Parker B. Kelsey

As Partner in the Private Funds Practice at Simpson Thacher, Parker Kelsey specializes in the formation and operation of closed-ended and open-ended private equity funds, including real estate funds, infrastructure funds, including digital infrastructure focused infrastructure funds, secondaries funds and buyout funds, co-investment funds, and hedge funds.

Parker represents some of the largest, best-known sponsors of private equity, including Blackstone, DigitalBridge, I Squared, The Carlyle Group L.P., Silver Lake, The Vistria Group, Astor Place (a part of Select Equity), Pennybacker Capital and Corsair Capital. In addition, Parker represented the U.S. Treasury Department in connection with the $30 billion Public-Private Investment Program to purchase legacy assets from financial institutions.

Parker was named a Fund Formation “MVP” by Law360 (2019).

Notable work highlights include representation of:

• Strategic Partners in the establishment of Strategic Partners IX & VIII, Strategic Partners Real Estate and Strategic Partners Infrastructure programs
• Blackstone in a number of fundraisings, including the establishment of Blackstone Property Partners (U.S. and Europe) (all of the foregoing currently in the market), Blackstone Infrastructure Partners and a $5 billion program for high net worth investors investing across multiple Blackstone strategies
• Blackstone Strategic Partners in connection with the formation and raising of approximately $5.5 billion for its latest infrastructure secondaries fund, Strategic Partners Infrastructure IV L.P., and its related committed program vehicles
• DigitalBridge in the formation of its digital infrastructure sector funds, including $11.7 billion DigitalBridge Partners III and related co-investment vehicles, $8.3 billion DigitalBridge Partners II and $4.05 billion DigitalBridge Partners, the first-ever solely private fund dedicated to the digital infrastructure sector, as well as DigitalBridge’s stabilized asset strategy
• Pennybacker Capital in its first ever infrastructure focused fund
• Silver Lake in a number of fundraisings, including the establishment of Silver Lake Partners IV, at $10.3 billion, and the $1 billion Silver Lake Kraftwerk Fund
• Corsair Capital in a number of fundraisings and in its role as investment manager of Gateway Infrastructure Partners
• Funds and investment vehicles managed by affiliates of DigitalBridge Group, Inc. in connection with a $3.3 billion tower transaction between DigitalBridge’s portfolio company Vertical Bridge REIT LLC and Verizon Communications Inc.

Parker received his J.D. in 2008 from the Georgetown University Law Center, where he graduated cum laude, and his A.B. in 2001 from Princeton University. He is admitted to practice in New York.