Dechert LLP

Financial Services and Investment Management

Partner

With a career spanning over three decades, Robert G. Leonard focuses his practice on structuring, organizing and representing hedge funds, funds of funds and other private investment funds (both domestic and offshore), family offices, institutional investors and investment advisers.

Mr. Leonard regularly advises on the structuring and organization of various master-feeder, side-by-side, and mini-master-feeder funds catering to hedge fund managers implementing diverse strategies, including long/short equity, multi-strategy, credit, distressed credit, mortgage-backed securities, risk arbitrage, emerging markets, global macro, statistical arbitrage, relative value, event-driven and direct lending approaches.

In addition, Mr. Leonard provides guidance to managers on seed deals, founder's classes, single-investor funds, and placement agreements, while also devising innovative methods for growing asset bases. He also assists managers in attracting and retaining talent by structuring employment, phantom equity and genuine equity arrangements.

Mr. Leonard has led on various regulatory and compliance matters, including registrations with the SEC, CFTC, and state regulators, filing Form PF, and submitting filings to the Treasury Department and Bureau of Economic Analysis. Furthermore, he handles SEC and other regulatory examinations and investigations, as well as investor and third-party actions. He is also a leader in the field of alternative data, where he advises clients on due diligence for data providers, risk assessment and document negotiation.

Hobart and William Smith Colleges, B.A. Brooklyn Law School, J.D., Notes Editor, Brooklyn Law Review