North America - United States • Investment fund formation and management
Vedder Price
Vedder Price‘s broad advisory service covers compliance and regulatory matters, fund transactions as well as day-to-day operational advice for investment companies and diverse fund complexes, among which are registered investment companies, mutual funds, closed-end funds and exchange traded funds, with a particular strength of the department being their independent directors practice, which comprises the bulk of their client roster. A trio of partners lead the practice: Washington DC based Marguerite Bateman advises clients on various regulatory matters pertaining to the Investment Company Act of 1940, Investment Advisors Act of 1940 and on securities law, as well as John Marten and Joseph Mannon ,based in Chicago, the former advising on innovative ETFs, fund mergers and SEC examinations and the latter on ETFs and diverse registered fund product offerings. Previous practice heads Bruce A. Rosenblum and Cathy Gonzales O’Kelly further strengthen the teams in Washington DC and Chicago respectively. Among the recent team changes were the arrival of Todd Lurie to the New York office in June 2023 from MetLife as well as the departures of Thomas Conner and Robert Crea in March 2023.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Maureen Miller, counsel to independent trustees, is tireless in her support of Board duties and activities. She is knowledgeable, focused, and well-prepared for board and committee meetings. Her industry experience is shared in resolving issues and exploring best practices. Maureen is always available to the trustees in carrying out their responsibilities. In sum, she is a true professional.’
‘Industry knowledge is outstanding. Very deep team of industry experts. Always available and very easy to work with.’
‘Cathy O’Kelly and Renee Hardt are outstanding.’
‘Experienced, diligent, intelligent, personable are among the many qualities of the partners at Vedder. Always informed of the latest issues facing the industry and able to make perceptive comments and provide excellent counsel.’
‘Vedder Price is a mid-sized firm that performs above their number of shareholders. They have the resident expertise and support to address all issues, but with concentrated actionable advice.’
‘VP has one of the best and strongest teams of attorneys serving the investment management industry. The team incorporates specialists in every discipline of the industry and has a front row presence in Washington DC to follow the regulatory environment.’
‘John S. Marten and Renee M. Hardt combine technical excellence with political and organizational expertise. John S. Marten provides excellent audit and insurance counsel. Renee M. Hardt provides excellent investment oversight and governance counsel. They both provide the optimal combination of clear advice and pragmatic encouragement to our trustees. Mark A. Quade is a rising star within Vedder's IM organization.’
‘Proactive focus on the needs and issues impacting our funds. Depth of talent within the firm is exceptional.’
Key clients
- ICI Mutual Insurance Company
- DWS Funds
- Empower Funds
- DBX ETF Trust
- Janus Henderson Funds
- Driehaus Mutual Funds
- Independent Trustees of Invesco ETFs
- Independent Board Members of Principal Funds/ETFs/Interval Fund
- Independent Trustees of SPDR ETFs
- Independent Trustees of Franklin Templeton Funds and ETFs
- Independent Directors of American Century Funds and ETFs
- Independent Trustees of First Trust Funds
Work highlights
- Served as counsel to a divided Franklin Templeton closed-end fund board involving both legacy and activist board members and guided the board in transition matters following a shareholder meeting where the activist adviser was elected.
- Advised the Independent Trustees of the First Trust Funds with respect to the conversion of a number of First Trust closed-end funds into exchange-traded funds and in connection with the proposed merger of four First Trust closed-end funds into closed-end funds advised by an unaffiliated investment adviser.
- Advised client on the conversion of two mutual funds and related separately managed accounts to a single exchange-traded fund.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Marguerite Bateman, John Marten, Joseph Mannon