Mayer Brown expands private investment funds team with addition of three partners in New York

Mayer Brown announced today that three leading private investment fund lawyers, Marina Besignano, Tim Clark and Javier Fierro, have joined the firm’s New York office as partners in the Corporate & Securities practice. Ms. Besignano, Mr. Clark and Mr. Fierro are the latest to join a practice team that has substantially grown over the last two years. Ms. Besignano joins from Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson; Mr. Clark joins from Dechert; and Mr. Fierro joins from Sidley Austin.

“Continued growth of our private investment funds team, particularly in the US, but also in Europe, is a central strategic initiative of the firm and the Corporate & Securities practice,” said Kevin Sheridan, leader of Mayer Brown’s global Corporate & Securities practice.

“Marina, Tim and Javier are exceptional lawyers who will immediately add value for our clients across a broad range of private fund products,” added Wendy Gallegos, a co-leader of Mayer Brown’s global Private Funds team.

“We are fortunate to welcome Marina, Tim and Javier, particularly given their extensive experience in handling high-end fund work,” said Matthew Ingber, the managing partner of Mayer Brown’s New York office. “This exciting series of hires marks another significant step in the firm’s ongoing expansion of its New York office, which recently welcomed nearly a dozen highly regarded laterals since the start of 2021.”

Additional information on partners and their practices:

Mr. Clark represents clients in a number of areas, including fund formation, investment adviser acquisitions, and co-investments. He has a proven track record with secondary transactions and advises a broad range of investors and funds, including infrastructure, private equity, direct lending and sovereign wealth funds. Mr. Clark provides in-depth knowledge of financial regulations, ensuring clients comply with new and established regulatory rules. Mr. Clark specifically has thorough knowledge on the Investment Company Act and the Investment Advisers Act, partnering with clients to construct effective, long-term solutions. View bio.

Ms. Besignano advises leading investment fund managers, financial institutions and significant investors in connection with the establishment and operation of private investment funds. She has acted for clients across many asset classes, including private equity, credit, infrastructure, insurance and real estate, including US Opportunity Zones. Marina also counsels clients in relation to carried interest and co-investment incentive schemes and has experience with hedge funds, hybrid funds and managed accounts. While based in New York, Marina has significant fund formation experience in the UK and will work closely with Mayer Brown’s London team. View bio.

Mr. Fierro focuses his practice primarily on the structuring, formation and operation of a variety of domestic and offshore private investment funds, which invest in a wide range of asset classes and industries, including real estate, infrastructure, private debt, reinsurance, agribusiness and early- and late-stage companies. Fluent in Spanish, Javier has significant experience working with leading local Latin American private equity fund managers in advising and structuring offshore investment vehicles investing in parallel with local vehicles across the Americas. View bio.