Adam S. Aderton - Partner

A former Senior Officer in the SEC’s Enforcement Division, Adam Aderton is a member of the Simpson Thacher’s Asset Management Regulatory and Enforcement Practice where he  advises clients across the asset management industry. He conducts internal investigations and advises on complex regulatory examinations, enforcement inquiries, and litigation matters involving private equity funds, venture capital funds, hedge funds, BDCs, interval funds, tender offer funds, mutual funds and ETFs, as well as retail platforms and separately managed accounts. He also provides asset managers with practical ongoing compliance advice. Adam is recognized by Chambers USA in Securities: Regulation: Enforcement, where clients and peers praise him as “proactive counsel” who provides “white glove service” with “terrific experience concentrated in the asset management space.” Adam is a thought leader, speaking regularly on asset management enforcement issues to leading industry groups, including the Investment Adviser Association, the Investment Company Institute and the Institutional Investor Legal Forum, among others.

Christian Albanesi - Partner

Christian Albanesi has over 20 years of experience navigating high‑stakes, cross-border matters across Latin American and other global arbitral forums, particularly in the energy and infrastructure sector. He advises multinational corporations, financial institutions and sovereign states in high‑impact commercial and investment treaty matters before all major international tribunals. Christian has deep regional insight, built on years conducting proceedings in multiple jurisdictions across Latin America.

Amanda K. Allexon - Partner

Amanda K. Allexon is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Financial Institutions Practice. Based in Washington, D.C., Amanda combines nearly a decade of service at the Federal Reserve Board and robust private practice experience to advise domestic and foreign banks, bank holding companies, other regulated financial institutions, financial technology companies and investors on the full spectrum of transactional, regulatory, compliance, and supervisory/enforcement matters. She routinely assists clients obtain bank charters, effectuate complex high-profile mergers and acquisitions, make strategic investments, review and enhance compliance programs, and respond to supervisory actions. Leveraging her previous government experience, she routinely represents clients before the Federal Reserve, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and U.S. state banking regulators.

David W. Blass - Partner

Co-Managing Partner of the Firm’s Boston office, David Blass is a leading regulatory lawyer in the funds industry and has advised on matters involving innovative registered funds products, Investment Advisers Act compliance, SEC examination and enforcement matters, and broker-dealer regulatory compliance. He is uniquely qualified to provide strategic and regulatory advice on matters involving asset management firms and broker-dealers. 

David has extensive knowledge of the regulatory requirements of the asset management industry having  served as General Counsel of the Investment Company Institute, the trade association for registered investment funds.  He also held senior roles for over a decade at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, most recently as Chief Counsel and Associate Director in the Division of Trading and Markets, where he oversaw broker-dealer regulation and large aspects of FINRA’s regulatory program.  David was the Associate General Counsel for the SEC where he was responsible for Dodd-Frank Act implementation, among many other programmatic areas.  He also held a senior role in the SEC’s Division of Investment Management, leading the office regulating registered investment advisers, including advisers to private funds.

David is ranked Band 2 by Chambers Global (USA) and Chambers USA in Registered Funds. Chambers has noted that David “is particularly adept at representing clients in major fund M&A and significant offerings.” He was notably named “Independent Counsel of the Year” by Fund Intelligence’s Mutual Fund Industry & ETF Awards in 2021.

Benjamin A. Bodurian - Partner An M&A Partner in the Firm’s Washington, D.C. office, Benjamin Bodurian advises clients on complex corporate transactions – particularly those facing regulatory scrutiny – including domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, majority investments, minority investments and joint ventures, carveout acquisitions and dispositions and shareholder activism defense.

His clients have included large corporations such as Change Healthcare, Herc Rentals, Republic Airways and TD Bank as well as private equity firms such as BC Partners, Carlyle and EQT.   

Benjamin’s prior representations span multiple industries, including healthcare, financial services, technology, industrials and manufacturing, transportation, real estate and retail.

Lindsey C. Bohl - Partner

Lindsey Bohl focuses her practice on matters involving all aspects of antitrust and competition law. This includes merger reviews and counseling clients considering M&A transactions across a wide range of industries, including healthcare, retail, consumer products, technology and medical devices and pharmaceutical products, as well as government antitrust investigations and antitrust litigation. Lindsey was previously a staff attorney in the FTC’s Mergers IV Division, where she led significant healthcare and retail transaction investigations and litigated merger challenges.

Joshua Ford Bonnie - Partner Co-Head of the Firm’s Global Capital Markets Practice and Co-Managing Partner of the Firm’s Boston and Washington, D.C. offices, Josh Bonnie is one of the nation's preeminent IPO lawyers and regularly counsels public companies on significant strategic transactions, capital markets offerings and general corporate and securities law matters. Josh also routinely advises asset management firms on situations of strategic importance. Josh has extensive experience with complex IPOs, and is a recognized thought leader on UP-C and other multiple-tier umbrella partnership structures.     

Josh has been featured twice in The American Lawyer’s “Dealmakers of the Year” and is recognized in Chambers Global and Chambers USA. The Legal 500 U.S. has placed Josh in its “Hall of Fame” and notes that “‘IPO powerhouse’ Joshua Ford Bonnie is second-to-none.” Ranked Band 1, Chambers adds, “Joshua Ford Bonnie is spoken of highly by sources, with one commenting: ‘He is a true partner: highly commercial, he thinks like a business person and anticipates what we’ll need before we need it.’” Josh's reputation as a pre-eminent capital markets lawyer is acknowledged by his clients, with one noting that he is “the most commercial lawyer I have met in my life and he gives super practical guidance.” 

Nathan Briggs - Partner

A Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Registered Funds Practice, Nathan Briggs advises registered investment vehicles, investment advisers and independent directors across the full spectrum of formation, transactional, governance and compliance issues. These range from new product offerings and follow-on offerings, proxy contests and fund mergers and consolidations to ongoing compliance and governance matters. He advises sponsors with respect to, among other products, listed closed-end funds, interval funds, tender offer funds, REITs and business development companies in connection with the establishment, registration, reorganization and operation of retail and institutional investment products.

Ryan Brizek - Partner

A Partner in the Firm’s Registered Funds Practice, Ryan Brizek focuses his practice on transactional and regulatory matters involving regulated funds, with a particular focus on making private markets investment strategies accessible to public investors. Ryan advises clients on the formation and operation of evergreen investment funds and other products designed to provide wealth channel access to alternative asset classes, such as private equity, private credit, infrastructure, real assets, secondaries and liquid alternatives. He has deep experience across the various types of regulated fund structures, including interval funds, tender offer funds, listed closed-end funds, business development companies, mutual funds and exchange-traded funds.

