Melissa C. Bender
Partner
Melissa is a partner in the asset management group. Melissa advises hedge funds and other private funds (both domestic and offshore) on all aspects of their business with a focus on fund formation and regulatory compliance and reporting matters. Recent fund formations include innovative hybrid vehicles as well as more traditional hedge fund structures. Melissa’s experience also includes advising fund managers on and negotiating various contractual arrangements, such as administrator and other service provider agreements, placement agent arrangements and side letters with investors.
Melissa has extensive experience representing U.S. and international institutional and other investors (including endowments, funds of funds, private foundations, sovereign wealth funds and family offices) in connection with all aspects of their investments in private funds. She also regularly advises managers and institutional investors on matters related to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues.
Melissa previously worked in-house at a Fortune 500 company advising on securities compliance and corporate governance matters.
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, “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