Robert Leonard is a partner in the Hedge Funds Group. For more than 30 years Rob has been structuring, organizing and representing hedge funds, funds of funds and other private investment funds (both domestic and offshore), family offices, institutional investors and investment advisers.
He has structured and organized numerous master-feeder, side-by-side and mini-master-feeder funds for hedge fund managers engaged in myriad strategies, including long/short equity, multi-strat, credit, distressed credit, mortgage-backed securities, risk arb, emerging markets, global macro, stat arb, relative value, event driven and direct lending.
Rob has advised managers on seed deals, founder’s classes, funds of one and placement agreements and develops innovative ways of building asset bases. He also has worked with managers on bringing in and retaining talent through structuring employment, “phantom” equity and true equity arrangements.
Rob has handled a variety of regulatory and other compliance matters, including registrations with the SEC, CFTC and state regulators, filing Form PF and filings with the Treasury Department and Bureau of Economic Analysis. In addition, he works on SEC and other regulatory examinations and investigations, as well as investor and third-party actions. Rob is also recognized as a national leader on alternative data where he counsels clients on due diligence on data providers, risk assessment and document negotiation.
Education
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Brooklyn Law School, J.D., 1985
Notes Editor, Brooklyn Law Review
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Hobart and William Smith Colleges, B.A., 1982
Admissions & Qualifications
- New York
Awards & Recognition
Best Lawyers in America 2021-2022
Chambers USA: Nationwide: Investment Funds: Hedge Funds 2015-2021
Chambers Global: USA: Investment Funds: Hedge Funds 2015-2021
New York Super Lawyers 2006–2009, 2016-2020
The Legal 500 United States: Investment Fund Formation & Management: Alternative/Hedge Funds 2008, 2012, 2015-2021
Matters
Experience:
- Established fund-of-one vehicles for sovereign wealth funds and large state pension funds
- Set up a long-short equity manager using master feeder structure
- Represented a global macro manager in setting up a master feeder and in a $100 million seed deal
- Represented a multi-billion client in the sale of a minority interest of a management business to affiliate of large investment bank
- Structured a billion-dollar seed/spin-out deal of a large investment bank
- Structured an insurance-based fund of funds product offered through insurance carriers supporting variable insurance policies and variable annuity contracts
- Assisted a multi-billion client in buy-out of party that seeded business 10 years earlier
- Structured a Cayman Islands-based offshore investment fund with U.S. and foreign equity securities investments
- Structured an offshore principal-protected product that utilizes leverage and has interest rate and currency swap components
- Represents a global financial institution in its role as placement agent for numerous hedge fund advisers and their funds