Mr Cepeda is Founding Partner of Cepeda, Iglesias, Avino e Bandeira de Mello Advogados, a Brazilian law firm highly specialized in banking, capital markets, asset management and investment advisory businesses, as well as in all related corporate (including merger & acquisitions) and tax law matters. Mr. Cepeda has worked previously as manager lawyer responsible for the legal department of Banco Itaú's capital markets area, comprising asset management, broker dealer, private banking, custody and institutional investors' activities. Worked, during seven years, as manager lawyer responsible for BBA Investimentos DTVM S.A., an asset management company of BBA-Creditanstalt Group. In 1999, worked in the United States for Capital Group International, Inc., one of the largest asset managers world wide. Mr. Cepeda holds a B.Sc. in Law from the Law School of Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo - PUC/SP and a M.Sc. in Business Administration from Fundação Getúlio Vargas - FGV/SP. Member of the Brazilian Bar Association.
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Laurel FitzPatrick, a partner in the Corporate Department, joined Ropes & Gray in 2003 and coordinates the firm’s hedge fund practice. Laurel has extensive experience in the investment management industry, including four years as a Partner and Associate General Counsel at Tiger Management LLC, a New York-based registered adviser and hedge fund group. Prior to her tenure at Tiger, she spent six years as an associate at a large international firm dividing her time between the firm’s Investment Management and Capital Markets Groups. Laurel has extensive experience structuring and advising various types of investment funds, including domestic and offshore partnerships, limited liability corporations and offshore corporations. In addition to fund formation, she assists clients in creating management company structures which provide appropriate incentives and succession strategies. Laurel has represented both “buyers” and “sellers” in strategic sales of interests in hedge fund management and GP entities and represents the hedge fund seed platform of several large investment clients. Much of Laurel’s experience involves advising clients concerning compliance with the Investment Advisers Act, the Investment Company Act, and the Securities and Exchange Act. In addition to fund formation, these matters include trade structuring and advice, meeting with regulators on behalf of clients, assisting clients with regulatory audits, obtaining exemptive and No-Action relief from the SEC and helping clients develop compliance and internal control procedures. She also assists clients in restructuring their funds when necessary, reviews and assists in structuring derivative products and assists funds in developing legal and risk management policies with respect to prime brokers and other counterparties.
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Richard Horowitz is a partner in the New York office of Clifford Chance, specializing in the representation of hedge funds and their investment advisers. For over 12 years, Mr. Horowitz has represented a variety of hedge funds, both onshore and offshore, and their advisers. He has extensive experience in preparing and reviewing hedge fund organizational and offering documents and in negotiating service provider agreements. He regularly advises on Investment Advisers Act compliance issues, including allocation policies and procedures, codes of ethics, presentation of prior performance information and the negotiation and use of side letters. Mr. Horowitz has special expertise in so-called "registered hedge funds", hedge funds-of-funds that register under the Investment Company Act to be able to offer their interests to an unlimited number of investors. He also has structured funds-of-funds to pursue various portable alpha strategies. Mr. Horowitz has set up hedge funds for Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, UBS, Oscar Capital, Aetos Capital, Generation Investment Management and Vanderbilt Capital Advisors.
Mr. Horowitz received a BS magna cum laude in economics from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and received his JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
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Karen King is the Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Silver Lake, a technology-oriented private equity firm that focuses on large-scale investments and has over $16 billion of assets under management. Silver Lake has offices in New York, Menlo Park, San Francisco, London and Hong Kong. Ms. King joined Silver Lake in 2004 as the first dedicated lawyer for the firm and now oversees four other lawyers. While at Silver Lake, Ms. King has worked on all the investments made by the firm since she joined, including Network General (now NetScout), UGS, Thompson, Avago, Instinet, Nasdaq, NXP, IPC, Sabre, Mobile Messenger, Avaya, AVI-SPL and i2. She has also been actively involved in all the legal aspects of raising four separate funds and launching two foreign offices and works closely with the firm's founders to implement strategy and broaden the firm's product lines. Previously, Ms. King was a corporate attorney at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, working in each of the firm's New York, Palo Alto and London offices. She is a graduate of Duke University and Harvard Law School.
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Jamie L. Nash is a partner in the corporate department at Kleinberg, Kaplan, Wolff & Cohen, P.C. Jamie focuses his practice on the investment management industry. Jamie advises start-up and mature private investments funds as well as SEC and state-registered investment advisors on regulatory and operational issues related to their formation, structure, operation and compliance. He also has advised clients with respect to employment and consulting agreements, general securities matters, commodities issues, marketing agreements, prime brokerage agreements, soft-dollar arrangements and blue sky compliance.
