North America - United States • Investment fund formation and management
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
Among the blue-chip clientele that Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP assists are investment management and financial services organizations, their managers as well as independent directors, wealth managers and institutional investors. The team is reputed for its depth of expertise in exchange-traded funds, and represents ’40 Act EFTs, exchange traded commodity pools and metal trusts. Beyond EFTs, the firm's full-spectrum registered funds practice also works with registered mutual funds, closed-end investment companies and variable insurance products. The large team is led across three locations: John McGuire leads from Washington DC and alongside his regulatory expertise in investments, is well versed in the establishing and representation of EFTs. Representing the leadership team in Boston is Roger Joseph, who is engaged by funds and managers on developments to the federal regulations, while in Philadelphia Timothy W. Levin is well placed to advise on mutual funds, hedge funds, business development companies and bank collective funds. Washington DC based Thomas Harman is a well-respected name in the field and has extensive experience across various funds, with specialist knowledge in the ’40 Act exemption for corporate issuers, while Laura Flores focuses on providing investment companies and advisors on staying compliant with regulations, in the same location. In May 2023 Lance Dial left the firm.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘Our team is comprised of two very seasoned ‘40 Act attorneys with decades of experience representing mutual fund boards and advisors. They have strong backup/supplemental resources internally to handle administrative matters. The lead attorney has been exceptionally strong in managing relationship matters with the advisor and in handling sensitive personal and governance matters.’
‘Roger Joseph is the lead partner representing our board. He has vast experience in the mutual fund industry and brings deep knowledge of all technical matters. He also has excellent judgment in managing relationship issues with the advisor and within the board. His counsel on governance matters has always been thoughtful and balanced. Lea Anne Copenhefer is a very capable attorney in the fund space who works well with Roger in providing seamless service to the board.’
‘The Morgan Lewis team is differentiated by their ability to provide actionable, commercial advice that is informed by an understanding of the markets and our clients’ business models, and by working efficiently through delegation down to appropriate more junior attorneys and not overstaffing things.’
‘Tim Levin and Jack O'Brien are true partners in our business, we have been with them for over a decade and they take the time to understand the business and the business needs and then try to solve that in a legal capacity. They are well versed in the competitive landscape, truly exceptional at what they do.’
‘Morgan Lewis provides world class legal guidance within a model that emphasizes client service and responsiveness. There is always a partner ready to take a call and provide practical, business forward judgment. They provide global perspective and are experts in their areas of practice. We have never been let down by our colleagues at Morgan Lewis and our relationships go back over 30 years.’
‘The entire Morgan Lewis team works as a cohesive unit, providing coordinated advice and guidance. It is a truly exceptional group, led by Roger Joseph and Lea Anne Copenhefer with stellar support from Barry Hurwitz, Toby Serkin and countless others.’
Key clients
- SEI/SEI Funds/Advisors’ Inner Circle Funds (I, II, and III)
- WisdomTree ETFs
- Penn Mutual/Penn Series Funds
- Morgan Stanley Investment Management/Morgan Stanley Pathway Funds
- Franklin Templeton Funds
- Amundi Asset Management US, Inc.
- State Street Bank and Trust/SSGA/SPDR Funds/Select Sector SPDR Trust
- Transamerica Funds
- Invesco
- Precidian Investments
- Brinker Destination Funds
- BNY Mellon Investment Management
- Syntax ETF Trust
- Aquila Group of Funds
- The 2023 ETF Series Trust
- Manning & Napier, Exeter Trust
Work highlights
- Advised the 2023 ETF Series Trust, a new ETF series trust that is unaffiliated with any large financial institutions.
- Counselling mutual fund clients and industry organizations on an array of new and proposed SEC rules.
- Advising SEI Investments Company, which has over $180 billion in assets under management, in launching its first interval fund.
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Practice head
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John McGuire, Timothy W. Levin, Roger Joseph