Earlier this year we launched our search for the rising stars of the private funds legal world. Trusted contacts, industry participants and the law firms themselves nominated both colleagues and peers, and in total we were sent 129 profiles of high- achieving lawyers under the age of 40 based around the world. Competition was stiff, which made the judging process challenging, but nominees were whittled down to a final list of 30 based on their career progress, their client base, notable work to date and their X Factor – many of those on the list today are engaged in good-will work outside of their funds practice. The list follows and, we’re sure you’ll agree, each and every one of them deserves to be there.

PHOTOGRAPHY: MICHA THEINER Jonathan Adler, 37 Amy Beckingham, 36 Siew Kam Boon, 36 Debevoise & Plimpton Latham & Watkins Dechert New York Hong Kong Singapore Partner, fund formation Partner, M&A Partner, M&A Recommended Recognized for her commercial Clients who have by clients for acumen, technical skills and worked with his judgment entrepreneurial drive, Amy Siew Kam Boon and tireless Beckingham has been hands-on are always full of work ethic, in developing Latham & Watkins’ glowing reviews Jonathan Adler practice in Asia and and praise, has advised has become a mentor to junior according to her large, multi- lawyers in the year since she joined manager, and asset managers the firm after more than 10 years the Dechert team including at Freshfields. Beckingham has in Singapore the Carlyle recently led a number of deals, had been trying to recruit her for Group and KKR and firms like including Warburg Pincus and KKR’s two years, enticed by her extensive Clayton, Dubilier & Rice across Series D investment in GO-JEK, experience and expertise in private geographies. Since becoming Indonesia’s leading on-demand equity transactions. She now leads a partner in 2014, Adler has led mobile platform for transport, food, the firm’s South-East Asia M&A and or co-led the formation of more logistics and payment. She supports private equity transactions practice. than eight funds with aggregate the firm’s diversity initiatives and Boon is recommended as a foreign commitments of almost $19 is the Asia representative on the expert for corporate and M&A, and billion. In the first quarter of this global steering committee for has been involved in some of the year, he has led final closings on Women Enriching largest M&A, private equity and three private funds with aggregate Business, a deals in Asia Pacific. commitments of around $6 billion, firm committee She has worked for Baring Private including advising Crescent designed Equity Asia, Everstone Capital and Capital Group on the formation to address Sequoia Capital India among others. of its latest mezzanine fund. Adler the business Prior to joining Dechert in May 2017, is also a highly-valued member of challenges and Boon served as a partner in the the firm’s Latin America practice opportunities private equity and emerging growth group. unique to women. practice at K&L Gates.

Marie-Laure Bruneel, 39 Ellen Ching, 35 Goodwin Paul Weiss Paris New York Head of tax practice Corporate partner Known for her willingness to fully immerse herself in the Ellen Ching has been a leading matters she handles, Marie-Laure Bruneel advises on member of the team representing the tax aspects of structuring and financing mergers a number of high profile clients and acquisitions, private equity acquisitions and including General Atlantic and fund formation. She also works with real estate firms Oaktree Capital Management. This on investments and restructurings. Bruneel was an year she has been co-lead counsel associate at the age of 21 and on GA’s investments in Grupo made partner by 32, and she has Axo, Torchy’s Tacos and General been a key driver in the growth Information Services. Ching also represented GA in of Goodwin’s private equity healthcare transactions including the sale of portfolio practice. Recent client work company MedExpress to Optum and is representing includes representing investment Virtu Financial on its $1.4 billion acquisition of KCG funds such as listed firm Eurazeo Holdings. She serves on the board of Lawyers Alliance and Equistone. She has also co- for New York and was also co-lead advisor to the authored several publications International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, a including the first book in the pro-bono client, which was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for French on REITs. its work on the Panama Papers.

