Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

Barrie Covit

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.

Michael Wolitzer

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.

Jonathan Karen

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.

Lauren King

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.