DLA Piper LLP (US) has particular strength representing investors on the entire fund formation and management lifecycle, where they assist clients across real estate and infrastructure, energy, credit and private equity. Additionally, the team is well versed in GP led secondaries and advising on venture capital strategies. The leadership team is spread across Austin and Chicago. In Austin, David Parrish and Nicole Brennig focus on institutional investor clients and their alternative investments, while the Chicago office features Jesse Criz, who is particularly strong in the tax aspects of investment fund structures, and corporate and finance lawyer John Cusack. The team was bolstered in September 2023 when four partners joined the investment management and funds team from White & Case LLP, Evan Zhao, Mara Topping and Katherine McCullough joined the Washington DC office, while Andrew Kreisberg joined the team in San Diego. Former practice co-head Nathaniel Marrs left the team in April 2024.
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Brad Phipps and the team leverage strong real estate and RE fund experience, including across various size and product sectors, to augment exceptional legal solutions with what amounts to advisory services.’
‘Adam Tope is great because he is highly responsive, brings a commercial lens to legal structuring and advice, and is pragmatic in his approach. He doesn't believe in drafting documents just for drafting them.’
‘DLA's private equity fund practice is unique in that they are always willing to look for creative solutions to solve for a multitude of desired features. They never give a simple "no". They will work hard to find a way that works to accomplish the client's goals.’
‘The DLA team's industry knowledge is extremely helpful to us, as it is important that our policies, procedures and practices are in line with our peers. They also have excellent knowledge of SEC rules and regulations.’
‘Brad Phipps is very responsive and willing to take the time to answer questions in a timely manner. His advice is commercially relevant, while also being mindful of SEC rules and regulations.’
- ‘Regarding John Cusack and Jeff Zanchelli: these individuals have proven enormously valuable to our success. Their expertise and contributions are highly valued. they operate as if they are in-house counsel ... that is the level and depth to which the know, understand, and care for our business.’
‘The DLA Piper team has a deep bench and lots of experience across the network. They see lots of deals and fund closings which means that they are technically very good, efficient and they can add value with solutions and options for various issues that arise. A large team helps makes things smooth for large deals. They are increasingly becoming recognized as a go-to firm for credit funds.’
‘John Reiss and Brad Phipps in particular have been a pleasure to work with across an array of products. They know their stuff and are passionate about it. John is known for his credit funds expertise.’
Key clients
- Harrison Street Real Estate Capital LLC
- Bridge Investment Group LLC
- Hull Street Energy, LLC
- Longfellow Real Estate Partners, LLC
- Ares Management Corporation
- Hayfin Capital Management
- Marcus Partners
- FD Stonewater
- Rimrock Capital Management
- SER Capital Partners
- Hamilton Lane
- Alignment Growth Management, LLC
- Elevar Equity LLC
- Include Venture Partners, LLC
- Madrona Venture Group and Madrona Labs
- MetaVC Partners, LLC
- Noro-Moseley Partners
- ResilienceVC LLC
- Valhalla Ventures Management Company LLC
- Wilshire Lane Capital
- Outfitter Energy Capital
- Five Point Energy
Work highlights
- Advised Longfellow Real Estate Partners on an approximate US$2 billion closing for Longfellow Strategic Value Fund UK.
- Advising Hamilton Lane on forming its first venture capital fund, Hamilton Lane Venture Access Fund I LP.
- Advised the Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois in a US$25 million investment in the first fund sponsored by 3 Boomerang Capital.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
David Parrish, Nicole Brennig, Jesse Criz, John Cusack