October 2017 • Issue 155 • privatefundsmanagement.net 25 Paul Cicero, 39 Ted Craig, 37 Goodwin MJ Hudson New York Partner, private equity Head of secondaries Paul Cicero’s It took Ted Craig all of 10 months practice after joining MJ Hudson in 2013 to has been make partner. He now oversees the described fastest-growing practice area within as unique in Craig Cordle, 35 MJ Hudson, the New York Ogier and is currently market in that Guernsey implementing he represents Partner, asset management an innovative transparent across each Extremely capable, experienced and legal fee stage of the investment lifecycle, knowledgeable of the listed fund pricing model ranging from leveraged buyouts space: these are some of the ways for indirect to growth equity all the way down brokers describe Craig Cordle. An secondary to seed investments. His current asset management lawyer with a transactions. client base includes three of Bain background in advising private equity In addition Capital’s proprietary funds. He investment trusts and to secondaries, Craig also has focuses on representing socially real estate investment trusts, Cordle a broad private fund formation conscious investors with funds specializes in Guernsey structures. practice acting for GPs and LPs in such as Environmental Capital Highlights include advising Lloyds relation to the establishment of, Partners which focus on investing in Banking Group on the asset and investment into, private equity, environmentally friendly platforms. management arrangements for its venture capital, infrastructure Last year he helped Goodwin portfolio of more than £100 billion and other closed-ended funds, launch its Impact & Responsible ($132 billion; €110 billion) transferred funds of funds and co-investment investing incubator dedicated to to Aberdeen Asset Management structures. Craig’s clients value his advising clients on social impact after the sale of Scottish Widows industry expertise, pragmatism investing relating to ESG and Investment Partnership and advising and perseverance, resulting in him sustainability certifications and HarbourVest’s listed private equity having the highest client retention much more. offering. rate at the firm.

Eamon Devlin, 39 Alexandra Davidson, 33 MJ Hudson Clifford Chance London London Managing partner Partner, funds and investments Since helping to found MJ Described by clients as a “role model and a star,” Hudson in 2011 – and re- Alexandra Davidson made one of the fastest tracks to mortgaging his house in the partnership at a Magic Circle firm in 2016 at the age of process — Eamon Devlin has 32. Davidson has strong relationships with blue-chip held two roles: one being clients including Actis, Bridgepoint and Permira and responsible for the firm’s law business and the works with funds based in Luxembourg, Ireland, the second managing his practice made up exclusively Channel Islands and the UK. She has been a key driver of of private equity clients. These include Aberdeen Clifford Chance’s thought leadership Asset Management, one of Europe’s biggest on Brexit implications for UK asset managers, and several of the world’s largest sponsors, and has been involved in investors in finance including Adams Street Capital developing the group’s participation and LGT Capital Partners. Clearly trusted by limited in industry initiatives and nurturing partners, Devlin is also one of only two European junior talent. She has experience lawyers on the Institutional Limited Partners across multiple asset classes, Association committee created in 2017 with the including private equity, real estate goal of simplifying fund documents. and infrastructure.

26 private funds management • Issue 155 • October 2017 Sally Gibson, 38 Peter Gilman, 38 Debevoise & Plimpton Simpson Thacher & Bartlett London New York Partner, investment management Partner, private investment funds A regulatory and fundraising In addition to funds work, Peter Gilman provides expert, Sally Gibson has strategic advice and long-term planning to founders established herself as one of and senior partners of a number of private equity firms private equity’s most trusted regarding succession arrangements and leadership advisors during a period of much transitions, and his experience spans asset classes. regulatory change. Her clients include Deutsche He has a particularly long-standing relationship with Bank, EQT and DH Private Equity Partners. Among her Blackstone, and has assisted the key fundraisings is the $1.65 billion Deutsche Bank firm in establishing and structuring secondaries fund, which completed its fundraising in a variety of its new initiatives and 2014 with a single close. As a complement to her strong funds. He has also advised financial fund formation practice, she also leads the firm’s funds sponsors on some of the industry’s practice in relation to the implementation of the AIFMD, most recent noteworthy minority and has established a private funds-specific regulatory stakes transactions including sales practice which is relied upon by Debevoise’s fund of interests to third parties by sponsor clients including , EQT and Silver Lake, Lexington Partners and Oaktree Capital Management. Riverstone.