Chambers recognizes Ryan in the area of Registered Funds as “incredibly knowledgeable and great at communicating complex considerations.” Chambers reports that “Ryan has a depth of knowledge and understands the client’s objectives. He applies his technical knowledge in a way that furthers those commercial objectives.” Clients further describe Ryan as “super smart” with an “encyclopedic memory” of the 1940 Act and related guidance. IFLR 1000 recognizes Ryan as “Highly Regarded” in the area of Registered Funds and Best Lawyers recognizes Ryan in the area of Mutual Funds Law. A past edition of The Legal 500 commended Ryan for his experience as fund counsel to registered funds implementing private markets strategies sponsored by some of the largest asset managers.

Justin L. Browder - Partner

Justin Browder is a Partner in the Firm’s Registered Funds and Asset Management Regulatory and Enforcement Practices. He counsels investment advisers, private and registered investment funds, broker-dealers, and trading and investment platforms on all aspects of the federal securities laws. Justin has substantial experience advising private and registered fund managers and wealth management and separately managed account program sponsors concerning a wide variety of operational, transactional and adversarial matters, with a particular emphasis on issues arising under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and the Investment Company Act of 1940. In addition to ongoing regulatory counseling, core components of Justin’s practice include representing advisers, funds and wealth management firms in SEC examinations and enforcement proceedings and representing financial sponsors and strategic investors concerning mergers, acquisitions and spin-outs of asset management businesses. Justin also regularly advises alternative asset managers on fund formation matters involving complex private and registered fund structures. Additionally, Justin is a recognized practitioner in the area of digital assets, where he advises asset managers and exchange platforms on compliance and operational matters. Earlier in his career, Justin served as Assistant General Counsel at a large alternative asset management firm in New York where he advised on a range of regulatory and transactional matters.

Justin has been recognized as a leading lawyer in the Investment Funds: Regulatory & Compliance category by Chambers USA (2021-2026), Chambers Global (USA) (2022-2026), and Chambers FinTech Legal: Blockchain & Cryptocurrencies (2025-2026). He is also a recommended lawyer in Finance: Fintech by Legal 500 US (2022-2023).

Christopher Brown - Partner

Chris Brown concentrates his practice on banking and finance. He has represented private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies, as well as public and private companies, in a wide variety of secured lending and other financing transactions. In addition, Chris has worked for many clients on matters involving general secured finance issues, liability management transactions, debt restructurings and related corporate issues. His clients have included AEA Investors, Alterra Mountain Company, Angeles Equity Partners, Ashton Woods, Axon, Best Buy, BlackRock, Blackstone, Butterfly Equity, Cimpress, Cloud Software Group, Cohen & Steers, Evercore Partners, Frontdoor, Hershey, JLL Partners, KKR, KSL Capital Partners, Microsoft, The Mosaic Company, New Mountain Capital, Pacific Dental Services, Peloton, Primavera Capital Partners, Progress Software, PTC, Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners, Tailored Brands, Teladoc Health, Twitter, Wealth Partners Capital Group and ZoomInfo.

Vanessa K. Burrows - Partner

Based in the Firm’s Washington, D.C. office, Vanessa represents clients in healthcare and life sciences regulatory matters, including those involving the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Vanessa has advised pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, healthcare and technology companies, and healthcare providers in connection with regulatory and compliance needs, as well as in connection with M&A and capital-raising transactions. Vanessa has extensive experience counseling clients with respect to FDA regulatory and enforcement matters, health privacy, security and breach issues, healthcare fraud and abuse matters, cannabis and hemp laws, and state healthcare material change transaction filings.

Chambers recognizes Vanessa in the area of Healthcare as “extremely helpful in complex research matters around FDA enforcement.” Clients share that “Vanessa listens very well to what our challenges are and what our opinions are. She has good, constructive conversations about that, which leads to a better outcome.”

Rajib Chanda - Partner

Rajib is the Global Head of Asset Management at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP. He is the world’s leading outside counsel (as measured by number of funds and assets under management), pioneering expanded access to private markets for individual investors.

The Simpson Thacher Registered Funds team, which Rajib leads, has worked in concert with clients to design investment vehicles that have been publicly recognized as “revolutionary,” “category-killing” and “the fund innovation of the year.”

Rajib is a go-to counsel across each major private markets asset class, giving him a uniquely holistic view of the asset management industry. He has launched investment products for the following firms, among many others:

• In private equity, Blackstone, Brookfield, Carlyle, CVC, EQT, KKR, TPG and Vista
• In secondaries, Coller, HarbourVest, Lexington, JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley
• In infrastructure, Apollo, Blackstone, EQT, I Squared, KKR, Macquarie and Stonepeak
• In private credit, Apollo, Audax Credit, Bain Capital, Benefit Street, Blackrock, Blackstone, Carlyle, Golub, HPS, New Mountain, Silver Point and TPG Angelo Gordon
• In real estate, BlackRock, Blackstone, Blue Owl, Clarion, Cohen & Steers, KKR, Principal and Starwood Capital

Rajib is ranked highly in all major legal publications, including Chambers Global and USA (Band 1), Legal 500 (Leading Lawyer), IFLR 1000 (Market Leader), With Intelligence (Independent Counsel of the Year) and American Lawyer (Trailblazer).

At Simpson Thacher, Rajib also is a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee and is Co-Managing Partner of the Washington, D.C. office. Rajib has previously led each of the Firm’s Partner Development, Hiring and Inclusion Committees, respectively.

Anne C. Choe - Partner

Anne C. Choe is a Partner in the Firm’s Registered Funds and Asset Management Regulatory and Enforcement Practices and represents investment managers, registered funds and private funds on a broad range of regulatory and transactional matters. Her experience covers a variety of fund structures, including exchange-traded funds, mutual funds, closed-end funds and private funds. She has deep experience representing investment advisers and funds in SEC examination and enforcement matters. Anne also regularly counsels family offices and independent boards and has in-depth knowledge of the various securities and other laws applicable to investment managers and funds, including the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. Anne additionally has significant experience advising investment management firms in registering with the SEC as investment advisers, as well as advising on exemptions from registration for U.S. and non-U.S. firms.

