Leading Private Funds Lawyer Bryan Hunkele Joins Ropes & Gray’s Asset Management Practice in New York

Global law firm Ropes & Gray today announced that private equity fund formation lawyer Bryan Hunkele has joined the firm’s asset management practice as a partner in New York.

Bryan guides clients on their most complex fund sponsor matters in this dynamic and evolving market. He is a strong addition to Ropes & Gray’s asset management practice, which is known for its market leadership on cutting-edge, novel and complex work. He was named a Law360 2020 Rising Star of Fund Formation, and is known for advising private equity sponsors in the structuring, formation, offering and ongoing operation of closed-end funds and alternative investment vehicles in the buyout, credit, energy, growth, impact, infrastructure, life sciences, real estate and venture capital sectors in North America, Europe and Asia.

Bryan recently advised a leading asset manager in raising $20 billion across three funds, each with a differing continental focus. While Bryan’s practice has a focus on fund formation, he also represents large, institutional sponsors and alternative investment managers in the structuring and syndication of co-investment opportunities, including both direct co-investments and single asset fund products, GP-led secondaries and secondary transactions, the negotiation and establishment of separately managed accounts, funds-of-one, multi-strategy arrangements and platform agreements, fund reporting, and other ongoing compliance obligations of registered investment advisers.

He joins Ropes & Gray, a top-ranked law firm for asset management. With one of the largest and most sophisticated private funds practices in the industry, a hallmark of the firm is navigating the most complex issues for clients across the asset management industry. Ropes & Gray is the only firm ranked nationally by Chambers USA 2020 in the top two bands for each of private investment funds, hedge funds, registered funds, and investor representation. Chambers notes that “this group has up-to-date market knowledge at all times and receives accolades for its strong grasp of the key issues affecting its clients.” 

“Bryan Hunkele has seen and handled just about every type of complex sponsor side private fund issue. He is a fantastic fit for Ropes & Gray’s leading asset management practice. His skills reinforce that our global private funds sponsor team is the counsel of choice for prestigious buyout fund sponsors, and asset managers,” said Bryan Chegwidden, global head of the firm’s asset management group.

“Private fundraising continues to explode and be a strategic priority for our global sponsor clients. Bryan’s expertise will help our clients capitalize on the dynamic opportunities in the market,” said managing partner David Djaha.

“Ropes & Gray is the best in the private funds space and has an exceptional collection of extraordinary PE fund lawyers. I am proud and excited to be joining the team,” said Bryan Hunkele.

In addition to Law360’s 2020 Rising Star of Fund Formation, The Legal 500’s US 2020 guide of leading lawyers notes Bryan as being “an expert in fund formation” for Investment Funds: Private Equity Funds (Including Venture Capital).

The firm continues to aggressively expand its private equity fund formation practice. Bryan will be the third partner to join Ropes & Gray’s private equity fund formation practice in the last year, following the arrival of Emily Brown and Tom Alabaster as asset management partners, as well as asset management counsel Chris Townsend, all in London.