Lauded as ‘without peer‘ on ‘individual expertise and depth of bench across all practice groups,’ the alternative investment fund team at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP handles the full range of comprehensive strategic advisory work, including all relevant regulatory issues. With decades of expertise, ‘industry leader’ Udi Grofman leads the team with Marco Masotti, Brian Kim , Claudine Meredith-Goujon , and Steven Williams, who represent and advise a roaster of impressive clients including Blackstone Alternative Asset Management and Credit, Bridgewater Associates and DI Capital Partners, and advise of a wide range of hedge fun products. The team also regularly handles debt and hedge fund formation, SAF fund operation, seed arrangements, and various other investments with underlying funds. Allison Muth is another key contact, assisting with ongoing fund maintenance. All lawyers are based in New York unless stated otherwise.

 

The highly experienced alternative and hedge funds team at Ropes & Gray LLP regularly handles the full range of hedge fund matters, jointly led by San Francisco's asset management specialist Melissa Bender, New York's Morri Weinberg, Boston's Leigh Fraser and Peter Laybourn. Bender's expertise includes leading the firm's crypto blockchain department, while Fraser specializes in representing hedge fund sponsors. The team services a roster of major clients including private credit sponsor CIFC asset management, MFN Partners, and Pacific Investment Management Company, on onshore and offshore private funds, structuring products, and the full range of regulatory matters. Head of the hedge fund team, New York-based Laurel FitzPatrick leads on advising on evergreen and open end credit funds, and assists with representing both registered and unregistered fund managers. Sarah Davidoff  is another key contact in the New York office, advising private fund sponsors and providing strategic counsel to national and international hedge funds.

 

Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP‘s deep bench boasts some of the ‘most knowledgeable experienced,‘ lawyers in the alternative hedge funds space, representing a wide range of major asset and capital management clients. Handling liquid funds and investment structuring, Stephanie Breslow co-leads the team with David Efron and Peter Greene. David Nissenbaum also leads the team, assisting with a number of hedge fund and credit fund manager matters and leading on the Kepos Capital LP carbon-focused product launch, while Greene leads on representing the largest female-led hedge fund launch in the industry. The firm handles a significant volume of hedge, hybrid, and credit funds, and regularly advises investment managers on regulatory and compliance matters. Eileen Overbaugh is another name to note, representing an emerging hedge fund manager in negotiating a strategic investor arrangement. Jennifer Dunn left the firm in May 2024. All lawyers mentioned are based in New York.

New York’s Barbara Niederkofler leads the alternative hedge funds team at Akin, regularly advising major start-up and well-established hedge funds, particularly in regards to complex compliance matters with extensive regulatory demands. Representing both domestic and offshore hedge fund managers, JP Bruynes advises on the full range of related matters. The team's expertise includes formation and structuring of investor funds, advising venture capital managers, and handling structured risk for a wide range of clients, including Blackstone Alternative Asset Management. Ann E. Tadajweski and Jonathan A. Ross are lead contacts on a $73 billion alternative investment firm focusing on asset-based specialty private credit investments, advising on fund structuring. Max Karpel joined the investment management group in August 2023. All lawyers are based in New York.

 

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP boasts an ‘impressive’ hedge fund practice, led by New York-based ‘exceptional attorney,’ and hedge funds expert Jedd Wider, who handles the full range of structuring and formation of both international and domestic private investment funds. Stephen Tirrell co-leads the Boston branch of the team, including Richard Goldman handles the full range of regulatory and compliance issues, as well as leading on the launch of the Callodine Perpetual ABL fund and structuring compensation agreements. Also Boston based is Jason Traue, who assists with the full range of tax related hedge fund formation matters. The team also regularly serves as legal counsel for asset managers and advisers, representing clients on sub-advisory agreements, and providing ongoing transactional advice. Chicago’s Zeke Johnson helps negotiate single investor funds and co-investments, and the launch of private credit funds. Ethan Johnson is another key contact based in Miami.