Anne has been recognized as a leading lawyer in the Investment Funds: Regulatory & Compliance category of Chambers Global (USA) (2021-2026), Chambers USA (2020-2026), and in the Registered Funds category of Chambers Global (USA) (2026) and Chambers USA (2026). She is also recognized by The Legal 500 United States for Investment Fund Formation and Management: Mutual/Registered/Exchange-Traded Funds (2023-2026). In addition, Anne was shortlisted for With Intelligence’s Mutual Fund and ETF Awards in 2026 as Independent Counsel of the Year.

Karen E. Christian - Partner

Former General Counsel to the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce and Chief Counsel to its Oversight Subcommittee, Karen Christian is a widely recognized advisor on investigative and crisis management challenges for a broad array of clients. Co-Head of the Firm’s Congressional Investigations Practice, she leverages her in-depth Capitol Hill experience leading dozens of investigations and committee hearings to help clients formulate strategies to address a wide range of legal, reputational, policy and regulatory issues. She counsels clients across several industries, including technology, energy, healthcare, financial services and higher education, and helps clients address potential parallel civil, criminal, state and other regulatory investigations.

Brian D. Christiansen - Partner

With more than two decades of experience, Brian Christiansen is recognized as one the country’s foremost financial services lawyers. He counsels U.S. and international banking organizations, nonbank financial services firms and their investors and counterparties on all types of regulatory, transactional, compliance and enforcement matters. Brian is lauded by Chambers USA as “a highly skilled transactional and regulatory attorney, who offers specialized counsel to financial services firms,” with clients noting that he is a “phenomenal lawyer” and “knows how the regulators think.”

Toby Chun - Partner

As Co-Head of the Environmental Practice, Toby Chun focuses on the environmental aspects of complex, and often cross-border, transactions. Recognized by Chambers USA, The Legal 500 and others, he has developed deep experience in advising a diverse range of businesses across numerous industries in the United States and around the world. 

Martine E. Cicconi - Partner

Head of the Firm’s State Attorneys General team, Martine Cicconi is an experienced litigator who focuses on significant investigations and litigation led by state attorneys general. She formerly served across several U.S. state and federal executive and judicial bodies, including as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Counsel in the Office of the White House Counsel, where she handled sensitive matters involving congressional oversight, executive privilege and inspectors general inquiries. Praised by clients as “extremely smart” and “a sophisticated strategist, a responsive counselor and consummate diplomat” in Chambers USA, she advises clients on navigating enforcement actions and complex regulatory challenges.

Jonathan L. Corsico - Partner

Jonathan Corsico leads the Firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions practice in Washington, D.C. He is also co-lead of the Firm’s Registered Funds M&A practice.  He specializes in transactions that are unusually complicated or difficult, such as those facing significant antitrust risk or those utilizing novel terms. Within his broader practice, Jon has become one of the preeminent lawyers in the country in the growing field of M&A involving retail-focused investment funds. 

In addition to M&A, Jon also counsels clients on forming new businesses, joint ventures, fund adoptions, stockholder activism defense, corporate governance and minority investments.

Jon’s prior representations span multiple industries, from asset management to healthcare to transportation.

Some of Jon’s recent clients include Amedisys, Apollo, BC Partners, Carlyle, Change Healthcare, Diameter Capital Partners, 50T Funds, Franklin Templeton, Envision Healthcare, Herc Rentals, Hilton Grand Vacations, Mattress Firm, McKinsey & Company, Meridian Capital, Monex, Nakamoto, Republic Airways, SkyBridge Capital, Sierra Space, Teladoc, Teleflex, TPG Angelo Gordon and USAA.

Jon has been listed in Chambers and Partners since 2018, and is described by clients as “a subject matter expert and a very effective advocate” and “very solution-minded”. In 2016, Jon was named an M&A “Rising Star” by Law360. Outside of the law, Jon is the inventor of three patents in the field of professional level motorsports.

A selection of Jon’s representations, including matters prior to joining Simpson Thacher, are listed below. 

Claire M. DiMario - Partner

Claire DiMario is a Partner in the Firm’s National Security Regulatory Practice. She regularly counsels clients, including some of the largest private equity asset managers and international corporations, on high-profile and complex transactions before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and with respect to related national security matters, including mitigation of foreign ownership, control or influence (FOCI) under industrial security regulations.

Claire has advised clients and successfully navigated CFIUS approvals across numerous industries with national security sensitivities, including technology and software, energy infrastructure, airports and seaports, railroads, aerospace and defense manufacturing, classified government contracting, telecommunications, financial services, and life sciences, among others. Claire also has successfully negotiated commercially acceptable mitigation on behalf of clients before the Committee and secured CFIUS approval for hostile takeovers.

Claire also regularly coordinates worldwide foreign direct investment (FDI) approvals on behalf of clients for sophisticated global transactions that involve national security sensitivities.

Katherine S. Draper - Partner Kate Draper is a Partner in the Firm’s Corporate Department and Securitization Practice. Kate’s practice encompasses securitizations involving many different types of asset classes, with particular focus on digital infrastructure (such as data centers, fiber networks and cell towers), auto loans and leases, fleet leases, rental cars, whole-business securitizations and other esoteric assets. Kate represents both issuers and underwriters, as well as parties in acquisitions and other transactions in which securitizations are involved.

Abram J. Ellis - Partner

Recognized as a “Rising Star” and “Next Generation Partner” in antitrust litigation and cartels, Abram Ellis is a Partner in the Firm’s Washington, D.C. office. His practice comprises all aspects of competition law, from defending clients against complex class action antitrust litigation to helping clients obtain regulatory clearance from domestic and international competition authorities for significant transactions. Abram is particularly experienced in antitrust litigation involving complex financial instruments, the healthcare industry and employment issues. He has been recognized for his antitrust work in Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation and The Legal 500, where he is described as “highly regarded in the market,” “a leader in the field,” and “a good strategist.” Sources also say that he is “a phenomenal advisor—both on day to day advisory matters, but also on complex litigation . . . He is a star.”

In addition to his robust antitrust practice, Abram advises clients on a range of regulatory matters. As Co-Head of the Firm’s International Trade Regulation Practice, he advises leading private equity funds, financial institutions and major corporations on regulatory and compliance matters relating to cross-border activities, including with respect to anti-money laundering, OFAC, FCPA, the Outbound Investment Rule, the DOJ’s Data Security Program and export matters.

