Melissa C. Bender
Partner
Melissa is a partner in the asset management group. She advises hedge funds and other private funds on all aspects of their business, with a focus on helping sponsors with fund formation and regulatory compliance matters. Named to Daily Journal’s “Top Women Lawyers” list in 2019, Melissa has been praised for “making her mark with hedge funds.” Her clients also include U.S. and international institutional investors, endowments, funds of funds, private foundations, sovereign wealth funds and family offices.
Melissa practices at the cutting edge of fund work and is recognized in her field as “Up and Coming” by Chambers. She has launched numerous funds using novel hybrid structures, advises on cryptocurrency and Fintech matters, and counsels clients on environmental, social and governance (ESG) and responsible investing. Based on the West Coast, Melissa also advises clients on California laws that affect asset managers, including in the areas of privacy and lobbying.
Clients come to Melissa for elegant and pragmatic solutions, which they describe as encompassing “not only legal advice but also valuable market insights.” They also appreciate her in-house perspective, honed during her tenure as counsel at a Fortune 500 company.
Melissa values building and managing diverse teams, and is a much sought-after mentor by junior lawyers. To connect women within the asset management industry, she launched the Ropes & Gray Women in Asset Management Network (WAMN), which regularly hosts networking events in the Bay Area.
Experience
- Advises PIMCO on private fund formation matters, including the recent launch of the Multi-Asset Alternative Risk Premia strategy, and all aspects of day-to-day operations, including trading and compliance matters.
- Regularly advises managers in connection with individualized investor mandates through the formation of funds of one and separate account arrangements.
- Advises managers and institutional investors on “socially responsible investing” issues, including fund formation and the drafting and implementation of internal SRI/ESG compliance policies and procedures.
- Advises clients with respect to investments in all types of private investment funds, including seed investments, natural resources funds, real estate funds, mezzanine funds, venture capital funds, buyout funds, funds-of-funds and hedge funds.
- Regularly advises institutional investors with respect to all types of transactions, including primary and secondary investments and co-investment arrangements.
- Investor clients include: AlpInvest, Harvard University, Hewlett Foundation, Makena Capital, Rockefeller Foundation, Stanford University and various sovereign investors.
Publications
- Quoted, “US tech tycoons direct personal wealth to new frontiers,” Financial Times (February 23, 2020)
- Quoted, “Preparing for the California Consumer Privacy Act: How Fund Managers Can Evaluate If They Are Subject to the New Law (Part One of Two),” The Private Equity Law Report (November 19, 2019)
- Featured, “‘Offsite’ Program Helps Ropes & Gray Lawyers Chart Their Own Path,” The American Lawyer (November 14, 2019)
- Quoted, “CCPA Amendments Are Useful But ‘no Magic Bullet’,” Private Funds CFO (October 17, 2019)
- Co-author, “Data Privacy Compliance Best Practices For Asset Managers,” Law360 (October 9, 2019)
- Quoted, “CCPA Close-Up: Examining the GLBA Carve-Out and How Financial Institutions Can Evaluate Applicability,” The Cybersecurity Law Report (October 9, 2019)
- Featured, “Engaging With the California Consumer Privacy Act: How Hedge Fund Managers Can Prepare for Compliance With the Act (Part Two of Two),” The Hedge Fund Law Report (October 3, 2019)
- Quoted, “Sweeping New Privacy, Conduct Regs Loom for Fund Managers,” FundFire (October 2, 2019)
- Featured, “CCPA Close-Up: Review of Amendments and How to Prepare for Compliance,” The Cybersecurity Law Report (October 2, 2019)
- Quoted, “Sweeping New Privacy, Conduct Regs Loom for Fund Managers,” FundFire (October 2, 2019)
- Featured, “Engaging With the California Consumer Privacy Act: How Hedge Fund Managers Can Evaluate Whether They Are Subject to the New Law (Part One of Two),” The Hedge Fund Law Report (September 26, 2019)
- Quoted, “Ready For The World Of Cryptocurrency?” Financial Advisor (August 1, 2019)
- Featured, “Top Women Lawyers: Melissa C. Bender,” The Daily Journal (May 8, 2019)
- Featured, “How I Made Partner: Ropes & Gray's Melissa Bender,” Law.com (April 10, 2019)
Presentations
- Panelist, Private Credit Primer, GAIM Ops Cayman (April 21, 2020)
- Moderator, Asset Management Regulatory Conference, Ropes & Gray San Francisco Office (November 18, 2019)
- Panelist, California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA): Key Compliance Considerations, Ropes & Gray Webinar (November 12, 2019)
- Panelist, Hybrid Funds: Features and Trends, CalALTs Table Talks Silicon Valley (November 4, 2019)
- Panelist, California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) Roundtable Discussion, Ropes & Gray New York Office (October 7, 2019)
- Panelist, California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) Roundtable Discussion, Ropes & Gray San Francisco Office (October 1, 2019)
- Panelist, California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) Roundtable Discussion, Ropes & Gray Silicon Valley Office (September 30, 2019)
- Panelist, Becoming a Signatory to the UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investment: A How-To Conversation, Ropes & Gray Webinar (March 7, 2019)
- Panelist, Cryptocurrencies: Key Regulatory and Enforcement Issues, Ropes & Gray Webinar (July 23, 2018)
- Panelist, Co-Investing: Best Practices and Avoiding Conflicts of Interest, MFA West (May, 7, 2018)
- Panelist, Hybrid Funds: Features and Trends, CalALTs Table Talks Las Vegas (May 7, 2018)
- Panelist, 100 Women in Finance Event, GAIM Ops Cayman (April 30, 2018)
- Panelist, Structural Alpha: case studies from hybrid funds and fees (April 29, 2018)
- Panelist, Hybrid Funds: Features and Trends, CalALTs Table Talks Los Angeles (March 13, 2018)
- Panelist, Amendments to Form ADV, Ropes & Gray Webinar (January 25, 2018)
- Panelist, Socially Responsible Investing 101 for Asset Managers, Ropes & Gray Webinar (October 24, 2017)
Education
- JD, University of Denver Sturm College of Law, 1999
- AB (English), Stanford University, 1994