Fund Formation
Why Cooley
For 60+ years, Cooley has focused on representing fund managers. We are counsel to 700+ private investment fund organizations worldwide and have formed hundreds of global investment funds over the past 6 decades. We represent private equity, growth equity, venture capital, real estate and other managers with primary operations and/or investments in the US, China, Europe, India, Vietnam, Singapore, Russia, Japan, Israel, Brazil, Latin America and elsewhere. Our representation includes managers specializing in all investment phases from angel to late stage and in investment areas from internet, social media and mobile to clean technology, healthcare, biotechnology and more traditional industries. Our clients include funds as small as $5 million to funds of $1 billion or more.
Our team consists of 60+ full-time fund formation lawyers with a complete suite of customized, related services for fund managers. Our team is bolstered by international tax, regulatory, securities and other lawyers that regularly work on the structuring and implementation of global funds.
Global Experience
- Advise on cross-border structuring
- Form investment vehicles domiciled in the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, Hong Kong, Mauritius, Cyprus, Singapore, Luxembourg, Ireland and elsewhere
- Maintain preferred relationships and have access to top practitioners at law firms in international jurisdictions to assist in the smooth establishment of private funds
China Funds
Our dedication to China's fund industry is unparalleled and unrivaled by any other law firm. We have been involved in the China private funds market since 1989 – longer than any other global law firm – and we represent 55+ private fund managers with their primary operations in China. We maintain a staff of multiple Mandarin-speaking, Chinese native fund formation lawyers and have offices in Shanghai and Beijing. We form considerably more USD China venture capital and growth equity funds in dollar terms than any other law firm worldwide, both historically and today. We advise on over $3 billion in venture financings across more than 150 financing transactions annually.
- Assist fund managers located and/or investing in China
- Represent outside-China fund managers with their investing activity in China
- Hold proprietary training events annually throughout China for the benefit of our clients' continuing education and development
- Counsel on current market conditions, including terms and participants, to a degree not possible without deep and constant interaction
India Funds
Beginning with the formation of our first India-focused fund in 1995, we have developed deep substantive experience in advising India fund clients on a broad range of formation and operational matters.
- Assist fund managers located and/or investing in India
- Represent both established and emerging manager venture capital, growth equity and private equity investment firms in India investing across a broad range of industry sectors
- Implement India fund structures through Mauritius, Cyprus, Singapore and other relevant jurisdictions
- Maintain close professional relationships with local partners to provide seamless representation in structuring funds