Crystal L. Frierson - Partner

Crystal Frierson is a Partner in the Firm’s Private Funds Practice. She advises sponsors on the formation, structuring and management of private investment funds across a range of asset classes as well as on co-investments and separately managed accounts. She also counsels clients in respect to private investments in alternative asset managers. Crystal regularly represents some of the largest and most prominent fund sponsors including The Carlyle Group, Blackstone, Hellman & Friedman and Platinum Equity.

William R. Golden - Partner

Based in Washington, D.C., Will Golden is a Partner in the Firm’s Capital Markets Practice. Will represents issuers, private equity sponsors and underwriters in a wide range of securities offerings, including initial public offerings, follow-on and secondary equity offerings, spin-offs, high yield and investment grade debt offerings and acquisition financing transactions, as well as exchange offers and other liability management transactions. Will also advises clients on ongoing public reporting, compliance and corporate governance matters.

Steven Grigoriou - Partner

Steven Grigoriou is a Partner in the Firm’s Registered Funds Practice, where he advises a wide array of registered funds, business development companies and multinational investment advisers on a broad range of corporate transactions. He regularly represents public funds, fund sponsors, investment advisers, investment banks and other financial institutions on the design, formation and structure of investment funds and products, securities offerings, regulatory and compliance matters, as well as other corporate matters. His clients include Apollo, Blackstone, Carlyle, Lafayette Square, Onex and Sixth Street. Steven is recognized as a “Next Generation Partner” by Legal 500 and a “Rising star partner” by IFLR1000. He also was named a “Rising Star” at the 2021 Fund Intelligence Mutual Funds Industry & ETF Awards.

Jennifer Ho - Partner

Recognized by The Legal 500 as a “Rising Star” in International Trade, Jennifer Ho is a Partner in the Firm’s National Security Regulatory Practice. She advises multinational corporations, private equity firms, asset managers and other clients on developing strategies that minimize risk and secure regulatory approvals across key markets and sectors. She also has significant experience advising clients in national security reviews before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and navigating related issues, including mitigation of foreign ownership, control or influence (FOCI) under industrial security regulations.

Anat Holtzman - Partner

Anat Holtzman has deep experience in the formation, fundraising and operation of private investment funds across a multitude of strategies, including buyout, credit, real estate and energy and infrastructure funds. She also advises fund sponsors on the development of private fund products that focus on the private wealth channel, among others. Previously a Managing Director at Carlyle in the Legal and Compliance Department, she served as Head of Fund Formation for the Global Private Equity segment.

Daniel B. Honeycutt - Partner

Daniel B. Honeycutt is a Partner in the Firm’s Registered Funds Practice. Based in the Firm’s Washington, D.C. office, he provides creative and sophisticated counsel to a diverse array of companies in the financial services and real estate industries and is one of the leading attorneys for asset managers seeking to launch non-traded and private REITs in the private wealth market, with extensive experience advising REITs on a wide range of innovative formation and transactional matters. Daniel guides clients through complex public and private capital raising matters, including initial public and private offerings and follow-on offerings, as well as significant preferred stock and debt offerings.

Karen Kazmerzak - Partner

A former Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lawyer, Karen Kazmerzak advises clients on a wide range of antitrust and competition issues, particularly in seeking clearance for high-profile, complex mergers and acquisitions before the Department of Justice and FTC, and in developing strategies to advocate for merger approval in international jurisdictions. Recognized as a leader in the field by Chambers USA, Legal 500 and a “Litigation Star” by Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation, she is lauded by clients as “a consummate advocate with an eye for detail and excellent relationships with the government” and a “natural choice for any company trying to get a tough deal through the FTC or DOJ." Karen is also recognized for her work representing third-party market participants in connection with opposition to acquisitions and in connection with government subpoenas.

Karen’s extensive private sector and government experience has spanned numerous industries, including the life sciences, energy, transportation, healthcare and telecom sectors, among many others. She also counsels clients on antitrust matters involving licensing, distribution, pricing and competitor collaborations.

Meaghan A. Kelly - Partner

Meaghan Kelly is a Partner in the Firm’s Investment Funds Practice and a key member of the Firm’s Asset Management Regulatory and Enforcement Practice. Meaghan specializes in counseling various types of fund sponsors across a host of regulatory and enforcement matters. In particular, Meaghan is integral to the Firm’s SEC examination practice—counseling clients on examination preparation, guiding clients through examinations, and advising on creative and achievable solutions post-examination. In addition, Meaghan represents investment advisers in high-stakes SEC enforcement investigations. Meaghan is regarded as a uniquely skilled and experienced regulatory and enforcement defense lawyer, having a pulse on SEC expectations and market practice. She also routinely counsels on questions with respect to the Investment Advisers Act, and provides practical and informed solutions to compliance and disclosure questions. Her clients include sponsors to private equity funds, hedge funds, venture capital funds, credit funds, infra funds, real estate funds, as well as registered funds. Meaghan routinely leads internal investigations involving myriad complex and sensitive issues for investment advisers, and also has developed in-depth understanding of more recent and emerging areas, such as regulatory and compliance matters related to cryptocurrency and other digital assets, and artificial intelligence (AI), and prediction markets. Meaghan also has experience representing financial institutions in connection with Congressional investigations and related Congressional hearing preparation. Meaghan is a frequent presenter, author, and commentator on SEC regulatory and compliance developments for the asset management industry.

Meaghan also maintains a broad robust investigations and SEC enforcement defense practice for financial institutions, public companies, and individuals, both in the United States and abroad. In 2023, she received the Burton Award for Distinguished Legal Writing in connection with her article titled “The Importance of the ‘How’ and the ‘Why’ in SEC Settlements.” Additionally, Meaghan was named to Global Investigation Review’s 2020 “40 Under 40,” which profiles 40 leading young investigations specialists from around the world. 

Jeffrey H. Knox - Partner

Jeffrey Knox, former head of the U.S. DOJ Fraud Section, is Co-Managing Partner of Simpson Thacher’s Washington, D.C. office and Global Co-Head of the Firm’s Government and Internal Investigations Practice. Jeff represents multinational corporations and independent board committees in high-stakes criminal and civil investigations by the DOJ, SEC, State Attorneys General, and other federal and state enforcement regulators. He also represents senior executives and government officials who are subjects of enforcement investigations.  

