Erica Berthou is a senior partner in Kirkland’s Investment Funds Group. Erica has counseled investment fund sponsors on hundreds of billions of dollars of private fund formations, separately managed accounts and joint ventures across a variety of strategies, including credit, debt, energy, infrastructure and real estate, worldwide. Erica has advised both sponsors and institutional buyers in connection with strategic investments in private investment firms. Erica regularly gives strategic advice to senior management of private equity firms on matters of strategic firm importance, including internal restructurings and succession planning arrangements. Representative clients include Antin, Astorg, Blackstone, Bridgepoint, Carlyle, EQT, FFL, Glendon, GreyLion Capital, Hunter Point Capital, I Squared, KPS, Oaktree and TPG.
Private equity funds (including venture capital)
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.
Focuses on alternative asset management. Has represented some of the largest and best known sponsors of private equity funds including Carlyle, KKR, BlackRock, J.C. Flowers, Lexington Partners and Corsair Capital. He has represented sponsors of funds that focus on investments in specific asset classes—including energy, financial services and the secondary market—throughout the world, including in Western Europe, South Africa and Brazil. Mr. Covit represented the United States Treasury Department in connection with the establishment of its $30 billion Public-Private Investment Program to purchase legacy assets from financial institutions.
Head of Investment Funds Practice, focusing on private investing and other facets of "alternative asset management." Has represented some of the largest and most well-known sponsors of private investment funds, including Apax Partners, Blackstone, Centerbridge, Lexington, Patria, Silver Lake and Sixth Street. In addition to private equity funds, has represented sponsors in other alternative asset classes, including real estate, energy/infrastructure, secondaries and credit/distressed debt. Also has represented global financial institutions in the establishment of their employee investment programs; been involved in acquisitions of, and investments in, private investment firms (including minority stakes transactions); and advised buyers, sellers and sponsors with respect to disposition of private fund interests, GP-led Secondaries and other secondary private equity transactions.
Andrew L. Wright, P.C. is internationally recognized as one of the world’s leading attorneys in the field of private investment funds. With more than two decades of experience counseling many of the industry’s largest and most prominent fund sponsors, as well as numerous boutique managers, Andrew has advised on hundreds of billions of dollars of private fund formations across a wide variety of strategies, including private equity, growth equity and leveraged buyout funds, funds focused on industry sectors such as technology, healthcare, consumer/retail, the financial sector and others, debt and credit funds, energy and infrastructure funds, emerging markets and other geographically-oriented funds, "hard asset" funds, co-investment funds, public equities and hedge funds, venture capital funds, feeder funds and fund-of-funds, and other private investment fund strategies. As the investment funds market has evolved, clients have routinely turned to Andrew to identify creative solutions and execute pioneering transactions such as: fund tender offers, general partner (GP)-led secondary sales, including both single-asset sales and “strip sales”, other cross-fund transactions, stapled secondaries, investment warehousing and other complex fund-related structures. Andrew also assists GPs in a broad range of internal firm as well as fund operational and regulatory matters.
Kenneth Rosh is a corporate partner and head of the Firm’s private equity funds practice group. Mr. Rosh represents clients in a broad range of corporate and securities transactions, with a focus on private equity fund formation counseling, investments, acquisitions and secondary transactions; securities and capital markets; and general corporate matters. Mr. Rosh has represented major private equity fund sponsors for over 25 years. A partial list of his clients include Bain Capital; Goldman Sachs; BlackRock; Brookfield Asset Management; Fortress Investment Group; HPS Investment Partners; Permira; Morgan Stanley, Sixth Street Partners, StepStone Group; and Tapestry.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Co-Head of the Fund Transactions practice, Lauren King has extensive experience advising prominent sponsors on cutting-edge transactions designed to provide liquidity to both GPs and investors. She advises on the full range of secondaries transactions, including traditional and synthetic secondaries acquisitions and dispositions, and GP-led restructurings. Lauren also counsels sponsors on the organization, structuring and operation of secondaries funds, as well as minority stakes deals. She has wide-ranging experience advising on the development and fundraising of vehicles across numerous strategies, and in connection with fund governance matters, upper-tier structuring and succession planning, marketing and limited-partner transfers. Lauren has represented a diverse group of asset managers and secondary investors, including, among others, Neuberger Berman, Blackstone Strategic Partners, Pantheon Ventures, Portfolio Advisors, HarbourVest, Serena Ventures, WeWork Capital Advisors, Hamilton Lane, Graham Partners, Coller Capital and FirstMark Ventures.
