Jump to:
Matt Posthuma is a partner in Ropes & Gray’s asset management practice in Chicago and serves as leader of the firm’s real estate funds team. Matt focuses on the formation of private investment funds. Matt forms strategic relationships with real estate companies, asset managers and financial institutions to create thoughtful solutions for their fundraising and investment needs.
Matt helps sponsors with open- and closed-end funds in a wide range of investment strategies, such as real estate (including core, value-add and opportunistic), private equity, infrastructure, credit, hedge and other alternative asset classes. He also works with clients on separate accounts, co-invests, joint ventures, club deals and other investment transactions.
Matt collaborates with asset managers who invest around the world, with a particular emphasis on funds and other investments in Brazil, Mexico and other parts of Latin America. Matt serves as co-head of the firm’s Latin America practice.
Credentials
Education
- JD, cum laude, Harvard Law School; executive editor, Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy
- AB (Mathematics), with highest distinction, University of Michigan Ann Arbor; Phi Beta Kappa
Admissions
Illinois, 1994
Publications
-
Quoted, “Distress, Opportunistic Fundraising Dries Up With Deals Failing To Materialize,” Bisnow (November 19, 2024)
-
Quoted, "Real Estate Debt Managers Mobilize for ‘Gap Capital’ Deals," FundFire (August 28, 2024)
- Quoted, “Higher rate cycle dragging down capital formation, deployment,” PERE Credit (August 12, 2024)
- Quoted, “Real Estate Fundraising Charts Slow Recovery,” Law360 (July 10, 2024)
- Quoted, “Fund formation law firms see increasing customization,” PERE (April 1, 2024)
- Quoted, “Ropes & Gray Attorneys on Fundraising in Rocky Market,” Law360 (November 8, 2023)
- Author, “Key Limited Partnership Provisions During Market Downturns,” Law360 (June 7, 2023)
- Quoted, “LaSalle’s New Global CEO Wants Employees to Think Like Investors,” PERE (November 1, 2021)
- Author, “Challenges of Capital Raising for Real Estate Co-Investments,” Investment Lawyer (August 1, 2021)
- Quoted, “Perspectives: All eyes on track record during due diligence,” PERE (March 1, 2021)
- Quoted, “Perspectives: Appetite for co-investing fails to grow,” PERE (March 1, 2021)
- Quoted, “Perspectives: For manager relationships, investors stick with the familiar,” PERE (March 1, 2021)
- Featured, “Ropes & Gray Boosts Latin America Business,” Latinvex (January 27, 2021)
- Contributor, “Understanding Joint Ventures and Funds,” Commercial Investment Real Estate Magazine (Fall 2020)
- Co-author, “The Intersection of Private and Registered Funds: Interval Fund Investments in Private Open-End Real Estate Funds,” The Investment Lawyer (August 2020)
- Author, “Tips on Teaming With Clients in Critical Times,” Corporate Counsel (April 15, 2020)
- Quoted, “Fees are a bone of contention for private real estate investors,” PERE (March 26, 2020)
- Quoted, “Co-investing is a question of time and size,” PERE (March 23, 2020)
- Quoted, “Private-Equity Firms Begin to Wrestle With Coronavirus Risk,” WSJ Pro Private Equity (February 27, 2020)
- Quoted, “How managers are fundraising for a downturn,” PERE (November 4, 2019)
- Quoted, “Foreign Investors Offload US Property in Q2” FundFire (September 4, 2019)
- Quoted, “Overseas Investors Unload U.S. Real Estate,” The Wall Street Journal (September 3, 2019)
- Quoted, “PE Real Estate Funds: Unique Fund Terms and Notable Tax Items (Part Three of Three),” Private Equity Law Report (September 3, 2019)
- Quoted, “PE Real Estate Funds: Private REITs and Other Potential Investment Vehicles (Part Two of Three),” Private Equity Law Report (August 27, 2019)
