How to Raise a Debut PE Fund

Ian M. Schwartz is the global co-head of investment management and co-head of private equity funds at McDermott Will & Schulte. He focuses his practice on advising investment firms and private equity sponsors on the formation and marketing of their funds and investments. Additionally, Ian is highly skilled in counseling private fund clients in connection with structuring fund investments, including general partner-lead secondary transactions and co-investment structures.

Ian has served as legal counsel in numerous multibillion-dollar and middle-market private investment fundraisings for institutional and boutique sponsors across a spectrum of investment strategies, including buyout, real estate, loan origination, debt, credit, fund of fund, healthcare, infrastructure, region specific, secondary, venture, growth equity, distressed/special situation, energy, funds-of-one, seeding, and co-investment. He also has extensive experience advising investment firms and private equity sponsors on hybrid, semi-open ended, and other bespoke fund structures that align the fund’s liquidity profile and terms to the liquidity and characteristics of the underlying investments.

He also regularly assists fund sponsors with their internal operational matters, such as the organization and documentation of their firm governance arrangements, carry plan structuring, and employee co-investment vehicles and structures. Ian also counsels fund managers on a wide range of regulatory and compliance matters.

Ian is ranked as a leading investment funds lawyer by numerous publications, including Chambers and Partners, Legal 500 US, and IFLR1000.

In addition to fund sponsors, Ian’s clients include top institutional limited partners, family offices, sovereign wealth funds, and senior investment professionals.