Jeff has twice been recognized by Law360 as one of five “MVP” white collar lawyers in the United States (2025 and 2021), and in 2024 was named in Financier Worldwide’s global list of 10 white collar “Power Players” (2024). He is recognized as a Band 1 lawyer by Chambers USA and Chambers Global (FCPA), as a “Leading Lawyer” by The Legal 500, and a “Litigation Star” by Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation, where sources note him as “one of the best lawyers in the country,” “spectacular, hardworking,” “brilliant with an incredible depth of knowledge,” and “a master strategist with a unique insight into the way the DOJ works,” who “understands cases from multiple different dimensions.” Jeff is a fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, a member of the Law Board at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law (his alma mater) and previously served on corporate compliance and enforcement advisory boards at New York University School of Law and the American Law Institute.

Jeff has advised some of the world’s leading companies in the financial services, private equity, energy, life sciences, technology and cryptocurrency industries in navigating criminal and civil investigations relating to the federal securities and commodities laws, anti-corruption and anti-money laundering statutes, the False Claims Act, antitrust laws, and economic sanctions and other trade control regulations. Jeff represents companies subject to government and court-mandated monitorships, and has served as a government-appointed independent compliance consultant. Prior to joining the Firm, Jeff served as a federal prosecutor for more than a decade, including as the Chief of the DOJ’s Fraud Section in Washington, D.C., and before then, as the Chief of the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. He has twice been profiled in the New York Times for his work as a prosecutor.

Matthew C. Micklavzina - Partner

As a Partner in the Firm’s Registered Funds Practice, Matt Micklavzina focuses his practice on a broad range of investment management issues related to registered funds, registered investment advisers and fund boards. He has extensive experience advising asset management firms on the formation and operation of investment funds across various types of registered fund structures, including interval funds, tender offer funds, listed closed-end funds, business development companies, open-end funds and exchange-traded funds.

Preston Miller - Partner

Preston Miller, a Partner in the Firm’s Washington, D.C. office, has extensive experience obtaining regulatory clearances from domestic and international competition authorities for high-profile, often cross-border, transactions across a wide variety of industries. In addition to guiding numerous transactions through extensive regulatory reviews to a successful clearance and closing, Preston has worked on some of the most significant merger challenges of the last decade and has prevailed against both the DOJ (UHG/Change Healthcare) and FTC (Tempur Sealy/Mattress Firm) in court. Preston has been recognized by both Chambers USA and The Legal 500 U.S. for his antitrust counseling on complex corporate transactions. He is described in The Legal 500 as “a true superstar,” “an excellent technical lawyer who gets the job done,” and “a great person to work with on the same side and opposite of - a real team player.” Preston has also been recognized on Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation’s “40 & Under List” in 2025, and as a “DC Rising Star” by The National Law Journal in 2023.

Jonathan H. Pacheco - Partner

Jonathan Pacheco is a Partner in the Firm’s Registered Funds Practice. Jonathan represents a wide array of registered funds, business development companies and multinational investment advisers on a broad range of corporate transactions. He regularly represents public funds, fund sponsors, investment advisers, investment banks and other financial institutions on a wide range of securities offerings, including initial public offerings, follow-on and secondary equity offerings, at-the-market programs, preferred equity offerings, and high yield and investment grade debt offerings, as well as exchange offers and other liability management transactions. Jonathan also advises clients on ongoing public reporting, compliance and corporate governance matters. His clients have included Blackstone Secured Lending Fund, Blackstone Private Credit Fund, Sixth Street Specialty Lending, Inc., Sixth Street Lending Partners, MidCap Financial Investment Corporation, Apollo Debt Solutions BDC, Carlyle Credit Income Fund, Jefferies Credit Partners BDC Inc., Golub Capital Private Credit Fund and Lafayette Square.

Benjamin S. Persina - Partner

Benjamin Persina is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Washington, D.C. office and a member of the Firm’s Banking and Credit Practice. He represents private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies, as well as public and private companies, in a wide variety of secured lending, direct lending, liability management, restructuring transactions, and other financing transactions. He also regularly represents leading financial institutions and investment banks with the arrangement and syndication of senior credit facilities, including acquisition, bridge and other corporate financings. His clients have included, among many others, Blackstone, Cimpress, First Eagle Alternative Capital BDC, Hellman & Friedman, JPMorgan, New Mountain Capital, Silver Lake, Stonepeak and Twitter.

Karen Porter - Partner

Karen Porter is a Partner in the Firm’s Litigation Department, practicing in the Washington, D.C. office. Karen focuses on cross-border government and internal investigations as well as antitrust, corporate governance and compliance matters. She also represents clients in a wide range of high-profile, complex commercial litigation matters, including securities, class action and shareholder derivative litigations. Karen has experience managing sensitive, high-stakes regulatory and criminal matters—including interactions with senior management, board committees, external auditors and government regulators—as well as follow-on litigation. Karen also has experience advising senior officers and directors in global antitrust, money laundering and sanctions investigations. Karen was named to Global Investigations Review’s 2025 “Women in Investigations,” and is recognized on Euromoney’s  Benchmark Litigation’s “40 & Under List,” which honors the top emerging talent in litigation. Karen is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and a member of The American Law Institute.

Raphael A. Prober - Partner

Former Associate Deputy Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice, Rafi Prober is a nationally respected authority on congressional and governmental investigations. Rafi is Co-Head of the Firm’s Congressional Investigations Practice, having advised major corporations, institutions and individuals in hundreds of congressional investigations before all investigative committees of the House and Senate, including many of the most complex and high-profile inquiries of the last two decades. He routinely provides strategic insight and counsel to companies, senior executives and boards facing legal, reputational and business crisis situations, including representing numerous clients in high-profile congressional hearings and testimony. His work spans numerous sectors—including banking and financial services, crypto, nonprofit, philanthropies and family offices, technology and AI, energy, healthcare, government contractors, pharmaceuticals, sports and retail.

Chelsea Pullen - Partner

Chelsea Pullen is a Partner in the Firm’s Real Estate Practice, focusing on data center lease transactions. She advises clients, including data center operators and developers, emerging cloud providers, private equity firms, infrastructure funds and real estate investors, on virtually all aspects of their leasing needs across all stages of operations, from early inception to large-scale global platforms.

Her practice includes the negotiation of mission-critical data center leases, colocation agreements, and related infrastructure arrangements globally. She regularly advises on complex, large capacity transactions through the full lifecycle of development - from site selection through execution and expansion. She also represents sponsors, developers, and operators in joint venture and platform-level transactions and advises on ancillary agreements related to data center development and operations, including connectivity, infrastructure sharing, and commercial arrangements supporting AI and cloud deployments.