- Quoted, “PE Real Estate Funds: Structuring by Investor Type and Distinct Statutory Considerations (Part One of Three),” Private Equity Law Report (August 13, 2019)
- Quoted, “Fund managers grapple with imperfect OZ guidelines,” Real Estate Fund Intelligence (April 29, 2019)
- Quoted, “In response to question about moves to strengthen ties with Brazil,” The Ten-Point: A Guide to the Day’s Top News, The Wall Street Journal (March 21, 2019)
- Quoted, “Lawyers, accountants race to bone up on OZ regulations,” Real Estate Finance & Investment (January 23, 2019)
- Co-author, “Regulatory Issues and Best Practices for Real Estate Fund Managers,” PREA Quarterly (September 24, 2018)
- Author, “Opt-out funds – Blending discretion, diversification for institutional investors,” Real Estate Finance & Investment (July 30, 2018)
- Quoted, “Dallas Lawsuit Against Townsend ‘Is A One-Off’,” PERE (September 13, 2017)
- Quoted, “High-net-worth investors ramp up real estate allocations,” Real Estate Finance & Investment (August 14, 2017)
- Quoted, “Political risk and private equity: Autocratic for the people,” Private Equity International (February 1, 2017)
- Quoted, “Curbs to Enthusiasm,” PERE (May 1, 2016)
- Quoted, “Joint Venture – A União Faz a Força,” Gestão & Negócios (March 15, 2016)
- Co-author, “Club Deals - The Convergence of Commingled Funds and JVs,” Preqin Global Real Estate Report (2016)
- Quoted, “Diamonds in the Rough,” PERE 2014 Guide to Private Real Estate Investing in Latin America (September 2014)
- Author, “Delivering Liquidity in Real Estate,” Private Funds Management (July 2, 2014)
- Online Video Interview, “Attracting and Structuring for Foreign Investors,” PrivcapRE.com (January 22, 2014)
- Quoted, “Fund Sponsors, Issuers Must be Alert to Potential Pitfalls in New Reg D Regime,” Bloomberg BNA Securities Regulation & Law Report (August 26, 2013)
- Quoted, “Mid-Market Debt Shortage Yields Opportunity,” Private Equity International (January 18, 2013)
- Quoted, “Latin America Becomes Hotbed for Investors,” Crain Communications (August 23, 2010)
- Quoted, “Lots of Opportunity, Few Takers,” Pensions & Investments (August 16, 2010)
- Quoted, “Brazil Poised for Real Estate Revival After Consolidation,” Wall Street Journal Online (July 8, 2009)
- Co-author, “Private Equity/Funds,” Credit Markets and Subprime Distress – Responding to Legal Issues, Practising Law Institute (2008)
Presentations
- Speaker, “Fundraising Best Practices for Small-Medium Sized Funds,” Winter Forum on Real Estate Opportunity & Private Fund Investing (January 18, 2024)
- Speaker, “Advanced Issues in Fund Structuring and Transaction Security,” Fund Finance Association University 2.0 (October 5, 2023)
- Speaker, “Private Fund Side Letters,” Strafford Webinar (July 18, 2023)
- Speaker, “Launching a Fund 101: Must-Dos & Pitfalls to Avoid in Today’s Climate,” Winter Forum on Real Estate Opportunity & Private Fund Investing (January 19, 2023)
- Speaker, “Private Equity Real Estate Fund Formation,” Strafford Webinar (September 8, 2022)
- Speaker, “Launching a Fund in Today’s Market: What Do You Need to Know?” Real Estate Opportunity & Private Fund Forum (January 20, 2022)
- Speaker, “Private Fund Side Letters: Negotiating and Drafting Key Terms, Financing and Other Concerns,” Strafford Webinar (November 16, 2021)
- Speaker, “Private Equity Real Estate Fund Formation: Capital Raising, Regulatory Issues, and Negotiating Trends,” Strafford Webinar (August 3, 2021)
- Speaker, “Opportunities for effective investment in the U.S. real estate market,” Webinar (February 10, 2021)
