Schulte Roth & Zabel is pleased to announce the addition of Peter Greene, Benjamin Kozinn and Eileen Overbaugh as partners based in the firm’s New York office. Peter, Ben and Eileen are highly regarded attorneys in the private funds space and represent some of the most prominent investment managers in the industry. Their addition represents a significant expansion of the firm’s already dominant presence in a very active private funds market.

Peter Greene is an industry leader who has advised many of the leading private fund launches over the past 17 years. He advises clients on all matters related to the formation and structuring of private funds and management companies, compliance and regulatory requirements, and public to private investment opportunities. He has particular experience in insider trading determinations, including the purchase, analysis and use of alternative/big data and related enforcement.

Business Insider recognized Peter as one of “the 29 bankers, advisors, and lawyers to know if you’re thinking about starting your own hedge fund”. He is recognized as one of America’s Leading Lawyers for Business by Chambers USA for his work in the areas of Investment Funds and Hedge Funds and has served on the Board of Directors of the Managed Funds Association (MFA).  

Peter joins as a co-leader of the SRZ Investment Management Practice, which for decades has been one of the most highly ranked practices in the United States and United Kingdom by the major ranking publications, including Chambers USA, Chambers Global, Preqin, The Legal 500 and Hedge Fund Research, Inc. (HFR).  

Ben Kozinn’s practice is in both Investment Management and Private Equity M&A, and he will join as a partner in both practice groups. Ben works with investment advisers and investors on fund formation, structuring, compensation and regulatory and compliance issues, including alternative data. In M&A, Ben focuses on middle market private equity and asset manager M&A, including complex middle market buyouts, take private transactions, minority stakes and venture investments. Ben has held both private practice and in-house roles, including General Counsel at a credit-focused hedge fund, Vice President and Associate General Counsel at Goldman, Sachs & Co and Director of Hedge Fund Consulting at Deutsche Bank Securities.

Eileen Overbaugh joins as a partner in the Investment Management Group. Eileen advises hedge funds, venture funds and other pooled vehicles on all matters related to private funds, including formation, structuring, investor negotiation and ongoing operations. She negotiates seed and strategic investments, funds-of-one, managed account arrangements and other alternative investment relationships. She also advises asset managers and their most senior employees and partners on employee compensation structures and separation arrangements. Eileen is ranked by Chambers USA as one of America’s Leading Lawyers for Business for her work in Investment Funds and Hedge Funds.

“Ben, Eileen and I are joining the preeminent law firm in the private funds space. The scope, depth and reputation of SRZ’s Investment Management Practice are unmatched,” said Greene. “This is a firm built around the private funds industry, known for its market knowledge and for providing their clients with business-savvy advice,” he added. 

“Peter, Ben and Eileen have advised on many significant private fund launches in recent years,” said David Efron, co-managing partner of SRZ. “They are each a perfect fit for us in terms of the caliber of their work, the clients they work with and the kind of work we want to do.”  

“The addition of Peter, Ben and Eileen is the latest step in our ongoing plan for strategic growth,” said Marc Elovitz, SRZ’s other co-managing partner. 

Over the last 24 months, the 350-lawyer firm has added 13 lateral partners and promoted eight attorneys to partner. This expansion, along with the promotion of 15 special counsels, significantly deepens the firm’s expertise in venture capital, creditor side restructuring and bankruptcy, M&A, investment funds, intellectual property, investment management and financial regulation, alternative data, crypto currency and digital assets and individual client services.

“This expansion is part of our plan to reinforce our market-leading position as a firm that can deliver the full spectrum of services to our financial services clients,” added Elovitz.

Lateral additions include Alexander Kim, partner and head of the Intellectual Property Group with a focus on M&A in IP; Ned Schodek in the Business Reorganization Group; Mike Flynn, Jeffrey Symons and Brian C. Miner in the M&A and Securities Group; Gayle Klein in the Litigation Group; Martin Sharkey, Gregory Ruback and Polly O’Brien in the Finance & Derivatives Group; and Douglas S. Mintz in the Business Reorganization Group.  