Katrina S. Rowe is a partner in the Investment Funds Group at Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Her practice focuses on representing domestic and international sponsors on forming, marketing and operating private investment funds covering a wide spectrum of sectors, geographies and strategies, including buyout, credit, distressed debt, infrastructure, real estate, energy and mezzanine. Katrina also has significant experience working with sponsors on co-investment arrangements, joint ventures and separately managed accounts, as well as structuring, regulatory and compliance matters. In addition, Katrina has represented institutional investors in making investments in private funds.
Katie St. Peters is a partner in the Investment Funds Group, where her practice focuses on structuring and forming investment funds ranging from first-time funds to funds of over $5 billion. She represents leading fund sponsors across a wide variety of strategies, including leveraged buyout funds, distressed funds, energy funds, debt and credit funds, hedge funds, “hybrid” funds, and other private investment vehicles. In addition to fund formation matters, Katie counsels fund sponsors on various operational and firm management issues, including governance matters, compensation and succession planning arrangements, separation arrangements, regulatory compliance, and other investment management matters. She also advises fund managers on fund-related aspects of M&A transactions, including deal-structuring, co-investment arrangements and alternative investment structures.
Justin Storms is a corporate partner based in Debevoise's New York office and a member of the firm’s Investment Management Group. Mr. Storms represents clients in a wide range of activities in the private alternative investment space, including the organization of traditional private investment funds and co-investment structures, the establishment of bespoke separately managed accounts and platforms, the development of “house” governance and compensation structures, and select representations of institutional investors. Mr. Storms’ recent experience includes acting for clients such as Carlyle, HarbourVest Partners and KKR, among others. Recognized as a leading individual for private equity funds by Chambers Global (2023) and Chambers USA (2023), sources highlight Mr. Storms’ ability to provide “practical and insightful advice for challenging issues.” They say “he understands his clients’ needs and cuts through issues to find a solution.” He is also said to be “a thoughtful adviser,” “a resourceful and hands-on partner,” and “a sophisticated, savvy, commercial lawyer who works tirelessly to deliver high-quality work.” The guides have also described him as “detail-orientated,” “a premier negotiator,” “technically very strong,” “incredibly insightful” and as a “fount of knowledge in fund formation matters.” He receives further praise from clients for his “incredibly deep understanding of the issues at hand” and for being “an extremely commercial and practical lawyer” who is “able to come up with smart and creative solutions.” Mr. Storms joined the firm in 2019. He received his B.A. summa cum laude from The University of Texas in 2000 and a J.D. magna cum laude from New York University School of Law in 2003. He is admitted to practice in New York.
Nicole Washington is a partner in the New York office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, where she is a key member of the Firm’s Investment Funds Group. Nicole regularly represents domestic and international sponsors on forming, marketing and operating private investment funds, including buyout, secondary, direct lending, special situations, growth, mezzanine, opportunistic, real estate, infrastructure and other private investment vehicles, as well as on structuring, regulatory and compliance issues. She also advises some of the world’s most sophisticated private fund sponsors on internal management and succession planning, strategic investments, co-investment arrangements, joint ventures, and other investment management matters. Nicole’s experience also includes representing some of the largest and most diversified asset managers, as well as numerous small and middle-market managers on the formation of private investment funds ranging from several hundred million to multibillion dollars. Additionally, Nicole has significant experience in forming and negotiating managed accounts and single investor funds. Nicole serves as co-chair of Kirkland’s Transactional Associate Review Committee, and is a member of the Committees on Billings and Collections, Diversity and Inclusion and Firmwide Recruiting. She also serves on the board of PeacePlayers International, a non-profit organization which uses basketball to unite and educate children and their communities. In 2020, Nicole was named by Law360 to the Fund Formation "Rising Stars” list, an annual ranking which recognizes outstanding legal talent under 40 years old.
Jeremy Berry is a corporate partner resident in Fried Frank's New York office. Mr. Berry's practice focuses on private investment funds and complex corporate transactions, with a particular focus on private equity and hedge fund formation and other alternative investment matters. Mr. Berry regularly represents some of the most prominent private equity and hedge fund sponsors and investment banks, as well as a broad range of other investment management clients. Mr. Berry consistently advises clients on matters involving private equity and hedge fund formation, fund investment, manager-level transactions and other complex transactions. Mr. Berry brings a global perspective to his investment funds work, which includes a growing practice representing many of the world's largest private equity and hedge fund managers. He provides each client with comprehensive representation; from entity formation through the fundraising process to ongoing operational advice, his knowledge across a range of investment funds structures gives him the ability to keep abreast of emerging trends in the private equity, hedge fund and real estate industries, enhancing the value he provides for his clients. In addition, Mr. Berry also represents institutional investors in the acquisition of positions in private equity, real estate, venture capital and hedge funds. In addition to representing investment fund sponsors and investors, Mr. Berry's practice includes advising clients on investment and financing transactions, with particular emphasis on international or otherwise complex transactions.
