England - London • Investment fund formation and management
Advising a diverse range of financial services clients, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is noted for handling traditional fundraising as well as alternative capital raising issues. The team is led by Geoffrey Kittredge, who has longstanding expertise in fund formation. Also recommended is Matthew Dickman, who advises on the management and reorganisation of private investment funds, as well as secondary transactions, regulatory compliance, and internal economic and governance matters. Co-investments and GP-led fund restructuring expert John Rife is also a key name. John Anderson constributes in-house experience, having worked at Park Square Capital.
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‘The team is commercial, committed, available, responsive and pro-active. They know about our funds, find solutions and engage actively in structuring. They are not ego-driven in negotiations. They work effectively to our prioritisation and resource the team to match - this is done seamlessly and without fuss or pause.’
‘We recommend Matthew Dickman and Kay Hunter. I have not yet come across a problem that Matt cannot calmly find a solution for. His explanations are always clear and commercial.’
‘John Rife is a tremendous transactional secondaries lawyer. He has really made the secondaries market in Europe his own.’
‘Kay Hunter is a dedicated senior associate and a rising star at Debevoise. Very proactive in engaging with issues, constantly available and excellent interpersonal skills when dealing with both clients and counterparties.’
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Geoffrey Kittredge, a London-based partner and Chair of Debevoise’s European Funds/Investment Management Group, focuses his practice on private investment fund formation. Mr. Kittredge represents a broad range of international private equity and other private investment funds and their sponsors, including buyout, infrastructure, energy, credit, real estate, secondaries and venture funds, as well as funds of funds.
Next Generation Partners
Matt Dickman, a London-based partner and member of the firm’s Funds/Investment Management Group, advises on the formation, management and reorganisation of private investment funds. Mr. Dickman is also a leader in the firm’s Alternative Assets Transactions and Liquidity Solutions Group, where he regularly advises fund sponsors and investors on GP staking transactions, including internal reorganisations and internal economic and governance arrangements, as well as seed investments in emerging fund sponsors and secondary transactions. Mr. Dickman represents a broad range of international private equity and other private investment funds and their sponsors, including recent experience advising technology and venture capital funds.
John Rife is an English-qualified partner in the Corporate Department and a member of the firm’s Funds/Investment Management Group, where he advises institutional and independent sponsors of buyout, debt, secondaries, real estate, emerging markets, infrastructure and energy funds, as well as funds of funds, on a broad range of matters, including fund formation and ongoing operational matters, co-investments, carried interest arrangements and internal reorganizations. In addition, Mr. Rife is a leader in the firm’s Alternative Asset and Secondary Investments Group and regularly advises sponsors and investors on secondary transactions including GP-led fund restructurings and tender offers, LP interest portfolio transactions, fundless sponsor transactions and other fund-related transactional matters.
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Geoffrey Kittredge