Specializing in advising alternative investment managers in the full range of hedge fund related matters, the experienced team at Proskauer Rose LLP is jointly led by Christopher Wells and Kelli Moll. Both lead on fund restructuring matters, and quantitative strategy fund formation. Caryn Greenspan advises fund sponsors on credit fund formations, and hedge fund managers on product launching and structuring. Assisting in single fund formation, hedge fund restructuring, and representing joint venture clients in strategy fund formation are among the team’s key strengths. Senior associate Cameron Clark is another recommended contact in the hedge fund practice. Partners Michael Mavrides and Robert Leonard departed to Dechert LLP in June 2023, while Jennifer Dunn joined the team from Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP in May 2024. All lawyers are based in New York unless stated otherwise.

 

Offering a strong focus on representing major quantitative firms, credit-focused investment managers, the hedge funds practice at Katten is led by global chair Lance Zinman from the Chicago office. Wendy Cohen and Allison Yacker also lead the practice from New York, advising private credit funds on regulatory and compliance matters. Notably, the team represented Pan Capital Management with formation and structuring of a multi-strategy hedge fund, and the restructuring of existing hedge funds. More frequently advising on quantitative and algorithmic fund related matters, the team also assists with structured and investment products, and real estate and credit funds. The Chicago team also includes key contacts Jonah Roth and Christopher Shannon, assisting on the formation and launch of a private fund focusing on venture capital investments, and negotiating strategic investments.

 

Paul Hastings LLP's investment funds and private capital team stands out for its work on fund organisation, seed funding proposals, and open-end products, and related hedge fund structuring matters. The team is jointly led by global chair John Budetti who joined from Kirkland & Ellis LLP in April 2023, along with Josh Sternoff and Michael Rosella from the New York office. In California, Art Zwickel and Yousuf Dhamee are active members of the team, advising an asset management affiliate of JPMorgan Chase & Co with regulatory matters, and due diligence regarding proposed investments. The team also provides cross-border regulatory, particularly SEC related, advice for funds based in Asia. Also based in California, Alicia Harrison assists with representing Medina Value Partners in a buy-out litigation, and continuing to serve as outside counsel in funds structuring for various hedge fund managers. New York's Ira Kustin is another key contact, handling hybrid fund matters.

 

Seward & Kissel LLP's investment management team is based in New York, boasting a number of experienced partners advising and representing hedge fund and investment managers at all levels and advising on the full range of SEC related regulatory matters. Jointly led by Patricia Poglinco and Robert Van Grover, the team handles fund formation issues, advising on forming open-ended fund structures in the crypto and blockchain industry. Christopher Riccardi has decades of experience in the field, advising various clients in investment strategies, derivatives, and securities, while Debra Franzese is another key contact. Daniel Bresler is an active member of team, preparing offering documents regarding various fund structuring.

Specializing in advising a range of hedge fund and investment managers on the full range of SEC and CFTC related regulatory matters, the hedge funds team at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP is led by a six-person team including Phillip Isom, Margery Neale, Lior Ohayon, Joseph Cunningham, Rita Molesworth, and Mark Vandehaar. The team's key strengths include assisting with management structuring, acting as fund counsel in negotiations, and advising on fund manager formations. Gabriel Acri regularly handles related cross-border matters, assisting international investment advisers and other clients on securities and alternative investment vehicles, while Deborah Tuchman advises advising on the distribution of real estate investment trusts. All listed lawyers are based in New York.

 

With a large roster of hedge fund investment manager clients, the hedge fund and alternative investment team at K&L Gates regularly advises US based clients in cross-border trading and registration matters. Washington’s Mark Amorosi and Ndenisarya Bregasi co-lead the team with Boston’s Michael Caccese and Clair Pagnano. Standout recent deals include representing a US-based asset management firm and counselling them on mutual fund business matters. The team's other key strengths include private funds and investment regulation work. San Francisco’s Matthew Mangan leads on advising hedge funds in the technology sector in digital asset fund related matters. Pablo Man and Mark Goshko are other key contacts in the Boston office, leading on mutual and private fund related matters, representing global asset managers, and serving as fund counsel for hedge fund offerings. Nicholas Hodge is also recommended.