England - London • Investment fund formation and management
Macfarlanes LLP
Praised for its ‘great breadth and depth of knowledge,’ Macfarlanes LLP’s funds team advises several major asset managers on the structuring, operation and winding up of UCITS, non-UCITS retail schemes (NURS), open-ended investment companies (OEICs) and most recently LTAF investment vehicles, with further expertise in liquidity management and ESG investing. The funds practice works in tandem with the regulatory team to assist fund managers on matters of compliance, while also working closely with industry bodies and regulators on the development of new products and guidelines. ‘Rock star’ Lora Froud leads the team, specialising in open-ended structures and a variety of regulatory regimes, including AIFMD and MiFID. Alexandra Green supports clients with authorisations and restructurings, while senior counsel Alexandra Cochrane specialises in OEICs, in particular mergers, schemes of arrangement and terminations. Associate Tiffany Cox advises on the establishment, operation and merger of both umbrella and individual OEICs, while also advising on ESG matters.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Lora Froud is extremely responsive, and always delivers sound practical advice through her team. She cares about the client relationship, anticipating needs and keeping us up to date with regulatory developments in the retail funds space. She works very well with the regulatory team, often teaming up with Alexandra Green to ensure that our wealth management business is kept abreast of all applicable regulatory developments.'
- 'This is a team with great breadth and depth of knowledge. Everyone is responsive and proactive, from paralegals to partners.'
- 'Lora Froud and Alexandra Green are my go-to lawyers in this area. They always give clear, commercial advice that is on point.'
- 'Sandeesh Shah is excellent. She is very knowledgeable and a great communicator. We find her really easy to work with and a great asset to the team.'
- 'We have worked extensively with Lora Froud, Alexandra Cochrane and Harry Middleton. All are very responsive, work well to tight timeframes and use their wealth of experience to very good effect.'
- 'Lora Froud is a rock star for UK open-ended funds, always available and very knowledgeable. Lora is very professional, and she always comes with creative ideas and solutions. Emma Garnham is a rising star!'
- 'Lora Froud and Alexandra Cochrane continue to deliver a good service for us. Lora's knowledge in particular is always valuable, and her proactive outlook has often been very helpful to us.'
- 'Tiffany Cox is an up-and-coming star. She is very knowledgeable and authoritative in the subjects she covers, and works hard to meet client deadlines. Also, very flexible in making herself available for meetings, even at short notice.'
Key clients
- abrdn Fund Managers Limited
- Legal & General Investment Management
- Jupiter Unit Trust Managers Limited
- GAM Sterling Management Limited
- Waystone Management (UK) Limited
- Quilter Investors Limited
- FundRock Partners Limited
- Thesis Unit Trust Management Limited
- Minerva Fund Solutions Limited
- First Eagle Investment Management LLC
- Link Fund Solutions Limited
- Liontrust Fund Partners LLP
Work highlights
- Advised abrdn on various legal and regulatory matters for its large UK authorised range.
- Assisted Legal & General Investments with various matters for its UK authorised fund range.
- Advised Jupiter on its authorised UK and range on numerous legal and regulatory aspects in relation to its UK funds.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Lora Froud