Ana González-Linares, 35 Jarrod Huffman, 37 DLA Piper Morgan, Lewis & Bockius Madrid Silicon Valley Legal Director, corporate group Partner Since joining Fund sponsors and institutional DLA Piper investors turn to Jarrod Huffman in 2014, Ana for critical advice in connection González- with the formation and operation Linares has led of private investment funds, Michael Lampshire, 35 some of the joint ventures and managed Actis most prominent accounts. In the past year, he London private equity has represented Next Equity in transactions connection with the launch of a Fundraising lawyer in Spain. She new investment management firm A one-man band managing multiple advised CVC and a growth stage venture capital limited partners, limited partnership on the acquisition of Spanish care fund. The firm was founded by agreements and strategies, Michael home group Vitalia Home from three Elevation Partners managing Lampshire also works closely with Portobello Capital, completing directors Adam Hopkins and ex- the Simpson Thacher Bartlett team due diligence and negotiation Apple employees Fred Anderson supporting Actis. This year he was of the main contracts within and Avie Tevanian. Huffman has instrumental in raising Actis Energy a month. She also worked on also acted as legal counsel for 4’s $2.7 billion emerging market CVC’s portfolio sale of R Cable to a number of buyout and special energy fund, while managing the Euskaltel, a deal worth €1.2 billion. situations day-to-day operations of multiple This gave rise to the leading funds, and has other Actis funds and co-investment telecommunications group in the represented programs. Lampshire previously north of Spain. González-Linares is institutional worked at advisory firm Campbell a member of DLA Piper’s trainees investors. He Lutyens and Clifford Chance, where recruitment committee, and she also regularly he specialized in establishing also collaborates in pro-bono assists clients private investment funds including matters, such as with the NGO with federal private equity, real estate, debt and Girls of Sudan for advancing income tax infrastructure funds, acting for both education in the area. issues. fund managers and investors.

October 2017 • Issue 155 • privatefundsmanagement.net 27 Adrian Leipsic, 37 Owen Lysak, 36 Cleary Gottlieb Clifford Chance New York London Partner, fund formation Partner, asset management Some of the best-known private Specializing in advising financial equity sponsors, including TPG, institutions and other market Blackstone and KKR, have used participants on financial market Adrian Leipsic for fund formation regulation, and jointly leading the matters and he has developed firm’s London asset management a penchant for complex and inventive structures. He focus, Owen Lysak was made was instrumental in implementing the innovative legal partner this year. As well as structure of Silver Point Capital’s Speciality Credit advising the top global private fund Fund, which closed in December 2016 on $552 million. managers and asset managers on The fund can convert to a publicly listed business regulatory issues relating to fund development company and conduct an initial public formation and investment, Lysak regularly advises the offering, but was originally structured as a traditional top global private fund managers on regulatory reform private fund. He is currently representing TCW Direct such as Brexit, AIFMD, MiFID II and MAR. Most recently Lending in connection with a landmark split-off he has been involved in advising the British Private transaction — reorganizing a corporate structure and Equity & Venture Capital Association on the UK Senior transferring to holders of the parent company in Managers’ & Certification Regime issues for private exchange for stock in the latter. equity, and the Investment Association on Brexit issues.

