Investment Funds, Advisers and Derivatives
Sidley has a premier, global practice in structuring and advising investment funds and advisers. In 2008, the firm was named "Investment Funds Team of the Year for the U.S." by Chambers and Partners and reports in
The American Lawyer ranked Sidley among the leading U.S. law firms representing mutual funds, based on assets under management. Additionally, Institutional Investor’s
Alpha Magazine ranked Sidley as the number one onshore U.S. hedge fund law firm in 2006 and 2007, and number two overall in 2008 in the Alpha Awards™ for hedge fund legal service providers. In 2007, Sidley also was named Investment Funds Law Firm of the Year by
Asian Legal Business. Our Investment Funds, Advisers and Derivatives practice group consists of more than 140 lawyers in New York, Chicago, London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
We advise clients in the formation and operation of all types of alternative investment vehicles, including
hedge funds,
fund-of-funds,
commodity pools, venture capital and private equity funds,
private real estate funds and other public and private pooled investment vehicles. We also represent clients with respect to more traditional investment funds, such as closed-end and open-end
registered investment companies (i.e., mutual funds) and
exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Our advice covers the broad scope of legal and compliance issues that are faced by funds, their managers and their boards under the laws and regulations of the various jurisdictions in which they may operate. In particular, we advise our clients regarding complex federal and state laws and regulations governing securities, funds and advisers including the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the USA PATRIOT Act and comparable laws in non-U.S. jurisdictions. We are often asked to analyze and resolve issues regarding the availability of an exemption or other basis for avoiding registration under the Investment Company Act or the Investment Advisers Act.
Our Investment Funds and Advisers practice also includes professionals who advise clients in structuring and negotiating
over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives transactions and counseling exchanges, clearinghouses, brokers and traders with respect to the regulation of
exchange-traded derivatives. In addition, our recognized practice for
real estate investment trusts (REITs) comprises part of this practice group.
