Hall of Fame

The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.

Stuart Coleman

Stuart Coleman

Hall of fameProskauer Rose LLP

Stuart Coleman has counseled registered funds and their independent board members and market-leading investment advisers for more than 40 years, through cycles of industry expansion and innovation and in times of economic and regulatory crisis. His clients include funds and/or boards in more than 30 well-known complexes (including those with registered hedge and private equity funds, ETFs and BDCs), with assets of nearly 10% of all the money invested in investment companies. Stuart also has represented board litigation committees and has served as an expert in a significant matter before the SEC and in private litigation. A well-known individual in the industry, Stuart has chaired the New York City Bar Association Committee on Investment Management Regulation and has served on the ABA’s Task Force on the Fund Director’s Guidebook. In addition, he has spoken at numerous prominent industry conferences and before industry groups. He is passionate about the performing arts in New York City. He and his wife serve on the boards of a number of dance companies and performing arts venues. Before joining Proskauer, Stuart was the co-managing partner of a national law firm for 12 years.

Bruce Leto

Bruce Leto

Hall of fameStradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP

For almost three decades, Bruce Leto served as both chair and co-chair of the firm’s nationally recognized investment management practice. He provides counsel to investment companies, investment advisers, independent trustees and broker-dealers on securities and corporate law matters relating to pooled investment products, including registered and unregistered, open- and closed-end investment companies. Bruce is a member of Stradley Ronon’s board of directors and management committee. He is also a member of the advisory board of BoardIQ, an industry publication that addresses issues confronting investment company independent directors.

Next Generation Partners

Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.

Nicole Crum

Nicole Crum

Sullivan & Worcester LLP

Nicole is the leader of the firm’s Investment Management Group, as well as Chair of Sullivan's Corporate Governance & Board Advisory Practice. Nicole also serves as Co-Chair of the firm's Lateral Partner Hiring Committee. Nicole’s practice focuses on the representation of boards and board committees, including independent directors, as well as broad spectrum of private and public companies and non-profits. Nicole regularly advises on all aspects of governance and compliance, including crisis and conflict management, regulatory oversight and compliance, government and internal investigations, and shareholder and stakeholder engagement issues. Nicole counsels clients on all aspects of governmental and self-regulatory organization regulation. She is widely known as a trusted adviser to clients. In recognition of her work, Nicole was recognized by Best Lawyers in America®, named one of the top ten women investment management lawyers by Fund Board Views, and was also named a "Next Generation Lawyer" and a "Recommended" lawyer by The Legal 500 US. In 2019, she was included on DCA Live's inaugural list of the top Emerging Women Leaders in Private Practice. She was named a "Rising Star" at the Mutual Fund Industry Awards by Fund Action/Fund Intelligence and is a former member of the Firm's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. Nicole served as Chair of the Firm's Women's Initiative from 2017-2021 and is a 2017 Fellow of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity. Prior to joining Sullivan, Nicole was an associate at Winston & Strawn and Baker & McKenzie. She has an LL.M. from University College London focusing on international law with focus on international human rights and investment and worked on investment and human rights as a legal fellow at Amnesty UK (London) and Amnesty USA (DC).

Leading lawyers

The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.

Rajib Chanda

Rajib Chanda

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

Hailed as a “Trailblazer” by the American Lawyer for his legal contributions to the democratization of access by ordinary investors to private markets investments, Rajib helps asset management firms design, develop and structure investment products. Rajib heads Simpson Thacher’s Registered Funds practice, which has over 75 lawyers globally. Rajib regularly represents the leading asset management firms in the world., including recent representations of Apollo, Artisan Partners, BC Partners, Benefit Street, Blackstone, Blue Owl, Carlyle, Cohen & Steers, Coller Capital, Diameter Capital, First Eagle, Golub, HarbourVest, Irradiant Partners, JPMorgan Asset Management, KKR, Lexington Partners, Morgan Stanley, New Mountain, Onex Credit, Sixth Street Partners, SkyBridge Capital, Starwood Capital Group and TPG Angelo Gordon, among many others.