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Ropes & Gray adds to European private funds team

Ropes & Gray has appointed Chris Townsend as counsel in its asset management team, based in London.

Townsend advises European and global sponsors on the establishment and structuring of private funds.  He is also experienced in spin-outs and secondaries transactions, particularly GP-led solutions, fund restructurings, portfolio sales and other liquidity solutions.
 
Townsend joins one of the world’s leading asset management law firms. Within EMEA, the firm’s 30-strong team stands out for its deep experience representing both sponsors and investors across a diverse range of private fund formation work and its full service capability, including tax and regulatory.
 
His appointment follows the announcement last week that leading funds lawyer Emily Brown is to join the firm’s partnership in London. It also builds on the addition of leading investment funds lawyer Tom Alabaster – who joined the firm in London as a partner and EMEA head of funds in mid-2020 – and the hire of funds regulatory partner, Eve Ellis, in 2019.
 
Bryan Chegwidden, global head of the firm’s asset management group, says: “Chris’ arrival further strengthens our transatlantic offering, as we respond to a growing demand for both our sponsor and investor side services from clients looking for guidance through an increasingly complex landscape.”
 
Tom Alabaster, EMEA head of funds at Ropes & Gray, says: “I am delighted that Chris is joining us.  His expertise and experience on GP fundraisings and GP-led secondary processes across a wide-ranging mix of clients will be an invaluable addition to our investment funds team, both in Europe and more globally. In hiring Emily and Chris we bring together fundamental pieces of our continued development of a top flight funds practice in EMEA.”
 
Townsend joins Ropes & Gray from the London office of a global law firm.  His arrival adds to the firm’s momentum in London. In addition to private funds partners Tom Alabaster and Emily Brown, the firm also recently hired, on 1 March 2021, life sciences regulatory partner Lincoln Tsang, with restructuring partner Matt Czyzyk and special situations partner Samuel Norris joining in 2020, and funds regulatory partner Eve Ellis joining in 2019.
 

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