About

Dr Markus Federle, Samena Capital’s senior managing director, general counsel and member of the group’s executive committee, explains that the past year has been a particularly busy one for the legal team: ‘In 2017-2018, we have executed a number of significant transactions across the SAMENA (Subcontinent, Asia, Middle East and North Africa) region, including investments in a kindergarten operator in China, a premium health care platform in Hong Kong, one of the leading conglomerates in Sri Lanka and in an innovative budget hotel chain in India, as well as a number of exits and further financing rounds for our existing portfolio companies. The legal work for all of these transactions was led by our legal team in Dubai. These transactions were highly complex and required significant involvement from the team in structuring, negotiation, due diligence and document production’. As well as this, he explains that the team ‘successfully completed a first closing of our third private equity fund as well as the launch of our new Indian credit platform increasing assets under management for our group to above US$1bn’. This ‘significant milestone in the development of the firm’, as Federle puts it, was supported by the legal team at all stages, being ‘closely involved in the structuring of the funds, the drafting of the fund documentation as well as provision of legal support in the ensuing fundraising’. Federle does not pick out any individual team member for special praise when discussing these successes, preferring instead to note that ‘it was truly a team effort, and everyone in the team made a significant contribution to the success of the firm’. This highlights the collaborative spirit within the team as well as its seamless integration in the business processes of the firm, which undoubtedly has been a major factor in its achievements. Federle mentions that in addition to the transactional work, the team is focused on the increasing regulation and compliance requirements in the investment management industry, a global trend which ‘emphasises the importance of having strong corporate governance structures as well as the right culture within the business’. Federle has selectively added resources to his team to further strengthen the legal function in relevant areas.