Departments: Corporate: Investment Management

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Gregory D. Sheehan, Coordinator
University of California at Berkeley School of Law, 1980
800-951-4888 x7621
gregory.sheehan@ropesgray.com

How big is our practice group?
Over 150 attorneys spend all or a substantial portion of their time working on investment management matters.

Associates Egan Cammack (Georgetown University Law Center '04) and Matt Gaarder-Wang (Columbia University '05) are two of the more than 100 lawyers who make up the Investment Management group. Egan's clients include GMO Trust funds/Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo & Co. and the Evergreen Funds. Matt's clients include Bain Capital, Kensico, and Bridger Management. For Matt's description of his work with hedge fund clients, click here.

What do we do?
We represent mutual funds and investment advisers. We help these clients comply with the complex federal and state regulations that govern their operations. The types of projects we are involved in include drafting registration statements to be filed with the SEC, advising clients with respect to mergers and acquisitions of mutual funds and their sponsors, and setting up hedge funds.

Jessica O'Mary (Boston College Law School '03) handles a variety of matters for mutual funds and their directors, investment advisors, and private investment pools. For Jessica's description of her work for one mutual fund, click here.

Paula Ingram (University of North Carolina School of Law '04) works on a variety of matters for mutual funds, hedge funds and closed-end funds, including mutual fund prospectuses and mutual fund mergers. For Paula’s description of her work, click here.

Andrew Wilkins (Boston College Law School '06) assisted as a junior associate with the reorganization and launching of a new fund, the Skyline Special Equities Portfolio. For Andrew's description of his work, click here.

Carolyn Liu-Hartman (Boston College Law School '06) work has involved open-end and closed-end funds, as well as hedge funds. For Carolyn's description of her work, click here.

Shannon Gotfrit (University of Toronto Faculty of Law '06) works with a diverse range of fund clients, ranging from hedge funds to private equity funds and works with registered investment companies. For Shannon's description of her work, click here.

What have we done lately?

Represented Putnam Funds in their independent Trustees in connection with matters relating to Great-West Lifeco Inc.'s $3.9 billion acquisition of Putnam Investments, which resulted in a change of control of the Funds' investment adviser, Putnam Investment Management, LLC. The transaction closed in August, 2007. For a description of the associate's role on this transaction, click here.
Represented JPMorgan Funds, in connection with launching nine new, often cutting edge, international funds to supplement their already extensive international fund offerings. New country/regional equity funds will focus on some of the most dynamic emerging markets, i.e., China, Russia, India, and Latin America. Other funds will feature globally diversified portfolios while focusing on different asset classes or strategies. One will invest primarily in fixed income securities and a second will provide current income as well as growth of capital through a portfolio of both fixed income securities and a second will provide current income as well as growth of capital through a portfolio of both fixed income securities and equities. Two new funds will seek to exceed the returns available from 3-month treasuries, one through investments primarily in fixed income securities, offering investors low volatility, and the other in a combination of equities and fixed income securities. Rounding out this ambitious project is a fund that will invest primarily in foreign real estate investment trusts. For a description of the associate's role on this transaction, click here.
Represented the Board of Trustees of the Scudder Funds in fifteen mutual fund merger transactions in 2006 with an additional 22 transactions planned for 2007. Scudder Investments is the U.S. retail brand of Deutsche Asset Management. Deutsche Asset Management is the global asset management division of Deutsche Bank AG. Deutsche Asset Management has over $700 billion under management. For a description of the associate's role on this transaction, click here.
Assisted Millennium India Acquisition Company Inc. ("MIAC"), an AMEX listed special purpose acquisition company, in connection with its acquisition of a minority ownership interest in an Indian broker-dealer. Our representation involved registering the company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, obtaining exemptive relief from the SEC in under five months, and assisting in preparation of a proxy statement soliciting shareholder approval of the acquisition. We now represent MIAC on an ongoing basis. For a description of the associate's role on this transaction, click here.

When do we meet?
We meet for two different monthly lunches, one focusing on mutual funds, and the other focusing on investment advisers and unregistered investment companies.