Our investment funds team forms a key part of our growing financial institutions group, focussing on fund formations (including private equity, venture capital, hedge funds and property funds) and fund investment (advising large institutional investors on fund investments). We have a dedicated team of funds specialists, with a detailed knowledge of corporate, partnership and other structures in the UK and all key offshore jurisdictions, up-to-date commercial experience and a sound regulatory background.
We have experience covering a wide range of fund structures (including limited partnerships, open and close-ended corporate vehicles, unit trusts and enterprise investment schemes) and investment focuses (including private equity, venture capital, hedge funds and property funds). We also have experience of advising AIM listed funds. Our team prides itself on its ability to work with clients to offer bespoke/tailored arrangements, as well as the more traditional fund structures. The breadth of our expertise is evidenced by our recent instructions from the Commonwealth Secretariat to assist them in drafting the investment funds law for the Maldives.
Our investment funds team also benefits from drawing on OC's extensive experience of acting on transactions undertaken by funds - particularly private equity, venture capital and property funds - and a specialist tax team. We also work closely with the various sector-driven teams within OC, such as cleantech, digital media and technology. Indeed, we aim to become the fund's trusted advisor over the life of the fund, for its formation, management, investments and, ultimately, exits.
In addition, we have a growing reputation for advising institutional investors, including private and local authority pension funds, on all aspects of their investment into private equity, venture capital, hedge funds and property funds, as well as other alternative asset classes, and their other custody and asset management arrangements.
Examples of our recent experience include:- advising the management team of Cody Gate Ventures on all aspects of the formation of a new technology fund, QinetiQ Ventures L.P. (a Cayman limited partnership), formed as a spin-out of seven portfolio companies from QinetiQ with private equity house, Coller Capital, and the formation of a related co-investment fund
- advising Foresight Solar on the structuring and formation of its European Solar Fund (a Jersey limited partnership with unit trust feeder), including carried interest arrangements
- advising one of the largest UK pension funds, The Barclays Bank UK Retirement Fund, on mandates/investments totalling over £2 billion, covering corporate funds, emerging markets, unconstrained bonds, private equity and hedge fund investments
Paul Anning
t +44 (0)20 7105 7446
paul.anning@osborneclarke.com
