Investment Funds & Asset Management

We advise on the establishment and structuring of all major Irish fund vehicles, including ICAVs (Irish collective asset-management vehicles), investment companies, ILPs (investment limited partnerships), unit trusts, and common contractual funds, authorised as either AIFs (alternative investment funds) or UCITS (undertakings for collective investment in transferable securities) across a broad range of investment strategies.

Key services:

• Structuring advice tailored to investment strategy and investor base
• Drafting constitutional documents and offering materials
• Negotiating service provider agreements (management company, AIFM, investment manager, depositary, administrator, prime broker/sub-custodian)
• Regulatory approval processes with the Central Bank of Ireland
• Cross-border structuring and passporting considerations

We liaise with our tax team to provide coordinated advice on:

• Irish fund tax regimes
• Investor tax considerations
• Cross-border structuring efficiencies
• Withholding tax and treaty optimisation

We provide ongoing support to funds throughout their lifecycle.

Key services:

• Amendments to fund documentation
• Launch of new sub-funds or share classes
• Corporate governance and board support
• NAV issues and investor communications
• Liquidity events, suspensions, restructurings and terminations
• Legal review of financing arrangements from a fund documentation perspective

Alongside our financial services regulatory colleagues, we provide practical, up-to-date advice on evolving EU and Irish regulatory frameworks, including:

• AIFMD / UCITS Directive
• MiFID II / MiFIR
• SFDR (Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation)
• Taxonomy Regulation
• ELTIF (European Long-Term Investment Funds) Regulation
• Central Bank of Ireland guidance and pronouncements

Key services:

• Regulatory authorisations and approvals
• Ongoing compliance frameworks and governance structures
• Policies and procedures (e.g., governance, valuation, risk, liquidity)
• ESG classification and disclosure requirements
• Regulatory inspections and remediation support

We advise on complex transactions and strategic initiatives involving investment funds and asset managers.

Key services:

• Fund mergers, acquisitions, reorganisations and redomiciliations
• Portfolio transactions (including secondary sales)
• Seed capital arrangements and side letters
• Strategic joint ventures and platform build-outs