Leading lawyers
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Jonathan Adler is a corporate partner based in Debevoise's New York office and a member of the firm’s Investment Management Group. His practice focuses on advising sponsors of private investment funds, including buyout, growth capital, energy, infrastructure and credit funds. In addition to his work with U.S. and European funds, Mr. Adler has also advised clients in establishing private equity funds, offices and joint ventures in various emerging markets, including Africa, India and South America. Mr. Adler’s recent experience includes acting for clients such as The Carlyle Group, Carmel Partners, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, Crescent Capital Group, Global Infrastructure Partners, JP Morgan, KKR, Prudential Capital Group, Trimaran Capital Partners and Vinci Partners. Mr. Adler is ranked as a leading lawyer for private equity funds by Chambers Global (2023) and Chambers USA (2023), where clients note that he is “a very smart practitioner who has a strong knowledge of the market” and he has “an incredible ability to synthesize complex information.” Sources have also said that “he cuts to the heart of a problem quickly and he’s quick thinker.” They have described him as “a supremely talented fund formation lawyer providing thoughtful and commercial advice; he is very creative.” Clients have also noted that he has a “fine combination of really good technical skills and a really good sense of the commercial and practical realities” and that he is “an extraordinary lawyer; he's very thoughtful and brings a commercial, get-things-resolved attitude.” He was named to Private Funds Management’s “30 Under 40”, which recognizes the top private equity funds lawyers under the age of 40. He was also named a Rising Star by Law360 (2017) and is recommended by IFLR1000 (2022). Mr. Adler joined the firm in 2005. He received a J.D. magna cum laude from New York University in 2005, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif, and a B.S. from Cornell University in 2002. Mr. Adler is admitted to the bar in New York.
Howard J. Beber is a partner in Proskauer's Corporate Department and co-head of the Private Funds Group. His practice focuses on representing private funds sponsors in all aspects of their business, including fund formation and ongoing operations and internal structuring and compliance. His practice includes buyout, growth equity, venture capital, private credit, secondary and fund-of-funds, ranging from some of the largest and well known sponsors in the industry to newly-formed managers. He advises clients on a broad range of secondary transactions, including the acquisition and sale of partnership interests, tender offers, preferred equity financings, continuation funds, fund restructurings and other GP-led transactions, and has worked with several management teams on large spin-out transactions. Howard routinely represents some of the most active institutional and fund-of-fund investors when investing in venture capital, growth equity, buyout, private credit and other private investment funds, as well as co-investment transactions. Howard has been an active member of the Private Investment Funds industry for many years. He is frequently tapped to weigh-in as an industry expert and has been invited as a guest speaker at Harvard Law School and on a panel mentoring members of the Young Jewish Professionals association, amongst other major industry events. Howard has also authored numerous articles regarding managing and investing in private investment funds, and is a contributing author to “The Business of Venture Capital,” a leading book on the venture capital industry.
Corporate Partner that has led recent efforts in some of the industry’s most successful and market-defining private equity fund formations and numerous other separate accounts, funds-of-one and similar custom arrangements across multiple asset classes, including buyout, real estate, infrastructure, secondaries and distressed and mezzanine debt. Notable formations include Blackstone’s recent flagship corporate, energy and real estate private equity funds, and Silver Lake, Stonepeak Infrastructure, Rockpoint Real Estate and Centerbridge Partners in each of their flagship and ancillary funds. Jonathan also counsels investment firms on a mix of matters involving private investment funds, including internal economic arrangements for private fund sponsors, regulatory compliance, M&A transactions and strategic investments involving private fund sponsors, joint ventures and spin-outs.
Andrea Schwartzman is a partner in the New York office of Latham & Watkins and global Co-chair of the Investment Funds Practice. Ms. Schwartzman advises private fund sponsors, institutional investors and investment advisors on a broad range of issues, including the structuring of investment funds, portfolio investments, internal operations and regulatory compliance.
Head of Weil’s U.S. Private Funds practice and Co-Head of Weil’s U.S. Private Equity practice
Elizabeth Lenas is a partner based in the New York office. Ms. Lenas’ advises private equity, growth, credit, venture capital and co-investment funds and other alternative asset managers on fund formation, co-investments, spin-offs, joint ventures, shareholding arrangements, managed accounts and other transactions. She also acts as counsel on consortium and co-invest arrangements in numerous large acquisitions and advises LPs in connection with their investments in funds.