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Richard is based in the London office of Simmons & Simmons. He is a partner in the financial services group, a part of the financial markets department, having been made a partner in 1999.

Richard is involved in transactional, advisory and regulatory work for asset managers and other businesses operating in the financial services sector. He is an investment funds specialist advising on funds of all types and the promotion of investment products, especially hedge funds.

Richard is a regular speaker at international conferences and has recently given talks on the legal and regulatory issues relevant to the hedge fund management industry.
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Mr. Sarno practices in the Corporate Department of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, focusing on private investment funds and other facets of “alternative asset management.” He has represented both domestic and international fund sponsors, such as The Carlyle Group, Lehman Brothers, KKR, Babcock & Brown, ING Group, Citigroup, BlackRock, Brown Brothers Harriman, Cherokee Partners and The Cypress Group, in many different asset categories, including traditional private equity, real estate, infrastructure, mezzanine debt and other fixed income, asset manager investment and coinvestment. Mr. Sarno’s practice also focuses on representing sponsors of fund-of-funds and listed funds and the creation of employee securities companies. Mr. Sarno practiced in the firm’s London office for two years. He is a member of the Private Investment Fund Forum, a group comprised of New York City attorney’s practicing extensively in the private funds area and frequently lectures on alternative asset management topics to industry members and advisors. Mr. Sarno is listed as a leading lawyer in Chambers’ Guide to America’s Leading Business Lawyers (Private Equity), The International Who's Who of Private Fund Lawyers, International Financial Law Review’s Guide to the World’s Leading Private Equity Lawyers and other similar publications. Mr. Sarno received his B.A. summa cum laude from the University of Connecticut in 1989, where he was a University Scholar and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He received his J.D. with honors from the Duke University School of Law in 1992. Prior to joining Simpson Thacher, Mr. Sarno clerked for the Honorable Justice Robert L. Clifford, Supreme Court of the State of New Jersey.
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Mr. Scannell is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and is responsible for oversight of financial controls, systems and operations. In addition, Mr. Scannell is the in-house advisor to legal matters regarding structured products. Prior to joining Hildene, Mr. Scannell worked in the structured finance market for the past ten years. His most recent position was a Vice President in the CDO structuring group at Citigroup. At Citigroup Mr. Scannell provided on-desk legal, structuring, documentation, compliance and administration support for the CDO structuring business. Prior to joining Citigroup, Mr. Scannell was an associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP where he represented a variety of issuers and underwriters in transactions involving collateralized debt obligations, asset-backed securities and other securities issued in publicly registered transactions and private placements. Prior to his work at Skadden Mr. Scannell worked as a litigator for Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft. Before attending law school, Mr. Scannell was financial controller for the New York division of a Fortune 500 medical services company, responsible for financial controls and operations. Mr. Scannell has a Juris Doctorate and graduated cum laude from Brooklyn Law School in 1996 and has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from San Diego State University in 1987.
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Shachi Shah is a Managing Director and Head of Barclays Capital Fund Solutions. Based in London, Ms. Shah is responsible for fund management products and services globally. The group is dedicated to the development and delivery of quantitative investment management products across asset classes focussing on alpha and diversified beta strategies, customised fund management products and structured funds. Prior to joining Barclays Capital in 2005, Ms. Shah spent six years at Deutsche Bank, most recently as Global Head of Retail Structuring for the Global Rates Division. Previous to this, she held a variety of senior legal positions in the financial industry, including Head of Equity Derivatives Legal at Merrill Lynch and General Counsel/Head of Compliance for the UK and European operations of Manulife Financial. Ms. Shah qualified as both a solicitor and attorney of the New York Bar and practised law for eight years prior to moving to the business side.
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Richard is General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of H.I.G. Capital, LLC, where he is responsible for all of the firm’s legal, regulatory and compliance matters worldwide. H.I.G. Capital is a leading global private investment firm, specializing in small and mid-cap investments. With over $7.5 billion in capital under management, H.I.G.’s family of funds includes private equity (domestic and European buyouts), public securities (domestic and international long/short equity), venture capital (information technology, life sciences and growth equity), distressed debt, and real estate. H.I.G. is headquartered in Miami, Florida, and has offices in Atlanta, Boston, San Francisco, London, Paris and Hamburg. Rich began his legal career in the New York and Melbourne, Australia offices of Sullivan & Cromwell and served as a Judicial Clerk to Andrew G.T. Moore II, of the Delaware Supreme Court.
