Overview
Combining Technical and Industry Knowledge
With renowned attorneys in every legal discipline critical to the practice of asset management M&A and a keen awareness of this sector’s regulatory landscape and business realities, Ropes & Gray is well positioned to navigate all phases of a transaction seamlessly.
Our attorneys stay ahead of the curve with their grasp of the key legal, commercial, economic and regulatory issues and trends in the asset management industry. We keep abreast of evolving market terms and practices—including valuation, methods to bridge valuation gaps, and employment and equity terms with founders and senior investment professionals, among others—to skillfully guide our asset management M&A clients in weighing strategic alternatives.
Whether advising investment management firms, private equity firms, hedge funds, registered investment advisors, financial advisers, public companies or institutional investors in an M&A deal, we speak the language of the asset management sector and move easily across the full spectrum of private and registered fund structures and vehicles, investment strategies, asset types, and industries.
Delivering Practical and Innovative Solutions
Recognized as a global leader for our cutting-edge asset management work, we craft practical and innovative solutions to fit our clients’ particular circumstances. We routinely represent buyers and sellers of asset management businesses and their service providers, including several leading global asset management consolidators and medium-to-smaller-sized advisory firms. Our private investment funds, hedge funds and registered investment funds attorneys work hand in hand with our M&A attorneys to guide clients through the complicated regulatory matters that arise in these types of transactions.
Additionally, our team has the specialized resources to provide pragmatic strategies for negotiating and structuring transactions. Clients rely on us for world-class counsel and integrated, cross-border advice in areas such as taxation, ERISA, derivatives and commodities, government enforcement, employment, executive compensation, debt financing, corporate governance, and intellectual property.
Deals
As a full-service asset management M&A practice, we advise key industry players in a broad array of transactions.
- Advised founder of a private equity firm on succession plan involving the sale of a majority of the business to senior investment professionals
- Advised co-manager of a private investment firm on restructuring of ownership interest and establishment of separate investment business
- Advised Gordon Brothers Group, a global advisory, restructuring and investment firm, in an investment from Trident VII funds managed by Stone Point Capital, a private equity firm focused on the financial services industry
- Advised Ameritas Holding Company and its subsidiary Calvert Investment Management in the acquisition of the business assets of Calvert by Eaton Vance
- Advised State Street, a provider of financial services to institutional investors, in its acquisition of GE Asset Management, a global asset manager, from GE
- Advised BV Investment Partners on the sale of Butterfield Fulcrum, a leading independent hedge fund administrator and services provider to the alternative investment industry, to Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation
- Advised Landmark Partners in buy-back of interest from Religare Enterprises Limited
- Advised Natixis Investment Managers in its acquisition of a 24.9% minority stake in WCM Investment Management, a provider of equity investment management services
- Advised Kohlberg & Company, a private equity firm specializing in middle market investing, in a strategic investment from Blackstone’s Strategic Capital Holdings Fund to acquire a passive, minority equity interest in the firm
- Advised ArcLight Capital Partners in its sale of a minority stake to Goldman Sachs Group
- Advised State Street in its sale of joint venture interests in Boston Financial Data Services, Inc. and International Financial Data Services Limited to DST Systems, Inc.
- Advised Natixis Investment Managers in connection with Reich & Tang Management’s MBO of Reich & Tang, an affiliate of Natixis
- Advised LMCG Investments in its acquisition of the Serenitas Capital investment team
- Advised Ramius and Cowen Group in the sale of Ramius Alternative Solutions to global investment firm AllianceBernstein
- Advised National Financial Partners, a leading insurance broker and portfolio company of Madison Dearborn Partners, in the sale of a majority ownership stake in NFP Advisor Services (n/k/a Kestra Financial) to Stone Point Capital LLC
- Advised iCapital Network, the financial technology platform, in its acquisitions of the US Private Equity Access Fund platform of Deutsche Bank, the HedgeFocus business of Credit Suisse and Bank of America’s businesses that administer alternative investment feeder funds
- Advised Benefit Street Partners, a credit-focused alternative asset management firm, in its acquisition of the investment portfolio of Triangle Capital Corporation, a business development company, for $981.2 million
- Advised Mitsubishi Bank and its affiliates in the acquisitions of the administrative funds business of UBS Global Asset Management, Guggenheim Investments’ 1940-Act mutual fund administration business, Rydex Fund Services, and the private equity fund administration business of Neuberger Berman