Mateja Maher, 36 Hamed Meshki, 38 Campbell Lutyens Kirkland & Ellis London General counsel Corporate partner Recently promoted to general A natural counsel from the deputy problem solver position, Mateja Maher has with a strong Brian McPeake, 38 been instrumental in developing business sense, Goodwin Campbell Lutyens’ offering Hamed Meshki’s San Francisco across its primary fundraising clients have and secondaries practice. On the Partner, private equity described him primary side, his ability to make as “creative and Considered a key driver of the sense of legal and regulatory commercially growth of Goodwin’s private equity change across jurisdictions is minded.” For practice in San Francisco, Brian considered invaluable among over a decade, Meshki’s practice McPeake has helped the firm position clients, and he has helped products has negotiated and completed itself in mid-market M&A in the Bay come to market quickly. On the transactions across a full spectrum of area. He takes the lead on notable secondaries side, Maher has industries. Meshki focuses on highly transactions, most recently advising brought expertise in-house at structured and complex transactions in connection with its Campbell Lutyens and is able to including mergers and acquisitions, and its existing investors $41 million think of pragmatic and targeted restructurings, recapitalizations and funding of consumer healthcare solutions to legal issues as they financings. He recently represented platform Vitals. He also supported arise, which has also been praised Sycamore Partners in its $3 billion JMI Equity on its £32 million by clients. take-private of Belk, the US’s investment into UK-headquartered Before moving largest family-owned department software company Avecto. Both a in-house, store chain, and Oaktree Capital personal and professional mentor Maher was Management’s $280 million sale of to Goodwin associates, McPeake a partner at Tecta America Corporation. Other operates an open-door policy and Kirkland & Ellis, engagements included Clearlake believes in developing others’ talents where he was a Capital Group’s acquisition of through coaching, delegation and fund formation Landesk Software in a deal reported involvement. partner. to be in excess of $1.1 billion.

28 private funds management • Issue 155 • October 2017 Allison Muth, 33 Stephen Newby, 36 Ros Ni Dhubhain, 33 Alston & Bird Herbert Smith Freehills Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer New York London London Senior associate, corporate and Partner, investment funds Senior associate, corporate and M&A finance Stephen Valued by colleagues and clients With fund formation, regulation Newby’s alike for her commercial approach and compliance expertise in her expertise and use of practical know-how in arsenal, Allison Muth advises spans from highly complex matters, Ros Ni clients through the entire life cycle the east to the Dhubain provides general corporate of a fund, from initial structuring west and he advice to a number of key private through to liquidation. At 33, she has previously equity clients has already taken a leadership completed including CVC role advising several prominent secondments Capital Partners investment advisors on formation to the and Cinven. and operation of private equity firm’s Paris, Recent notable and other alternative investment Singapore and Dubai offices. mandates funds. Recently she advised Newby has been making a name include advising Morgan Stanley Investment for himself in private equity for Cinven on its Management on the formation of his work on innovative deals and acquisition of two feeder funds. Muth is also an funds in emerging markets, such Kurt Geiger, active member of the Managed as in relation and Constatia Flexibles, a One Funds Association Outside to the establishment of its $300 Equity Partners portfolio company, Counsel million Asia-focused healthcare on the acquisition of label and Forum, Alston fund. Newby is also interested in packaging business Spear group. & Bird’s innovative deals in emerging and She went on secondment for six Women’s frontier markets, such as the launch months to HSBC in 2011, where she Initiative of an Iran-focused fund for Griffon managed and advised on the equity Steering Capital, which was one of the first positions taken following the 2008 Committee in the market following the lifting of downturn and was awarded a young and often sanctions against Iran. Currently he dealmaker of the year award. Her mentors junior is working on significant mandates mentors at the firm regard her as associates. across Europe, Africa and Asia. having incredibly high potential.

Dan Oates, 39 Fatema Orjela, 33 Fried Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson Sidley Austin London London Partner, private equity Partner, private equity Working on a variety of Admired for her sharp legal- transactional and regulatory technical ability, problem- matters, Dan Oates advises private solving prowess and equity and corporate clients on a understanding of interpersonal wide range of multi-jurisdictional dynamics, Fatema Orjela issues. During his career he provides strategic counsel to has worked on behalf of Apax European and US private equity sponsors across Partners, KKR and Blackstone. leveraged buyouts, strategic mergers, acquisitions Recent work highlights include and disposals. She acted as lead counsel to HIG advising Goldman Sachs on its investment in Qubit and Europe in its disposal of Zmarta Group and the Francisco Partners on the acquisition of Lean Logistics International School of Europe Group, and has and Blackbay. He also worked with the management represented Oaktree Capital, KKR and Goldman team of New Look Retail Group on its $1.2 billion sale to Sachs on previous mandates. Orjela is committed Brait from funds advised by Apax Partners and Permira. to promoting diversity in the legal profession, and Oates is also noted for his commitment to give back to co-founded Women in Law London, which aims to his profession and is a lead partner on the London office promote and engage the next generation of female pro bono committee. leaders and now has over 2,000 members.

