Institutional Investors
Our institutional investor practice serves global institutional investors, including sovereign wealth funds, non-US pension funds, and US public and private pension plans. Our depth of knowledge, breadth of experience, and size make us one of the most comprehensive private fund legal practices in the industry, which is why some of the largest and most active institutional investors trust us when pursuing a broad range of investments and related matters.
We represent institutional investors in their commingled and single investor private equity, private debt, real estate, hedge, infrastructure, energy, venture capital, mezzanine, credit, and distressed asset funds; secondary market transactions; co-investments; direct investments; strategic partnerships; funds of funds; and separate accounts.
Beyond our 150+ lawyers serving clients from offices around the world, our institutional investor clients benefit from the talents of our colleagues across myriad disciplines. We counsel on the ERISA/fiduciary, ESG, real estate, tax, labor and employment, regulatory/enforcement, litigation, financing, privacy and cybersecurity, sanctions, anti-money laundering, digital assets, and bankruptcy aspects of their investment activities.
OUR SCOPE
We have represented more than 100 institutional investors, including the seven largest US public pension plans, more than 20 US public pension plans overall, and many of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds and non-US pension funds, in alternative investments. In the last five years alone, we have represented institutional investors in more than 2,500 private fund investments valued in the range of $10 million to more than $1 billion. In addition to investments in commingled funds, single investor funds, and separate accounts, we advise institutional investors on their direct investments, co-investments, and secondary transactions, derivatives transactions, and revenue sharing arrangements in a number of market sectors.
UNIQUE INSIGHTS. COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE.
As thought leaders in this space, we keep our clients and industry stakeholders abreast of the latest trends with our annual Private Fund Investors Roundtable, tailored to institutional investors in private investment funds. Our specialization in the global representation of institutional investors allows us to offer unique insights when assessing current market terms and conditions. More than 40 Morgan Lewis lawyers have served with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, US Commodity Futures Trading Commission, US Department of Justice, and Internal Revenue Service—many in senior positions—including two former SEC regional directors, a former chief attorney of the SEC’s Division of Investment Management, and a former acting deputy director of the Division of Enforcement and leader of its nationwide Climate and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Task Force.