Fund Formation & Investment Management Lawyers

Full Range of Investment Fund Advice

Financial institutions, investment managers and their sponsors and principals, family offices, high-net-worth individuals, sovereign wealth funds and other institutional investors rely on Curtis for the full range of investment fund advice, from fund formation through investment management and investments. Curtis also advises traditional investors such as funds of funds, pension plans, governmental and quasi-governmental institutions and other institutional and high-net-worth investors.

The range of services provided by the group includes developing tailored structures for the alternative investment community, in particular in the areas of private equity funds and hedge funds. We work closely with clients through the formation, capital-raising and investment process to identify issues, develop practical solutions and provide an informed view of the market, often forming special-purpose vehicles and negotiating preferential terms in order to minimize the risk and maximize the value of an investment. We also provide guidance on management issues and investment opportunities after a fund launches, including ongoing regulatory and compliance matters.

Restructuring of Funds

Our lawyers routinely assist clients with restructuring existing fund complexes and advice on related issues, including changes of fund managers and service providers, tax implications, liquidation of U.S., European and offshore entities, asset transfers, relative valuations, working with all involved parties to address potential or actual conflicts of interest or disputes among investors and/or managers in the course of a reorganization.

Global Investment Funds Team

The global reach of our team – which encompasses attorneys in our offices in the United States, South America, Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia – facilitates the firm's ability to structure products in an environment that is characterized by the unprecedented global movement of capital. We can, for example, advise on the registration and compliance of public funds, including European UCITS funds.

Lawyers in the group have experience in establishing and advising on investments in funds in the United States and in other jurisdictions, including the Bahamas, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, Canada, the Cayman Islands, the Channel Islands, Curaçao, DIFC, Hong Kong, Ireland Luxembourg, Singapore, and more.

Sovereign Wealth Fund Lawyers

Curtis offers its sovereign wealth fund (SWF) clients a unique combination of experience working with international funds, alongside significant representations of states and state-owned enterprises in a wide range of transactions and disputes that no other firm can match.

Our sovereign wealth fund lawyers advise on all aspects of structuring, forming and operating SWFs. We find the best solution and develop the right framework for the SWF’s organization, objective, governance and control, and advise on all aspects of a SWF’s domestic and global investment activities.

We conduct due diligence on and analyze and assess the legal risks relating to investments, negotiate terms and conditions with third parties and prepare the documentation for substantial transactions, including those relating to:

• The legal options available to a SWF and other market terms relating to investments in collective investment vehicles, such as private equity funds, venture capital funds, real estate funds, hedge funds, or direct equity and debt investments;
• The engagement of outside asset managers to manage a portion of a SWF equity or bond portfolio;
• The terms of direct equity and debt investments in private and public companies, and investments in domestic and overseas real estate;
• The development of the mechanics of joint ventures, participations and other forms of cooperation with third parties in order to pursue various strategic, political and economic goals; and
• The analysis of the optimal tax structure and jurisdictions with respect to particular investments.