Sovereign & Government Investors
To continue to prosper and find new opportunities to generate value, sovereign wealth funds and their stewards—which include governments, ministries and state-owned entities—must have sophisticated counsel to contend with the many market and policy forces affecting them.
We represent more than half of the top 10 sovereign wealth funds in the GCC, and we represent more than half of the top 10 sovereign wealth funds in the world, as measured by AUM according to The Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute.
Operating at the intersection of law, politics and commerce—and drawing on the talent within our highly respected investment funds, tax, regulatory, corporate, public law and policy, investigations, and litigation practices—we have the experience and skill to tackle every consideration in connection with investment opportunities in markets around the world.
- Identifying risk in investments in highly regulated sectors including health care, infrastructure, energy, telecommunications, technology, aerospace and defense and financial services.
- Issues unique to sovereignty, including disclosures to government agencies and meeting specific reporting requirements.
- Tax structuring and related regulatory compliance.
- Reviewing and analyzing fund terms and negotiating side letters.
- Providing insight into current market conditions and industry standards.
- Navigating government affairs, including creating and implementing effective, comprehensive advocacy strategies with the U.S. government.
- Compliance with key anticorruption statutes, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and the U.K. Bribery Act.
- Assessment of the impact of regulations in connection with current and potential investments (including via various direct and indirect transactions). We also provide advice on types of mitigation solutions available and, when necessary, handle the preparation and filing of a formal notice of a transaction. Areas include:
- National security issues, such as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and the U.K. National Security Bill.
- Antitrust clearance or filings/disclosures.
- Sanctions and export control restrictions, as well as other international trade control laws and policy.
- Restrictions to U.S. equity and debt capital markets.
- Advisory, compliance and due diligence issues, such as data privacy and security, intellectual property and government contracts.
- Navigating cross-border investigations and enforcement matters, tackling some of the most challenging and sensitive issues related to foreign direct investment.
Representative Matters
- Public Investment Fund of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in its $20 billion anchor commitment towards the creation of Blackstone’s new investment platform dedicated to U.S. infrastructure.
- Mubadala Capital on the launch of its third-party investment management business via an historic $4 billion stapled secondary transaction. The fund focuses on best-in-class management and investment teams across sectors, including sports, media, entertainment, consumer food and energy infrastructure, primarily in North America and Europe.
- Temasek Holdings on its $150 million seed investment in Ares European Loan Funding, SLP, a collateralized loan obligation (CLO) funding platform focused on European opportunities.
- GIC in connection with all aspects of its investment program in Europe and Asia, including investments in private equity, real estate, infrastructure funds, managed accounts and co-investments.