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Joseph Suh is a partner in the Structured Products and Derivatives group at Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP. Joseph represents dealers, issuers and managers in connection with a wide range of structured finance, derivatives and fund-linked products, including cash-flow CDOs, market-value CDOs, synthetic and hybrid CDOs of corporate and ABS credits, private equity and hedge fund CFOs, bespoke CDS trades, hedge fund-linked notes, portable alpha trades and other hedge fund-linked derivatives.
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Stuart Sybersma is a partner with Deloitte in the Cayman Islands with responsibility for the operations of the firm’s Financial Advisory Services department. In this role Stuart specialises in providing restructuring and dispute consulting services to Cayman Islands domiciled entities such as hedge funds, banks, captive insurance companies and other financial services providers.
Stuart has been appointed as a Controller of hedge fund companies by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority as well as been appointed as an Official Liquidator over such companies by the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands, following from petitions of stakeholders in contentious situations. In addition to these roles, Stuart has also served as Voluntary Liquidator to numerous Cayman Islands registered hedge funds and has overseen various advisory and investigatory engagements of such entities, including having been appointed as an Inspector under the Cayman Islands Companies Law, pursuant to resolution of shareholders.
Stuart is a member of the Cayman Islands Society of Professional Accountants, the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, and the Canadian Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Professionals. He is currently serving as a board member of the Cayman Island chapter of the Alternative Investment Management Association (“AIMA”).
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Yasuzo Takeno is a partner at Mori Hamada & Matsumoto. Since the early 1990s, he has had extensive experience in advisory work for both domestic and foreign investment managers and investment funds businesses, including structuring, public offerings and private placement of off-shore investment funds in Japan. His practice also covers corporate finance activities. Yasuzo Takeno has been with the firm (previously Hamada & Matsumoto) since 1987.
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Andrew Wright is a Partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP and is resident in the firm’s New York office. His practice focuses on the formation of private investment funds, including private equity funds, hedge funds, real estate funds and other private funds. Mr. Wright's practice also includes assisting fund sponsors in connection with the organization and documentation of their internal firm arrangements and compensation structures. He also counsels clients on a wide range of matters relating to the structuring of fund investments, as well as legal and regulatory compliance matters for funds and their investment advisers. Throughout his career, Mr. Wright has been involved as legal counsel in numerous billion dollar private investment fund-raisings, including forming and providing on-going legal advice to sponsors of some of the largest and most complex private equity funds ever raised. He has represented both domestic and international sponsors of numerous types of alternative investment funds, including leveraged buyout funds, hedge funds, real estate, mezzanine and distressed debt funds, “hybrid” funds, and many other types of alternative investment vehicles. Mr. Wright has also counseled placement agents, limited partners, senior investment professionals, corporate executives and other constituents in the alternative investment space. Mr. Wright's experience in the investment management industry also includes serving as the General Counsel of a billion dollar global investment management firm.
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Jack routinely advises investment management clients on a wide variety of matters concerning litigation and regulatory matters. His practice focuses on complex commercial and corporate litigation, including securities litigation, civil RICO and fraud claims, project finance and asset securitization litigation. He also regularly represents clients in investigations by self-regulatory organizations and the SEC. Jack has tried cases in both Federal and State courts and has been involved in arbitrations before various organizations including the AAA, NASD and NYSE. He also has experience in cross-border and multi-jurisdictional disputes.
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Aristos has extensive experience of complex international insolvencies, restructurings and security enforcements mainly in the financial services sector. Aristos has particular experience of distressed investment funds and acts for funds, their directors, service providers and counterparties in a variety of major disputes and crisis events. Aristos is also an experienced commercial litigator and advocate. Aristos joined Maples and Calder in 2001 and was made partner in 2003. He previously worked for Clifford Chance in London. Aristos is recommended by the 2007 edition of Chambers Global and Legal 500.
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Paul is the head of the investment funds group of Maples and Calder in London. He specialises in the establishment and maintenance of private equity funds, hedge funds, CFOs and fund-linked products, advising a range of investment managers, intermediaries and financial institutions. Paul joined Maples and Calder in the Cayman Islands in 2002. He moved to the London office of Maples and Calder in 2004 and was made partner in 2005. He previously worked for Ogiers in Jersey and before that, for Freehills in Australia. Paul is named as a leading funds lawyer in The International Who's Who of Private Funds Lawyers.
