James A. Deeken
Partner
Areas of Focus
- Investment Management
- Credit Funds
- Private Funds Liquidity Solutions
- Fund Formation
- Energy & Natural Resources Funds
- Private Equity
- Energy & Infrastructure Private Equity
- Private Capital
- Represents private fund managers and investors in fund formation and fund management activities.
- Prior to law school, worked as a bond trader, an experience that aids his ability to relate to investment fund clients from a business standpoint, particularly in the credit fund space.
James is a partner in the Dallas office of Akin, where he has practiced for 25 years and represents private fund managers in fund formation activities and in investments into a wide range of investment funds. He has been ranked in Chambers and Partners for four years in a row in the Nationwide Private Equity: Fund Formation category where he was described as having “a strong understanding of the market” and “a high level expertise and knowledge.” Furthermore, James is noted for being “client-driven, responsive and business-minded” and “excellent, knowledgeable, commercial and incredibly dedicated to clients.”
Clients look to James to provide valuable counsel as they seek to protect their business and legal goals, while at the same time successfully reaching resolution, in negotiations with large institutional investors. James brings to the table a deep understanding of the business, tax and legal concerns that underlie investor comments and negotiating positions, gained through experience over two decades. He regularly helps clients structure partnerships with a wide range of various investors including private pension fund investors, sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies, non-U.S. tax treaty jurisdiction investors, university endowments, public retirement plans, fund of funds, charitable foundations and family offices. His experience with fund formation consists of representing managers in the formation of buyout funds, growth equity funds, oil and gas and other energy funds, loan origination funds, multi-manager funds, opportunistic funds, real estate funds, fund of funds and hedge funds, as well as special-purpose vehicles, “funds of one” and co-investment vehicle
James represents managers in the formation and management of:
- Buyout funds
- Growth equity funds
- Oil and gas and other energy funds
- Loan origination funds
- Opportunistic funds
- Funds of funds and hedge funds
- Special-purpose vehicles
- Funds of one
- Co-investments
- Advised Crestline Investors, Inc. in the formation of its second fund, Crestline Portfolio Financing Fund II, a $1 billion direct lending fund that will provide acquisition financing, growth capital & debt refinancing.
- Advised a private equity manager in the establishment of three successive leveraged buyout funds and numerous co-investment vehicles and another manager is successful over-subscribed institutionally-market inaugural private equity fund.
- Represented a fund manager in the formation of three successive opportunistic credit-oriented funds, accompanied with numerous “funds of one” and side by side managed accounts, along with numerous co-investment vehicles.
- Represented a fund manager in the formation of three successive specialty lending funds and accompanying institutional managed accounts.
- Represented a fund manager in the formation of a European-focused opportunistic fund and related co-investment vehicles.
EducationJ.D., Vanderbilt University School of Law, 1999
B.A., Vanderbilt University, 1993
J.D., Vanderbilt University School of Law, 1999
B.A., Vanderbilt University, 1993
Bar AdmissionsTexas
Texas
- Chambers Global, Investment Funds: Private Equity: Fund Formation, 2024.
- Chambers USA, Investment Funds: Private Equity: Fund Formation, 2021-2024.
- The Legal 500 US, Investment Fund Formation and Management: Private Equity Funds, 2020-2024.
- Akin, Dallas Pro Bono Partner of the Year Award, 2009.
- Akin, Partner Recognition Award.
- Adjunct Faculty Member, SMU Dedman School of Law, where he teaches “Private Funds: Regulation, Formation, Operating and Investing.”
- Member, Securities Regulation Law Journal Board of Contributing Editors and Advisers.
- Vice chairman, Texas State Bar Association, Business Law Section Committee on Investment Funds.
- Member, Dallas Regional Chamber Leadership Dallas Alumni Group.
- Co-Chair of Akin’s Middle East and North Africa (MENA) firm resource group for professionals with backgrounds from countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
- Regular speaker about issues related to investment funds, private equity, venture capital and related regulatory issues before the Texas State Bar, the Dallas Bar Association, investment banking groups, law school associations and the business community at large.
- “The Direction of the SEC in the Wake of National Association of Private Fund Managers v. SEC,” Securities Regulation Law Journal, October 11, 2024.
- "All the Best Intentions v. Real World Realities: A Cost Based ESG Method for Managing Securities Disclosure and Greenwashing Risk," Securities Regulation Law Journal, June 30, 2024.
- Speaker, “The SEC’s Regulatory Agenda,” The Federalist Society Dallas Lawyers Chapter, Dallas, June 11, 2024.
- “Blue Bell Meltdown Serves Up a Double Dip of Danger for Directors,” Securities Regulation Law Journal, January 1, 2024.
- “A Walk-Through Perilous Pitfalls: An Analysis of the SEC’s New Private Funds Rule,” Securities Regulation Law Journal, December 13, 2023.
- “Projections, Forward Looking Statements and Safe Harbors: A Review and Analysis of The Valuation Treadmill,” Securities Regulation Law Journal, April 18, 2023.