Sara Y. Razi - Partner

Sara Razi is Global Co-Chair of the Firm’s Antitrust and Trade Regulation Practice. She is a leading antitrust attorney, focusing on merger reviews, government antitrust investigations, antitrust litigation, and counseling on a variety of competition issues. Sara joined Simpson Thacher in 2013 from the FTC, where she served in senior roles for nearly a decade.

Sara regularly represents clients in antitrust investigations by the DOJ, FTC, and States and has secured successful outcomes in several complex and closely-watched mergers and high-profile antitrust litigations. Her extensive private-sector and government antitrust experience spans a multitude of industries including healthcare, pharmaceuticals, technology, supermarkets and other retailers, consumer products, financial services, media, and telecommunications.

Sara is recognized by The Legal 500 as a “Leading Lawyer” and by Chambers USA. Sources note that she is “a very seasoned and knowledgeable antitrust attorney” who “has the unique ability to give very practical advice about how regulators would react to matters,” with “extensive knowledge of agency strategy.” Sara is also ranked as one of the “Top 250 Women in Litigation” in the U.S. by Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation, where she is highlighted for her “antitrust acumen” and “trial prowess” displayed during a recent merger litigation. In 2025, Sara was again named a “MVP” in Competition/Antitrust by Law360, and featured as one of Global Competition Review’s “Women in Antitrust” where she is separately described by GCR as one of the “best FTC merger advisers in the business.” In 2024, she was named “Antitrust Litigator of the Year” by Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation; and in 2023, she was named a “MVP” in Competition/Antitrust by Law360; a Litigation “Trailblazer” by The National Law Journal, “Antitrust & Competition Lawyer of the Year” by Euromoney’s Women in Business Law Americas Awards, and among The Deal’s “Top Women in Dealmaking.” Sara is an authority on antitrust issues and speaks frequently at conferences sponsored by the ABA, law schools, and private organizations. She also serves on the Firm’s Finance Committee and as a member of the DC Legal Aid board of trustees. 

Nicholas Olumoya Ridley - Partner

Nicholas Ridley is a Partner in the Firm’s Investment Funds Practice. Based in the Firm’s Washington, D.C. office, Nicholas focuses on complex regulatory and transactional matters including providing sponsor and adviser clients with practical and creative solutions to regulatory, compliance and enforcement issues. Named a 2024 “Rising Star” in the investment funds space by With Intelligence, Nicholas has extensive experience collaborating with clients to develop innovative retail products, pursue novel applications for SEC exemptive relief and address emerging compliance and regulatory considerations impacting asset managers, private funds, registered funds, business development companies (BDCs) and fund boards. In addition, Nicholas frequently counsels both asset management and operating company clients on complicated “status” issues under the Investment Company Act. He has represented preeminent sponsors and investment managers such as AMG, Apollo, BC Partners, Blackstone, Carlyle, JPMorgan Asset Management, KKR, PIMCO and SkyBridge Capital, among others.

Benjamin Rippeon - Partner

A Partner in the Firm’s Tax Practice, Benjamin Rippeon provides a wide range of clients with sophisticated, solutions-oriented advice related to domestic and international tax issues. He focuses on tax planning for investment funds and strategic corporate and real estate acquisitions, dispositions and reorganizations. His diverse group of clients include corporations, investment funds, joint ventures, partnerships, limited liability companies and special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs). Benjamin has also advised on the formation of numerous private REITs in connection with real estate acquisitions and dispositions involving U.S. and non-U.S. investors, including sovereign wealth funds.

Adam Z. Risell - Partner

Adam Z. Risell is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Investment Funds Practice and is based in the Washington, D.C. office. He advises asset managers and sponsors in connection with a broad range of capital raising and financing activities utilizing structured finance technology, including the formation of complex investment vehicles, such as rated note feeder and fund structures, collateralized fund obligations (“CFOs”) and other capital-efficient investment products, including those designed for investment by insurance companies. He also advises on the development and distribution of collateralized loan obligation (“CLO”) captive funds, risk retention vehicles and other similarly specialized funds.

Adam has extensive experience in complicated financings designed to provide fund-level leverage to facilitate and support investment activities, including securitizations such as collateralized loan obligations, asset-backed lending facilities, NAV facilities, and other forms of back-leverage. He also counsels business development companies (“BDCs”) and other registered funds relating to structured financing techniques.

Carleigh Rodriguez - Partner

As Co-Head of the Firm’s Environmental Practice, Carleigh Rodriguez advises private equity and corporate clients on environmental issues arising in the full array of commercial transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, securities and financing transactions, bankruptcies and restructurings, across a broad range of U.S. and international industries. Her work also includes pre-deal counseling and post-closing resolution of environmental issues. Carleigh provides practical and commercial advice for managing environmental liabilities and risks.    

Erica Rozow - Partner

Erica focuses on ERISA fiduciary matters and works closely with the Firm’s investment fund clients on issues related to the formation and fundraising of funds, including plan asset rules and venture capital operating company and real estate operating company structuring, and other exemptions. She works closely with fund clients across numerous strategies, including private equity, real estate, infrastructure, growth, credit and debt, and many others. Her practice also includes ERISA matters in the funds’ related mergers and acquisitions and investment work.

Mark B. Skerry - Partner

Mark Skerry advises some of the world’s largest and most well-known private equity asset managers, institutional investors, and multinational corporations on transactions undergoing national security reviews before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and analogous foreign direct investment (FDI) screening regulators worldwide. Mark has successfully secured CFIUS approvals and coordinated worldwide FDI clearances for transactions across a variety of industries considered sensitive to national security, including aerospace and defense manufacturing, classified government contracting, sea and airports, semiconductors, telecommunications, technology and software, social media, energy infrastructure, financial services, and life sciences, among others.

Mark has been recognized by Chambers USA, The Legal 500, Law360, IFLR1000, and Benchmark Litigation for his achievements on numerous high-profile and cross-border transactions. He is also an author in the forthcoming edition of Global Competition Review’s Foreign Direct Investment Regulation Hub and currently serves on Law360’s International Trade Editorial Advisory Board.