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Tahir has unrivalled experience in the offshore structuring of Islamic finance products and was involved in the first sukuk issue by a Cayman company to be listed on DIFX as well as inaugural sukuk issues to be listed on other worldwide exchanges. His expertise covers swaps/derivatives, general corporate and investment and private equity funds, including funds which comply with Islamic principals. He has advised on the region's first multi-billion dollar private equity funds, the first REIT, the first distressed property fund as well as on the first listing of a Cayman company's shares on DIFX. Tahir joined Maples and Calder in Cayman in 2000. He was made partner in 2005 and is now Managing Partner of the Dubai office. He previously worked for Clifford Chance in London, New York and Dubai. Tahir is named as a leading investment funds lawyer by the 2007/08 PLC Cross-Border Handbook. Tahir was also named as one of the 20 most prominent lawyers in the Middle East by The Brief magazine and is also ranked as one of the best lawyers in the UAE by Best Lawyer magazine and one of the leading private funds lawyers in the Middle East by Who's Who Legal: UAE. Additionally, Tahir has received awards from International Financial Law Review and Islamic Finance News for his work.
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Mark specialises in structured products and has extensive experience in SIVs, securitisations, repackagings and credit funds including hybrid funds and CFOs. He has also worked on private equity and hedge fund related matters since 1998. Mark also has experience in general corporate, partnership, banking and regulatory matters. Mark joined Maples and Calder in London in 1998 and later moved to the Cayman Islands office. He previously worked for Freshfields in London. Mark is recommended by Legal 500 and highly recommended by PLC Which Lawyer for securitisations.
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Christina provides accounting and administration services to a wide range of investment funds including hedge funds, private equity funds, multi-manager funds, emerging market funds and unit trusts. Christina joined Maples Finance in 2005. She previously worked for Fortis Prime Fund Solutions (Cayman) Ltd and before that, for KPMG and General Electric Capital Aviation Services in Dublin.
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Barry specialises in financial services law. He advises on the promotion and operation of all types of mutual funds. He also advises many of the leading service providers to such funds including global fund administrators, custodians and investment managers. Barry joined Maples and Calder in 2008. He was previously a senior partner with a large Irish law firm. He is recommended by a number of directories including the 2008 editions of Chambers Global, IFLR1000, PLC Which Lawyer?, The Legal 500 and Chambers Europe.
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Iain specialises in investment funds, with an emphasis on private equity and hedge funds. He also has significant experience in corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions. Iain joined Maples and Calder in February 2008. He was previously a partner at Walkers in the Cayman Islands and prior to that, he worked for Freshfields in London specialising in takeovers and mergers. Iain is named as a leading private funds lawyer in The International Who's Who of Private Funds Lawyers 2008, the 2008 edition of Chambers Global, the 2008 edition of IFLR 1000, the 2008 Legal Media Group Guides to the World's Leading Lawyers and PLC Which Lawyer Yearbook 2008.
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Nollaig specialises in banking and capital markets, in particular in the areas of structured and leveraged finance, securitisation and repackaging, syndicated lending and derivatives. Nollaig joined Maples and Calder in 2008. He was previously a senior partner with a large Irish law firm. Prior to that, Nollaig spent a number of years in London at Clifford Chance and Merrill Lynch. He was nominated by international peers as one of only four Irish Lawyers to be included in IFLR's Guide to the World's Leading Capital Markets Lawyers. He is also highly recommended in Chambers Europe and Who's Who Legal.
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Victor specialises in fiduciary services, providing independent directorships and trustee services to mutual funds. He has wide experience in the review, establishment and ongoing requirements of US, European and offshore mutual funds. Victor joined Maples Finance in 2007. He was previously the in-house counsel for Citco Fund Services (Cayman) Limited.
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Toni heads the fund administration division of Maples Finance, providing accounting and administration services to investment funds, in particular, hedge funds, private equity funds, multi-manager funds, emerging market funds and unit trusts. She also serves on the boards of a number of offshore funds. Toni joined Maples Finance in 2004. She previously worked for Fortis Fund Services (Cayman) Limited, Bank of Montreal/Nesbitt Burns and for Deloitte in Canada.
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Spencer's practice covers a wide range of investment funds business, including formation of both open and closed ended funds, hedge funds and advice to fund service providers. He is also experienced in private equity, regulatory, debt and general corporate matters. Spencer joined Maples and Calder in 2001 and was made partner in 2003. He previously worked for Simmons & Simmons in London, Linklaters in London and Hong Kong as well as for Credit Suisse in Hong Kong and Tokyo.
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Kieran is co-head of the Latin American practice group and has significant experience in Latin American and Spanish transactions, acting for corporate and financial institutions. He specialises in capital markets, private equity and structured finance products, including on-balance sheet note and preference share issues, securitisations, CDOs, investment funds and syndicated loans. He also advises on corporate matters. Kieran provides all client services on a bilingual Spanish/English basis. Kieran joined Maples and Calder in 2002, he was made partner in 2006. He previously worked for Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Madrid and prior to that, for Clifford Chance and Maclay Murray & Spens. Kieran was recommended by the 2007 and 2008 editions of Chambers Global.
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