Dechert has a core team within its financial services practice group that focuses on European-domiciled fund clients and European-domiciled promoters, investment advisers, distributors and other service providers to funds established in various European and non-European jurisdictions.
Our international funds practice is world class and continues to grow in depth and strength. Members of our European funds practice service European fund clients globally through offices in London, Luxembourg, Dublin, Frankfurt, Brussels, Munich, Paris, New York, Washington, Boston, Newport Beach, and Hong Kong. Chambers and Partners noted that we are a “one stop shop” and commended us for our capabilities with collective investment schemes and investment funds. We aim to assist clients in achieving their business objectives while maintaining regulatory compliance.
Lawyers in Dechert’s financial services group and members of the European funds practice are recognized for their international experience. Chambers and Partners describes Dechert as having “an impressive practice, whose solid reputation in hedge fund and offshore work generates significant leverage. The practice’s transatlantic link is seen as a key advantage both in terms of work referral and cross-border UK/US advisory capability.” The Legal 500 indicated “Dechert’s Luxembourg investment funds practice is top-ranked and specializes in advising U.S. investment funds.” The Legal 500 also noted, “The firm has a vast client list from across the spectrum, and advises on launches, reorganizations and registrations for a full range of offshore and domestic funds.”
We have access to legal advice and assistance around the world through our Dechert offices in London, Dublin, Luxembourg, Brussels, Munich, Frankfurt and Paris, and our close network of legal correspondents elsewhere in Europe, Asia, and Latin America, including all major offshore financial centers. As a result, we are able to deliver a seamless legal product in a timely and cost-effective manner.
Our European funds practice offers a full range of services, including:
- Assisting clients with organizing alternative investment funds in jurisdictions around the world
- Assisting clients with organizing UCITS and non-UCITS in Luxembourg, Ireland and the UK
- Advising clients on structuring open-end and closed-end retail and institutional funds in all forms, including SICAVs, FCPs, SICARs, PIFs, QIFs, OEICs and investment trusts
- Advising clients on structured products, including ETFs, ETCs and ETNs
- Advising on cross-border financial services within the European Union
- Serving as local counsel to UCITS in the United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Belgium, France and Germany
- Liaising with the Commission de surveillance du secteur financier (“CSSF”) in Luxembourg, the Central Bank in Ireland and the Financial Services Authority in the UK with respect to promoter and fund approval and with ongoing compliance with regulatory requirements
- Advising on day-to-day legal, operational, administration and company secretarial issues relating to investment funds
- Acting as coordinating counsel and assisting clients in relation to the qualification of newly established or existing funds in the European Union, Latin America and Asia
- Assisting clients in relation to private placements of funds in Europe, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and the United States
- Advising clients with respect to structuring and coordinating global distribution through the negotiation of third-party distribution agreements and “B Share” financing arrangements
- Assisting clients with cross-border mergers, product rationalization (i.e., merger of liquidation of sub-funds within the same umbrella) and re-domiciling of investment funds
- Advising on anti-money laundering issues
- Advising on compliance procedures and corporate governance