Spencer A. Sloan - Partner

A Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Financial Institutions Practice, Spencer Sloan’s practice focuses on advising domestic and international financial institutions, their affiliates and counterparties in connection with regulatory, supervisory, enforcement and transactional matters. Spencer regularly counsels U.S. and foreign banks, other regulated financial services firms and their investors in connection with mergers and acquisitions, strategic investments, and capital markets transactions. He also advises banking clients on regulatory compliance matters, new activities and charters, and routinely practices before the major financial services regulators, including the Federal Reserve Board, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, as well as state banking regulators. Spencer has been recognized by Law360 as a “Rising Star” in Banking and by Chambers USA as an “Up and Coming” lawyer for Financial Institutions M&A, with clients noting he is “phenomenal” and “a very thoughtful lawyer.”

Neesa Patel Sood - Partner

As a Partner in the Registered Funds Practice, Neesa Patel Sood advises registered funds, their investment advisers and independent board members across a wide range of complex regulatory, compliance, fund governance, operational and transaction-related matters. She regularly provides advice regarding the structuring, launch and day-to-day operations of registered funds and private funds tailored for individual investors. Neesa has significant transactional experience, counseling clients on fund restructurings as well as fund and adviser merger and acquisition transactions.

Neesa is recognized by The Legal 500 U.S. as a “Next Generation Partner” for Investment Fund Formation and Management: Mutual/Registered/Exchange-Traded Funds and for her work in Registered Funds by Chambers Global and Chambers USA (Nationwide). In addition, With Intelligence named Neesa as Independent Counsel of the Year at its 2023 Mutual Fund and ETF Awards. She was also named a “Rising Star” at Fund Intelligence’s 2021 Mutual Fund and ETF Awards.

Audrey Stern - Partner

M. Kathryn Stone - Partner

Kathryn Stone has substantial experience advising asset managers on a broad range of tax matters, including the formation and structure of private investment funds and retail funds, minority stakes deals, continuation funds, and LP-led secondaries transactions. She represents prominent clients across many industries including private equity, real estate, infrastructure, and credit. Kathryn also regularly counsels sponsors and institutional investors on tax matters across real estate transactions, including joint ventures and REIT acquisitions and dispositions. 

Debra Wong Sutter - Partner

Debbie Sutter is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Registered Funds Practice. Based in the Firm’s Washington, D.C. office, Debbie focuses on a broad range of investment management issues related to registered funds, registered investment advisers and fund boards. She advises asset management firms on the operation and formation of investment funds, including interval funds, tender offer funds, listed closed-end funds and business development companies. She advises clients on the formation and operation of investment funds and other products designed to provide retail and high net worth investors access to alternative asset classes, such as private equity, private credit, infrastructure and secondaries. 

Debbie was recently recognized as a “Rising Star” as part of the 2026 With Intelligence Mutual Fund & ETF Awards for her work representing registered funds, registered investment advisers and fund boards.

Aarthy S. Thamodaran - Partner

Based in Washington, D.C., Aarthy Thamodaran is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Capital Markets Practice. She advises issuers, prominent private equity sponsors and underwriters in a broad range of complex corporate finance transactions across the technology, financial services, business and professional services, real estate and industrials sectors. Her clients have included Blackstone, Carlyle Group, Hamilton Lane and Herc Holdings, among several others. She also advises clients on ongoing public reporting, compliance and corporate governance matters.

Katharine L. Thompson - Partner

Based in Washington, D.C., Katharine Thompson is a Partner in the Firm’s Capital Markets Practice. Katharine represents corporate issuers, private equity sponsors and underwriters in a wide range of securities offerings, including initial public offerings and follow-on equity offerings, as well as spin-offs and high yield and investment grade debt offerings. Katharine also advises clients with regard to ongoing public reporting, compliance and corporate governance matters. She was recently recognized as one of The American Lawyer’s 2026 “Dealmakers of the Year”.

Malcolm J. (Mick) Tuesley - Partner Malcolm “Mick” Tuesley, Head of the Firm’s National Security Regulatory Practice, has significant experience representing clients in national security reviews before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and assisting clients with related issues, including mitigation of foreign ownership, control or influence (FOCI) under industrial security regulations; export control compliance; and government contracting. Mick has been involved with negotiating national security agreements for some of the largest and most complex transactions in the defense, energy, financial services, telecommunications and technology industries. Mick was named a Law360 “MVP” for International Trade in 2019. He is consistently recognized by The Legal 500, where sources call him “outstanding” and “an expert in FOCI mitigation issues and a creative problem solver.” He is also consistently recognized by Chambers USA (Band 1) and Chambers Global, where commentators note his “good sense of both CFIUS and corporate law.” Sources cite that Mick is “a very knowledgeable lawyer and can navigate tricky situations,” and “is one of the guiding lights of the CFIUS bar.” Mick currently serves on the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network’s Board of Directors.

Maura L. Whelan - Partner

Maura Whelan is a Partner in the Firm’s Exempt Organizations Practice. Maura has deep experience advising philanthropists and tax-exempt organizations on advancing mission objectives while navigating complex legal and regulatory rules. She provides practical, solutions-oriented counsel to tax-exempt organizations, high net worth individuals, family offices, major corporations, and innovative philanthropic structures seeking to carry out effective and compliant philanthropy. Maura represents tax-exempt organizations across their full lifecycle, from formation and governance to succession planning and ongoing compliance to wind-down and termination. Maura has particular experience working with private foundations and other grantmaking organizations to structure and implement sophisticated grantmaking programs, and regularly counsels donors on major gifts, including gifts of art and other complex assets. In addition, Maura represents charitable and social welfare organizations pursuing social impact, mission-related, and program-related investments, as well as endowments, foundations, and other institutional investors engaged in alternative investments.

William H. Hinman - Senior Advisor

Former Director of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Corporation Finance, Bill Hinman focuses on a wide range of corporate and securities law matters—including some of the most significant initial public offerings in history. Bill also represents clients in connection with corporate acquisitions and governance matters. Widely recognized as a leading corporate law practitioner, Bill has extensive experience across an array of industries, including technology, e-commerce, digital assets, healthcare and life sciences. He played a lead role in the IPOs of Alibaba, Facebook, Google, eBay, Square, Agilent, Seagate and VMware, among many others.

During his tenure at the SEC between 2017 and 2020, Bill led the Division of Corporation Finance on a wide range of issues vital to the success of the nation’s capital markets.

