Craig Borthwick advises on the formation and structuring of a variety of investment funds and fund platforms as well as providing ongoing advice on general corporate, compliance and regulatory issues. He also advises on service provider documentation.

Mr. Borthwick's practice is focused on alternative asset management and advising on both liquid and illiquid strategies including open-ended, hybrids and closed-ended fund structures. Start-ups and seeding deals form a significant part of his practice.

Hedge funds and private credit funds are particular areas of expertise, alongside private equity and venture capital.

Mr. Borthwick has been recommended by Chambers UK since 2018 (2018-2022) as a leading lawyer for hedge funds, with clients noting that he "provides a consistently excellent service" and “is very cognisant of what clients need”. It also notes that "he is an expert in what he does but is also very client-focused and ensures any complexity is clearly understood” and he is praised for his “very proactive approach”. He is also consistently highly rated in The Legal 500 UK for hedge funds (2017-2022). Clients have commented that he is "earnest” and “constantly looks out for his clients”.

Prior to joining Dechert in 2012, Mr. Borthwick spent time on secondment to a global hedge fund manager.

Mr. Borthwick was part of the AIMA working committee on AIFMD, in particular relating to delegation arrangements.

    • What you need to know before marketing into the UK, US and EU (ex. Switzerland) - AIMA, Webinar (March 2023)
    • Marketing private funds in Europe - Carne, Webinar (February 2022)
    • Cross-Border Fund Distribution into Switzerland under the (New) Swiss Financial Services Act (FinSA) - Webinar (October 2021)
    • The Irish ILP – An Evaluation from a Global Law Firm: How Did It Stack up? - Webinar (October 2021)
    • Meeting in the Middle – Convergence of Public and Private Strategies - AIMA Fund Manager Briefing, Webinar (June 2021)
    • Marketing into Europe – Considerations for Hedge Fund Managers - Morgan Stanley, Seminar (April 2021)
    • Marketing Funds in the EEA Following a ‘Hard’ Brexit and an Update on the Marketing Rules - Webinar (October 2020)
    • Press Reports Regarding Cayman Islands and EU Tax Haven Blacklist – Implications for Funds and Fund Managers - Webinar (February 2020)
    • Private Funds Nuts & Bolts: Hybrid Fund Structures - The Convergence of Hedge and Private Equity – Webinar (October 2019) 
    • Preparing for Investor Due Diligence – London (October 2019) 
    • Structuring Your Next Hedge Fund Product – Market Trends and Considerations – London (September 2019) 
    • AIMA Seminar: Structuring Limited Liquidity Funds: The Convergence of Hedge and Private Equity - London (July 2019)
    • Updating Your Compliance Calendar for 2019: U.S. Regulatory Priorities for 2019 - London (January  2019)
    • Updating Your Compliance Calendar for 2019: Key Corporate and Regulatory Requirements Affecting U.K. Fund Managers for 2019 - London (January 2019)
    • JPMorgan Regulatory Breakfast Seminar - London (October 2018)
    • Structuring your Next Hedge Fund Product - London (March 2018)
    • HFM UK Breakfast Briefing: Trading digital assets - dealing with the operational challenges of running a crypto fund - London (January 2018)
    • Credit Suisse 2017 Prime Services Thought Leadership Conference - London (October 2017)
    • HFM UK Breakfast Briefing: On the Launchpad in 2017: The Challenges and Choices Facing Start-Ups - London (January 2017)
    • MiFID II In Focus: Marketing Part I - London (November 2016)
    • Structuring Your Next Hedge Fund Product and Negotiating Seed Deals - London (November 2016)
    • HFM US Breakfast Briefing: MiFID II: Why US managers need to sit up and take notice - New York (September 2016)