- Speaker, “Private Fund Side Letters,” Strafford Webinar (October 22, 2020)
- Speaker, “Private Equity Real Estate Fund Formation,” Strafford Webinar (July 16, 2020)
- Speaker, “Real Estate Fund Formation During the Disruption,” Fund Finance Friday: Industry Conversations Podcast (April 10, 2020)
- Speaker, “What It Takes For Small-Medium Sized Funds To Secure Capital From LPs Today,” 17th Annual Winter Forum on Real Estate Opportunity & Private Fund Investing (January 23, 2020)
- Speaker, “Private Fund Side Letters: Negotiating and Drafting Key Terms, Financing and Other Concerns,” Strafford Webinar (October 30, 2019)
- Speaker, “Private Equity Real Estate Fund Formation: Capital Raising, Regulatory Issues and Negotiating Trends,” Strafford Webinar (May 22, 2019)
- Speaker, “Elements of an Institutional Private Equity Program,” International Chamber of Commerce Mexico, Legal Committee, Banking Section (February 14, 2019)
- Speaker, “Fundraising 2018,” 15th Annual Winter Forum on Real Estate Opportunity & Private Fund Investing (January 18, 2018)
- Speaker, “Fund Formation Legal Update,” Fund Finance Association Summer Update (September 13, 2016)
- Speaker, “Foreign Fund Structures,” US Real Estate Opportunity & Private Fund Investing Forum (June 15, 2015)
- Speaker, “Structuring and Formation of Funds and Other Real Estate Investment Vehicles,” Latin Markets Institutional Real Estate Latin America Forum (June 3, 2014)
- Speaker, “Fund Structuring in an Opportunistic World,” PERE Summit (October 24, 2013)
- Speaker, “New Players in Town: Individual Investors in Institutional Real Estate,” Alternative Real Estate Investments Affinity Group, Pension Real Estate Association (October 23, 2012)
- Speaker, “Joint Ventures and Commingled Fund Raising,” Private Equity Capital for Commercial Real Estate: Understanding and Navigating the Options, ULI Workshop (September 24, 2012)
- Speaker, “Raising Capital in the Current Market: Fundraising Tricks of the Trade,” Winter Forum on Real Estate Opportunity & Private Fund Investing (January 19, 2012)
- Speaker, “Successful Cross-Border Joint Ventures,” Hispanic National Bar Association Annual Convention (September 10, 2010)
- Speaker, “Fund Liquidity & Secondaries,” US Real Estate Opportunity & Private Fund Investing Forum (June 3, 2010)
- Speaker, “Brazil Legal & Regulatory Environment Overview,” Latin Markets Brazil LP/GP Roundtable (April 30, 2010)
- Speaker, “Financing Strategies,” Real Estate Investment World Latin America (September 9, 2009)
- Speaker, “Launching a Latin American Fund: What You Need to Know & Do in Today’s Economy,” Latin American Real Estate Opportunity & Private Fund Investing Forum (May 1, 2009)
- Speaker, “How are Local and Foreign Property Funds Performing?” Real Estate Investment World Brazil (February 6, 2009)
- Speaker, “Key Issues for First-Time Latin American Fund Startups: Cross Border Fund Formation Issues and Deal Structures,” Latin American Real Estate Opportunity & Private Fund Investing Forum (March 18, 2008)
- Speaker, “US Real Estate Practitioners Response to the Global Shift for Greater Returns,” Alternative Investment Roundup (January 27, 2008)
Awards
- Legal 500 – Real Estate
- Legal 500 – Private Equity Funds
- Legal 500 Latin America – Corporate and M&A
- Latinvex – Latin America's Top 100 Lawyers
- Illinois Super Lawyers
Professional & Civic Activities
- Member, Legal/Regulatory Committee, Pension Real Estate Association
- Village of Hinsdale Board of Trustees (2017-present)
- AYSO Soccer Coach (2010-2016)
- Village of Hinsdale Finance Commission (2009-2016)
- Apollo Chorus of Chicago, Corporate Secretary and Board of Directors (2003-2008)