Kyle Ahlgren - Counsel

Kyle Ahlgren is Counsel in Simpson Thacher’s Registered Funds Practice. Leveraging nearly two decades of experience within the Chief Counsel’s Office of the SEC’s Division of Investment Management, Kyle advises funds, fund boards, and investment advisers on a broad spectrum of issues under the Investment Company Act and Investment Advisers Act. Kyle has deep experience across key SEC functions, including exemptive applications, interpretive guidance (formal and informal), disclosure review, examinations, and enforcement. As an acknowledged thought leader with respect to investment company status issues, Kyle advises clients on establishing and maintaining eligibility for ’40 Act status exemptions and exclusions and navigating status issues that arise in connection with corporate transactions and shifting business and regulatory conditions.

Adrienne V. Baxley - Counsel Adrienne Baxley provides strategic counsel on significant government and internal investigations, and advises on a wide range of complex white collar criminal, regulatory enforcement and litigation matters. She represents clients in a broad spectrum of industries, including financial services, energy, technology, transportation and healthcare.

Paul O. Bolaji - Counsel

Paul Bolaji is Counsel in the Firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions Practice. He advises public and private companies and private equity firms in connection with mergers and acquisitions, investments, dispositions, joint ventures and other significant corporate transactions. He has experience across sectors including health care, biotechnology, e-commerce, energy, infrastructure and financial services.

Joseph T. DiPiero II - Counsel

Joseph T. DiPiero II is Counsel in Simpson Thacher’s White Collar & Congressional Investigations Practice, advising public and private companies, their executives and other institutions on a range of white collar defense matters, including several of the most consequential congressional inquiries of the past 10 years. Joseph represents clients facing complex and high-profile government oversight in all manner of other sensitive criminal investigations, civil litigation and critical negotiations, including inquiries led by the U.S. Department of Justice and state attorneys general.

John I. Dougherty - Counsel

John Dougherty advises public and private companies and private equity firms in connection with mergers and acquisitions, investments, dispositions, joint ventures and other significant corporate transactions. He has experience representing clients across a variety of sectors including healthcare, retail, technology and financial services. John’s clients have included large corporations such as Mattress Firm, Teleflex, Bridgepoint Group, Hilton Grand Vacations and SoftBank as well as private equity firms such as BC Partners.

Jeremy P. Entwistle - Counsel

Jeremy Entwistle counsels asset management firms on transactional and regulatory matters arising under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and other federal securities laws. Jeremy routinely advises on the formation, structuring, and regulation of business development companies and registered closed-end funds. In addition, Jeremy has significant experience in the distribution of non-traded investment products, including the negotiation of distribution agreements and related contractual arrangements.

Noah Gimbel - Counsel

Noah Gimbel is Counsel in the Firm’s Litigation Practice, advising in civil litigation, white-collar litigation and government investigations, as well as internal investigations and crisis management. Noah represents clients from the motion to dismiss phase all the way through appeals, in diverse areas of law ranging from securities to antitrust to consumer protection to corporate. He also maintains a robust pro bono practice specializing in indigent criminal post-conviction defense and constitutional litigation.

Erin G. Harvey - Counsel

Erin Harvey regularly advises registered funds, business development companies, multinational investment advisers and other public and private companies in connection with mergers and acquisitions, dispositions, fund adoptions, shareholder activism defense, corporate governance, minority investments and other significant corporate transactions.

Collin Janus - Counsel

Collin Janus leverages his private practice experience and his advisory roles at significant banks and financial institutions to counsel domestic and international financial institutions on the full spectrum of regulatory, transactional and enforcement matters. His work ranges from advising on complex acquisitions and investments to compliance and new activity matters. He routinely represents clients before federal regulators, including the Federal Reserve, OCC and FDIC, as well as U.S. state banking regulators.

Vineeta Kamath - Counsel

Vineeta Kamath is Counsel in the Firm’s National Security Regulatory Practice. She advises communications and technology companies on a range of regulatory issues, with a focus on building compliance frameworks and developing and advocating positions in proceedings before the FCC. She helps clients navigate the regulatory requirements of mergers and acquisitions by evaluating the compliance history of target companies, advising on timelines and risks, and securing FCC and state utility commission approval for license transfers.  Her experience also includes counseling on foreign investments before CFIUS and Team Telecom agencies, and the negotiation of national security mitigation agreements.

Nicole Lares - Counsel

Nicole Lares is Counsel in the Firm’s Investment Funds Practice. She advises private equity sponsors on the formation, fundraising and operation of private investment funds, including large-cap and middle-market buyout funds and related vehicles. Nicole has extensive experience advising sponsors on complex fund structures, including cross-border and European platforms, as well as on investor negotiations, side letters and co-investment arrangements. She regularly represents sponsors throughout the full fund life cycle and provides practical, market-informed guidance on fund terms and investor dynamics. Nicole also has significant experience serving as primary day-to-day counsel to sponsors, supporting long-term relationships across multiple fund cycles and coordinating with cross-functional teams on structuring, regulatory and operational matters.

Ashlie Lawton - Counsel

Ashlie advises clients on a broad array of executive compensation and employee benefits arrangements, particularly with regard to issues arising in the context of mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, spin-offs, initial public offerings and other transactions. She regularly represents public and private companies, including executives and board members, on a range of compensation-related matters, including on the design, negotiation and implementation of employment agreements, equity compensation, performance incentives, deferred compensation, change in control protections and management participation in buyouts and new ventures. 

Ruoke Liu - Counsel

Adam S. Lovell - Counsel

Leveraging his experience in private practice and as a senior counsel in the SEC’s Division of Investment Management, Adam Lovell focuses his practice on a broad range of investment management issues related to registered funds, registered investment advisers and fund boards. He advises asset management firms on compliance with the Investment Company Act and the Investment Advisers Act, and on the operation of investment funds across various types of registered fund structures, including interval funds, listed closed-end funds and business development companies.

Jim Perry - Counsel

Jim Perry advises multinational corporations, private equity funds and financial institutions on a range of regulatory compliance concerns arising from business acquisitions and investments, including national security reviews, economic sanctions, anti-money laundering, and other regulatory concerns.

Ryan D. Stalnaker - Counsel

Ryan Stalnaker is Counsel in the Firm’s Litigation Department, and a member of the Firm’s National Security Regulatory Practice. Ryan’s practice focuses on the intersection of regulatory compliance and national security, and he advises corporations, financial institutions and private equity firms on regulatory and compliance issues, including: anti-bribery and corruption, economic sanctions, export controls, government contracts, transactional due diligence and national security reviews before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).