David Layden advises on the structuring, establishment, management and marketing of a variety of investment funds and fund platforms domiciled in a range of onshore and offshore jurisdictions for UK, U.S. and European asset managers.
Mr. Layden’s practice is focused on the formation and structuring of private funds, including open-ended, hybrid and closed-ended funds. He has experience across a range of asset classes including private debt, private equity, real estate and hedge. A particular emphasis of Mr. Layden’s practice is the establishment of evergreen funds investing in illiquid assets.
Mr. Layden also provides ongoing advice on general corporate, compliance and UK, Irish and EU regulatory issues as well as on the implementation of carried interest and other incentive schemes. In addition, he provides investor-side advice in connection with investments into a range of fund structures and asset classes.
Mr. Layden is a member of Dechert’s ESG task force and advises clients on this developing area. He is recognized in The Legal 500 Global Green Guide: EMEA (2022) which spotlights "key firms in the EMEA region contributing to a green transition." He is highlighted for having "advised various clients on the regulatory obligations associated with their ESG activities, particularly in regards to the SFDR."
Mr. Layden co-authored the "Ireland" chapter of Sweet & Maxwell’s Law and Regulation of Investment Management, third edition. Mr. Layden also co-authored the "Ireland" chapter and the "Hybrid Funds" chapter of Sweet & Maxwell’s Hedge Funds and the Law, third edition.
Mr. Layden is closely involved with a number of industry bodies including the Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA).
Mr. Layden worked in Dechert’s London office from 2017-2024 before relocating to the Dublin office to help grow Dechert's Irish private funds team.
- Private Funds Legal Retreat 2024 - Dechert, Oxford (September 2024)
- Next Generation Private Funds Bootcamp - Dechert, London (July 2024)
- Demystifying Evergreens: Finding your route through the liquidity forest – Citco & Dechert, London (April 2024)
- Key Considerations for Private Fund Structuring: Luxembourg and Ireland – Dechert, London (March 2024)
- Alternative Investment Funds COO Forum – Dechert, London (November 2023)
- Next Generation Private Funds Bootcamp - Dechert, London (October 2023)
- The Irish ILP – An Evaluation from a Global Law Firm: How did it stack up? – Dechert, London (October 2021)
- Meeting in the middle: Convergence of hedge and PE - June 2020, AIMA Journal
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- University College Dublin, Bachelor of Civil Law, 2013
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- Ireland
- England and Wales