Investment Funds & Investment Management

With a well-established national presence and extensive credentials, Dinsmore offers comprehensive services for the formation of private equity funds and pooled investment vehicles, as well as support for acquisitions, sales, and restructurings of sponsor-backed companies.

You can expect strong experience and skills in all aspects of the deal process, ranging from due diligence and deal structuring to vesting and incentive structures. We are also well-versed in handling matters with multiple layers of debt and equity capital.

Our experience encompasses both public and private markets across diverse sectors and includes working with the following types of clients:

  • Private equity funds
  • Hedge funds
  • Family offices
  • Institutional investors
  • Angel investors
  • Venture capital funds

Our industry experience encompasses both public and private markets across diverse sectors, with significant capabilities across Dinsmore’s practice areas, specifically in the Real Estate Industry and the Health Care Industry 


Comprehensive fund formation guidance. We coordinate resources as necessary from across our individual legal practices to ensure that funds, management companies and advisers are structured properly to achieve business, tax and investment goals. Our clients depend on our experience in all aspects of fund formation, including:

  • Investment company and investment adviser securities regulations
  • Tax matters
  • Derivatives and financial product matters
  • ERISA matters
  • Partnership matters

Our goal is to provide a full range of legal services to our private equity and venture fund clients, including advice on regulatory matters, choice of jurisdiction, choice of entity, alternative business terms, and marketing arrangements. In particular, we advise our clients on the complex interplay of federal and state laws and regulations governing funds, advisers and the offer and sale of securities, including the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, the Dodd-Frank Act, the USA PATRIOT Act, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and similar state laws.


Assistance throughout the acquisition process. We represent private equity funds, buyers and sellers, and management teams at every point in the acquisition and investment process—from negotiating and evaluating private equity-backed acquisition and sale transactions to restructuring and selling or acquiring distressed businesses. In addition, we support a range of other matters, including portfolio company platform acquisitions and add-on transactions, as well as providing general corporate services and representation with experienced and able Corporate & Governance team members


Investment Advisers

Regulation and Compliance

Dinsmore advises investment advisers and clients regarding matters related to the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Dodd-Frank Act, the USA PATRIOT Act, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), including formation, organization, registration, and the availability and scope of relevant exemptions.

Through Dinsmore Compliance Services, we offer customized compliance solutions for investment advisers, including consulting, assessment, chief compliance officer (CCO) services and financial operations (FINOPs) consulting services.

Acquisitions, Dispositions, and Minority Interest Investments

Dinsmore regularly represents buyers, sellers, investors and management teams in a wide variety of merger and acquisition, minority interest investment, rollups and other transactions in the investment adviser vertical. The breadth of our experience enables us to provide actionable advice regarding the wide range of issues involved in ensuring that these transactions are successful, including: design of management compensation programs, ongoing governance arrangements, tax structuring, effective due diligence, and ensuring regulatory compliance.


Institutional Investors and Limited Partners

We regularly advise limited partners and institutional investors regarding investment vehicles and compliance with related statutory limitations, including the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956. Investment types include global pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, private foundations, funds of funds, family offices, banks and other regulated entities, corporate plans, university endowments, and other sophisticated investors. We also provide guidance to institutional investors, including banks, in connection with significant investments in these funds.

Regularly advising on:

  • Negotiation of fund documents and side letters
  • Negotiating secondary transactions
  • Structuring co-investment programs

Compliance Solutions

Through our affiliate, Dinsmore Compliance Services, investment managers, municipal advisers, hedge funds and limited operation broker-dealers can obtain ongoing compliance solutions, including:

  • Consulting
  • Assessment
  • Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) services
  • Financial Operations (FINOPs) consulting services

Visit www.dinsmorecomplianceservices.com for more information.