Kirkland Grows Retail Funds Practice with Leading Investment Funds Team
Kirkland & Ellis is excited to announce that Paul Delligatti, Chris Palmer, Jason Monfort, Andrew Zutz and Nicole Griffin have joined the Firm as partners in the Investment Funds Group. The team has a broad investment management practice advising a diverse array of registered funds, as well as their independent board members and investment advisers.
“This talented group adds decades of diverse investment management experience to our leading global investment funds practice,” said Jon A. Ballis, Chairman of Kirkland’s Executive Committee. “Registered funds and products designed for high net worth and retail investors remain significant growth areas where Kirkland continues to add talent to meet the needs of our clients. We are excited to welcome this team.”
Kirkland is a global leader in providing sophisticated advice to investment fund sponsors, institutional investors and other market participants in the alternative investment fund space. With more than 600 dedicated investment funds attorneys, the Firm’s integrated global team across North America, Europe and Asia provides advice on private fund formation, liquidity solutions, investment management and regulatory counsel, and strategic advisory services. Since January 2020, Kirkland has advised more than 1,700 funds closed and in process with total capital commitments in excess of $1.94 trillion.
“I’m thrilled that this talented team has joined Kirkland,” said Nicole Runyan, who heads Kirkland’s registered funds practice. “We are committed to providing world-class coverage across the investment funds sector and this team will help expand our ability to provide sophisticated and innovative advice to current clients across the registered funds industry, as well as to support new clients who continue to enter the space through offerings targeted at high net worth and retail investors.”
“Kirkland’s existing registered funds team is first rate,” said Mr. Delligatti. “We have no doubt that this combination will result in benefits for our trusted clients and presents wonderful opportunities to partner on new relationships with Kirkland’s global investment funds platform. Kirkland’s commitment to this practice presents incredible opportunities to help clients continue to grow and expand their investment offerings and investor bases.”
“We are excited to partner with our new colleagues at Kirkland to continue supporting our long-standing clients and to develop new relationships with an expanded team,” added Mr. Palmer.
Mr. Delligatti advises an array of registered fund clients, including open-end and closed-end funds, exchange traded funds, interval funds, tender offer funds and business development companies. His work includes advising fund sponsors, investment advisers and independent directors, and also encompasses asset management transactions. He has extensive experience creating products registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 in addition to other complex investment funds activity. He is recognized by Chambers USA and The Legal 500 U.S. in the area of mutual/registered/exchange-traded funds law. He is also recognized by The Best Lawyers in America for his work in mutual funds law.
Mr. Palmer advises investment funds, fund sponsors and investment advisers on the creation and operation of a wide range of registered funds, including open-end funds, closed-end funds, interval funds and exchange traded funds. He advises independent directors on legal, governance and industry practice issues. He also represents insurance companies on the design, regulatory approval and operation of registered and unregistered life and annuity products and unregistered funds used in the retirement marketplace. He is recognized by Chambers USA in the registered funds category and The Best Lawyers in America named him 2024 “lawyer of the year” for mutual funds law in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Monfort represents open-end funds, exchange-traded funds, independent directors, registered investment advisers, private funds, insurance companies, banks and other financial institutions across the full spectrum of financial services regulation applicable to developing, marketing and offering financial products. He advises registered funds on formation matters, as well as general ongoing operations and compliance with federal securities laws. He also counsels investment advisers, insurance companies and other financial institution clients on investment management solutions, including private fund offerings, model portfolio licensing, proprietary indexing, variable annuity products and digital asset and blockchain solutions. He is a frequent speaker at industry events and is recognized by Chambers USA, The Legal 500 U.S. and U.S. News & World Report as a leading lawyer in the field of registered funds, including mutual funds and exchange-traded funds.
Mr. Zutz serves as outside counsel to registered funds and their independent directors and investment advisers. He is extensively involved in board-level matters and provides day-to-day advice and guidance on a wide range of legal, regulatory, compliance, securities law, governance and fiduciary matters in the investment management industry. He works with all types of registered funds, including open-end funds, exchange-traded funds, money market funds, sub-advised funds, closed-end funds, and interval and tender offer funds. He was named a “Rising Star” at the 2021 Mutual Fund Industry and ETF Awards and is recognized by The Best Lawyers in America for his work in mutual funds law and by The Legal 500 U.S. for mutual/registered/exchange traded funds law.
Ms. Griffin represents registered funds and their independent directors. She has particular experience advising independent directors on a range of governance matters and guiding advisers and funds on complex regulatory issues under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Her practice spans the full gamut of registered fund types. She has been recognized by The Legal 500 U.S. for mutual/registered/exchange-traded funds law.