October 2017 • Issue 155 • privatefundsmanagement.net 29 Emma Parr, 39 James Sargent, 34 White & Case Weil, Gotshal & Manges London London Partner, corporate Fund formation partner The originator Promoted at age 33, James of the Sargent is one of the youngest-ever “dedicated partners in Weil’s London office. portfolio team” He specializes in advising on the concept, Emma Brett Saltzman, 34 establishment and operation of Parr advises Kirkland & Ellis private investment funds in the UK, 44 companies Europe and globally for a variety owned by of fund managers across a range private equity Partner, corporate of strategies. Over the past 12 firms including Praised by clients for working months Sargent has advised on CVC, Kaupthing around the clock like a doctor multiple high-profile fundraisings, and Bridgepoint Capital. Her six- on call, his impeccable attention including Argos Soditic on raising strong team mirrors the focus and to detail and his superb client their latest mid-market buyout find, operational structure of private service, Brett Saltzman is Euroknights Fund VII, targeting equity clients by setting up a considered a true rising star of €600 million. Sargent has also co- dedicated team, solely focused the private equity legal world. led the Weil private fund team’s on servicing the companies He is able to navigate complex push into the real assets without the distraction of high issues with ease and can apply his fundraising space, and now counts Irish Funds tempo deals. Parr helps the knowledge across multiple asset Actis and InfraRed as clients. companies, many of which have classes including private equity Sargent is 5th Annual UK Symposium never had private equity exposure and real estate, plus corporate, widely before, navigate the complexity deals and US Securities and recognised for resulting from their new ownership Exchange Commission issues. his technical structures. The model has now Saltzman was dubbed the “real ability and has been implemented, or is in the deal” by the client who nominated also developed process of being implemented, him, and is said to have a wide his own book ETC Venue, Bishopsgate London | Friday, 10 November 2017 | 8:00am – 3:30pm across the regions White & Case command of private equity. He of business in operates in. made partner in October 2016. recent years. The Irish Funds 5th Annual UK Symposium brings together prominent industry speakers and experts to discuss the current trends, challenges and opportunities in the international fund and asset management Joel Seow, 36 Johan Steen, 35 industry. Topics covered will include: Sidley Austin White & Case Singapore Stockholm Counsel Partner, private M&A Experienced at representing With his understanding of leadership The latest updates on regulation The impact of technology and innovation both sponsors and investors, and management, Johan Steen was Joel Seow is lead counsel to described by one client as the “most some of Singapore’s largest fund business-focused lawyers I’ve ever managers, including Avanda met.” With over a decade of private Product distribution The challenge of Brexit Investment Management, Dymon Asia Capital and equity and M&A experience, Steen Quantledge Capital. He also acts for institutional and focuses his practice on advising corporate investors from Asia, Europe and the US. Nordic and global sponsors on Over the past year he has advised Odyssey Capital M&A. He has acted on over 50 deals Active vs Passive investment and Macquarie on the establishment of the Tigris with an aggregate value of $33 Water Fund, the first Asia-focused water infrastructure billion making him one of the all-time fund, targeting $400 million of commitments. Seow most active Nordic M&A lawyers. Recent deals include also works closely with industry associations including advising Bridgepoint on its $930 million sale of Nordic the Singapore Venture Capital Association and the Cinema Group and FSN Capital on its acquisition of Alternative Investment Management Association, retail group Bygghemma. Prior to joining White & Case, leading their responses to the proposed Singapore VC Steen was an associate general counsel at private equity manager licensing regime. firm Altor. For further details and to register, visit www.irishfunds.ie/events 30 private funds management • Issue 155 • October 2017