Investment Management/Funds Partner

Katten is seeking an Investment Management / Funds Partner to join its deeply established and strategically important Investment Management practice.

At Katten, investment management is treated as a distinct industry group, not an extension of general corporate work. The firm has built a fully integrated platform where fund formation, regulatory, transactional, and litigation professionals all focus exclusively on financial services clients.

This role is best suited for a partner whose practice is truly centered on investment managers and fund sponsors, particularly in the middle market, and who values working in an environment with deep specialization, strong regulatory support, and meaningful collaboration across complementary practices—especially private credit.

Core Responsibilities

Fund Formation & Sponsor Advisory

• Serve as primary outside counsel to investment managers and sponsors in connection with:

  • Closed-end fund formation (primary focus)

  • Hedge funds

  • Private equity funds

  • Credit funds, including private credit strategies

• Advise clients on:

  • Fund structuring and economics

  • Regulatory considerations and compliance frameworks

  • Ongoing fund operations, amendments, and investor matters

• Guide sponsors through evolving market conditions with practical, business-oriented advice

Integrated Investment Management Platform Leadership

• Work closely with Katten’s dedicated investment management regulatory team, which includes former SEC, CFTC, and other regulatory professionals

• Collaborate seamlessly with:

  • Deal lawyers who only represent banks, funds, and financial institutions

  • Litigators who only represent investment management and financial services clients

• Provide clients with cohesive advice without the friction of pulling in specialists who are only intermittently involved in funds work

Client Relationship Development & Growth

• Maintain and expand long-term relationships with fund sponsors and managers

• Identify opportunities to grow client relationships across:

  • Fund formation

  • Regulatory and compliance counseling

  • Transactions involving portfolio companies or affiliated entities

• Leverage Katten’s strong reputation and market presence to attract new sponsor relationships

Ideal Candidate Profile

Practice Focus & Experience

• A true investment management lawyer, not a general corporate partner who handles funds opportunistically

• Significant experience advising sponsors on closed-end funds

• Strong familiarity with the cadence, expectations, and pressures of sponsor-driven work

• Experience representing:

  • Hedge fund managers (an especially strong entry point for laterals)

  • Private equity sponsors

  • Credit fund sponsors

Market Orientation

• Practice aligned with the middle market

• Comfortable advising repeat sponsor clients with ongoing fund programs

• Clients value efficiency, specialization, and practical guidance over academic analysis

Business Profile

• Portable business preferred, particularly for equity consideration

• Flexibility on book size depending on:

  • Strategic fit with the practice

  • Ability to leverage Katten’s platform

  • Growth potential within the firm

• Credit fund experience is especially attractive due to Katten’s dominant private credit platform

What Makes This Role Distinct at Katten

Investment Management as a Standalone Industry Group

• Katten has built its investment management practice as a self-contained ecosystem

• Lawyers across regulatory, transactional, and litigation disciplines all serve the same client base

• Partners are not competing internally for attention from specialists who prioritize other practices

Exceptional Regulatory Depth

• Deep bench of regulatory professionals with prior government experience

• Capabilities span:

  • SEC and CFTC matters

  • Fintech

  • Blockchain and crypto

  • Complex regulatory regimes affecting funds and financial institutions

• Enables real-time, informed collaboration between fund lawyers and regulatory experts

Unique Strength in Credit Funds

• Katten combines:

  • A market-leading private credit practice

  • A robust investment management/funds platform

• This positioning makes the firm especially attractive to sponsors launching or scaling credit funds

• Few firms offer this level of depth on both the lending and funds sides

Culture & Working Style

• Strongly commercial and client-focused

• Emphasis on being a trusted business advisor, not just a technical legal expert

• Collaborative, low-ego environment

• Partners are expected to:

  • Engage actively with colleagues

  • Participate in cross-practice collaboration

  • Contribute to long-term platform growth