Allison M. Fumai focuses her practice on the representation of registered investment companies and their investment advisers. She regularly advises mutual funds, closed-end funds and exchange-traded funds and their investment advisers on issues relating to the development and launch of new funds, ongoing compliance and regulatory matters, mergers, liquidations and restructuring of funds.
Ms. Fumai also has extensive experience advising issuers and underwriters on initial public offerings and rights offerings for closed-end funds. She has particular expertise with exchange-traded funds and represents a significant number of exchange-traded fund sponsors and exchange-traded funds in connection with their exemptive relief, launch of unique products and other issues relating to exchange-traded funds.
Ms. Fumai was recently listed as one of the top 10 women leading the '40 Act legal space by Fund Board Views. She was also honored as “Investment Consultant of the Year” at the Women in Asset Management Awards. She has been recognized as a leading lawyer for registered funds by Chambers USA. In the most recent edition, clients note: “Allison is very knowledgeable, presents information succinctly and provides good guidance. She is just terrific.” In a previous edition, a client stated: “She's knowledgeable and experienced. She's really moved into the ETF space, she's built a niche there and she's well recognized.” Chambers has also stated that she is “able to encapsulate and explain how the ETF world works,” and clients declared that “she is an excellent ’40 Act lawyer,” adding that “she is thoughtful, articulate and measured; she is great at keeping her clients abreast of new regulatory and legal developments.” She has also been recognized in The Legal 500 (U.S.) in the area of mutual/registered funds. A past edition noted that she is “a rock star with deep knowledge of the ETF industry.” She has also been recognized in IFLR1000 in the areas of Financial Services Regulatory and Investment Funds.
In 2021, she was recognized for her dedication to the New York City Family Court Volunteer Attorney Program. The recognition was part of the NYS Unified Court System’s Office for Justice Initiatives, the New York State Bar Association, and the New York County Lawyer’s Association Pro Bono Volunteer Recognition Program. Ms. Fumai is also part of a team that won “Best ETF Regulatory/Compliance Adviser” at the ETF Express U.S. Awards, 2021. She has received a number of accolades from industry publications, including: Rising Stars, Euromoney Legal Media Group’s Expert Guides series, investment funds (2017); Rising Stars, Euromoney Legal Media Group’s Americas Women in Business Law Awards, finance (2013, 2016); Fund Action’s Rising Stars (2014); and SuperLawyers New York Metro Area “Rising Star” (2013).