehaar . The team has shown capabilities advising clients with digital assets assisting with transactions and issues arising out of virtual currency and digital ledger technology developments. All listed lawyers are based in New York.

The hedge fund practice at K&L Gates advises sponsors and managers of a range of hedge and alternative investment funds on navigating issues relevant to the structuring, documentation and operation of hedge funds in key jurisdictions worldwide. Washington’s Mark Amorosi and Ndenisarya Meekins co-lead the team with Boston’s Michael Caccese and Clair Pagnano. Christopher Lokken is based in Chicago and focuses his practice on the formation and operation of private investment funds and investment management firms while Matthew Mangan in San Francisco assists with fund formation, product structuring, and regulatory and compliance matters.