Investment funds

Lawrence Graham has a long established presence in the UK investment funds industry. We advise investment trusts and companies, retail funds and a wide range of alternative investment products, including structured products, hedge funds, private equity funds and real estate funds.

We pride ourselves on having a deep understanding of the investment funds industry and being able to deliver an effective and cost-efficient service.

Investment funds

Our investment funds group is headed by Nick Heather, an acknowledged leader in this field. The group also comprises a number of other partners including Oliver Riley, John Reed, Paul Lester, Michael Murphy and Elliot Weston as well as a complement of senior and junior associates. We pride ourselves on our industry experience, placing as much emphasis on the commercial and practical areas as on the complex technical issues. Our areas of expertise include advising on:

• All areas of corporate finance advisory work for listed and unlisted funds
• Acquisitions and disposals of asset management businesses
• All aspects of taxation
• Corporate governance and investment manager mandates
• Investment advisory, administration, custodian and prime broker agreements
• Passporting and UCITS regulations
• Pension products
• ISA/SIPP/SSAS regulations and terms and conditions
• Product design for fund managers, insurance companies and other providers
• Regulatory matters including obtaining FSA authorisation
• Bespoke funds and structures for wealthy individuals and family offices
• Contentious matters including disputes relating to the termination of investment management agreements and shareholder disputes and activism

Investment funds

Lawrence Graham advises many investment trusts and companies ranging from specialist investment trusts and companies, smaller companies investment trusts to technical trusts, emerging market funds, alternative asset funds and property funds. Investment management clients include BlackRock, Axa, Ruffer, Aberdeen Asset Management, FourWinds, J O Hambro, Legal & General, NFU Mutual, LaSalle Investment Management, Premier Asset Management, Universities Superannuation Scheme, VinaCapital Investment Management, Advance Emerging Capital, Laxey Partners, Pacific Alliance and Unicorn Asset Management.

We also act for sponsors/nomads and brokers including Cenkos Securities, Fairfax, Investec, Oriel Securities, Singer Capital Markets, Winterflood Securities, LCF Rothschild, Liberum Capital, Grant Thornton and Elara Capital.

We have substantial experience in terms of advising both “for” and “against” shareholders who are pursuing an activist agenda. Our work has typically included advising on constitutional issues and the statutory and regulatory environment against which these scenarios are played out, drafting requisitions, circulars and written statements for companies/the activist shareholders and, when acting for the company, advising on restructuring proposals and corporate action as a “defence” strategy.

Lawrence Graham, by virtue of its significant real estate practice, is also a market leader in terms of establishing real estate investment structures (both UK based and offshore) and buying and selling real estate assets held through onshore and offshore corporate structures. Paul Lester heads the Real Estate Funds team.

Our financial services regulatory team has experience of both contentious and non-contentious regulatory matters and advises across the whole spectrum of the regulatory regime from domestic issues through to implementation of European Directives.

We are also well equipped to advise in respect of matters that become subject to litigation or arbitration. Eoin O’Shea and his team have represented clients in a number of high value and high profile investment fund disputes.

Investment funds