Ashurst strengthens investment funds practice with partner hire

International law firm Ashurst has further strengthened its investment funds capability with the appointment of Nicola Hopkins as a partner in London.

Nicola joins from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner where she was a partner for four and half years. Prior to that, she was a partner at Linklaters for six years. Nicola has specialist expertise across a broad range of open and closed-ended investment funds, both onshore and offshore, predominantly aimed at institutional investors. She has been involved in the structuring, establishment, reconstruction and liquidation of various funds, including real estate funds, private equity funds, hedge funds, infrastructure funds, debt funds, listed investment companies and investment trusts. She also has significant experience in advising investors into the various types of funds, as well as providing advice in relation to club and joint venture arrangements.

Piers Warburton, global head of investment funds at Ashurst, said:

"Nicola is an excellent and very well-respected lawyer who will significantly boost the capability of our investment funds team. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in advising top tier clients on a wide range of fund formation and investment transactions. Her practice is closely aligned with, and complementary to, our current business and Nicola's appointment represents a key step in our implementing our expansion plan for Ashurst's international funds practice. I am very much looking forward to working with her."

Nicola Hopkins added:

"Ashurst has an exceptional investment funds team with a long track record of acting for market-leading clients on innovative transactions. I am excited to be joining the firm, which offers a fantastic platform from which to grow my practice. I am looking forward to helping Ashurst achieve its growth objectives in fund formation, fund management structures and investor advisory work across all asset classes."

Ashurst's global investment funds practice operates from the UK, US, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, Singapore and Australia. The group advises on funds with a wide range of investment strategies including private equity, real estate, debit / credit, infrastructure and energy funds. The team provides bespoke yet cost effective advice covering all aspects of funds, including fund formation, tax structuring, commercial negotiations, advising on leverage and bridge financing, implementing carried interest and co-investment schemes and advising on secondary transactions and management spin-outs. It also advises investors in relation to their investments across all asset classes.