On Mar. 21, 2022, SRZ submitted comments to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on the agency’s proposed amendments to Form PF and the corresponding rules under the Investment Advisers Act. SRZ’s letter comments on the proposal to create a one-day reporting requirement for a range of portfolio and operational events and other aspects of the proposed amendments. SRZ also makes specific suggestions to streamline the new reporting requirements and provide useful information to the regulators.   

SRZ is carefully following the development of new rules affecting private investment fund managers and invites continued dialogue on these matters. 

Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP advised Associated Materials in its merger with funds managed by SVPGLOBAL, a global investment firm with over $18 billion of assets under management, which merger was completed earlier this month. Associated Materials is a vertically integrated building products company with $1.6 billion in annual revenues and a market leader in vinyl windows, vinyl & composite cladding, and metal siding and trim. Associated Materials has over 4,400 employees and operates its own 126 Alside and Gentek supply centers in the United States and Canada along with 11 manufacturing facilities. The merger positions Associated Materials for continued growth and success.

The deal is led by Partners Daniel Eisner and Kristine Manoukian, and Associate Jamie I. Freedman. The full deal team includes Partners Seth R. Henslovitz, Ian L. Levin, Joseph Reich, Ronald E. Richman, Gregory D. Ruback, Gary Stein and Michael E. Swartz; Of Counsels Howard B. Epstein and Ronald B. Risdon; Special Counsels Adam B. Gartner, Scott A. Gold, Scott M. Kareff, Theodore A. Keyes, Gregory L. Kinzelman and Amiel Y. Mandel; Associates Jacob A. Gach, Matthew L. Saathoff, Aaron Schwed and Sheuvaun F. Vernon; and Law Clerks Abigail B. Castaldi and William J. Sobel.

Schulte Roth & Zabel is pleased to announce the addition of Martin Sharkey as partner in the firm’s London office and member of the Finance & Derivatives Practice. 

Martin is a leading structured finance practitioner with 20 years of experience in the CLO space, providing strategic counsel for CLO managers, investors and arrangers. He advises CLO managers on multi-currency, arbitrage, balance sheet, market value and ESG CLOs, as well as warehouse financings, collateral fund obligation transactions, CLO business acquisitions and portfolio sales. Martin is also experienced in risk retention compliance, repackagings, supply chain finance, fund finance and forward flow transactions. 

“SRZ has an industry-leading U.S. CLO practice, and a pre-eminent funds and structured finance capability, and I am excited to be joining such an experienced team. I am looking forward to working with my talented colleagues in London and in the U.S. to achieve success for our clients,” said Martin. 

“Martin is an outstanding addition to our London team. His expertise builds on our structured finance capabilities in both the U.S. and U.K. and reflects the continued expansion of our London office,” said Josh Dambacher, Co-Head of SRZ’s London office and member of the firm’s executive committee. 

“Martin’s longstanding CLO practice in London creates excellent synergies with our U.S. CLO practice, and he will provide a valuable cross-border perspective to our clients,” added Craig Stein, New York partner and co-head of the Finance & Derivatives Group. 

Schulte Roth & Zabel continues to add substantial talent across strategic practice areas to address emerging client needs in both the public and private markets. Martin, who previously worked in a magic circle law firm and is ranked by Legal 500 as a Leading Individual, joins recent additions Alexander Kim, head of the Intellectual Property Group with a focus on M&A in IP, and Ned Schodek in the Business Reorganization Group. 

Other strategic additions include Gregory Ruback in the Finance and Derivatives Group and Polly O’Brien in the Finance & Derivatives Group, based in London; Mike Flynn, Jeffrey Symons and Brian C. Miner in the M&A and Securities Group; Gayle Klein in the Litigation Group; and Douglas S. Mintz in the Business Reorganization Group.