Paul Watt is a partner in the Investment Funds Group of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. His diverse practice focuses on advising investment fund sponsors on fundraising and on a suite of related strategic and operational matters, including product expansion, succession planning, joint ventures, separately managed account and other strategic arrangements and co-investment plans. In addition to routinely representing well-established sponsors in prominent global fundraisings, Paul has significant experience in working with newly formed sponsors on all aspects of establishing their operations and raising capital, including advising on pledge structures and bespoke seeding arrangements. Paul has also advised both sponsors and institutional buyers in complex secondary and other liquidity transactions and also in connection with strategic “GP stake” investments in private investment firms and on structuring aspects in preparation of liquidity events for a firm’s owners.
Paul’s representative clients include 14W Venture Partners, Aberdeen Asset Management Inc., Alpine Investors, Dunes Point Capital, Further Global Capital Management, Rhône Group, Serent Capital, Spring Bridge Partners, Triton Partners, TSG Consumer Partners, Vista Equity Partners and Wafra Inc.
