CAIA Boston Educational Event - Liquid Alternatives 

This event is generously sponsored by:

 

About Bingham McCutchen LLP
Bingham's award-winning investment funds practice provides advice to a wide range of institutional and boutique investment management companies on all aspects of investment fund operations in Asia, the U.S. and Europe. Our lawyers have experience with all types of investment funds and pooled investment vehicles, including hedge funds, private equity funds, mutual funds and specialty funds. We advise on a full range of issues, from the formation and regulation of investment funds, to the acquisition of fund businesses. We represent managers in their investments in markets worldwide. Our lawyers also advise clients on financial regulatory reforms in the U.S. and Europe and the impact of the reforms on clients in Asia.

About 100 Women in Hedge Funds (www.100womeninhedgefunds.org)
100 Women in Hedge Funds is a global, practitioner-driven non-profit organization serving over 12,000 alternative investment management investors and professionals through educational, professional leverage and philanthropic initiatives. Formed in 2001, 100 Women in Hedge Funds has hosted over 400 education events globally, connected more than 250 senior women through Peer Advisory Groups and raised over $33 million for philanthropic causes in the areas of women's health, education and mentoring.

Speaker Biographies

Brian Jacobs, Founder, Jacobs Consulting

Brian Jacobs has over 25 years of experience in global asset management. He is the founding partner of Jacobs Strategic Consulting which helps asset managers build robust retail businesses. In 2013, Brian structured a long-term joint venture for his client Cliffwater LLC with Virtus Investment Partners to launch and distribute a broad range alternative mutual funds. He has also consulted for leading asset managers including Fortress Investment Group, New York Life Investment Management/ Mainstay Mutual Funds, and Legg Mason.

Brian Jacobs is the former CEO of the Hatteras Funds. From 1990 through 2008, he built and led two large, successful distribution organizations -- Eaton Vance and Allianz/ PIMCO. During this time period his sales teams raised over $100 billion.

In his career, Mr. Jacobs has organized, structured and completed 24 closed end fund IPO's. He established and brought to market Luxembourg-domiciled Allianz Dresdner Premier Funds and was a member of the Funds' Board of Directors.

Brian completed the Allianz Global Leadership Program at the International Institute for Management Development (I.M.D.) in Lausanne, Switzerland. He earned a B.A. in Economics from Montclair State University and holds the Certified Investment Management Analyst (C.I.M.A.) designation.

Mr. Jacobs is the former Chairman of the Board of Governors for Money Management Institute and Board Member of the Foundation for Financial Planning.

 

Stephen Nesbitt, CIO, Cliffwater, LLC

Steve is responsible Cliffwater investment research and is CIO. Prior to forming Cliffwater, he was Senior Managing Director and principal of Wilshire Associates from 1980 to 2004 where he led the Consulting Division and built the manager of manager investment business covering traditional, private equity and hedge fund products. His articles have appeared in the Financial Analysts Journal, the Journal of Portfolio Management and the Journal of Applied Corporate Finance.

He holds a BA in Mathematics & Economics from Eisenhower College, an MBA from The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania.

 

Kara Saxon, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs

Kara co-manages the US Prime Brokerage Client Services, New Business, Consulting Services and Product Development groups in Global Securities Services. She joined Goldman Sachs in 1999 in Prime Brokerage Client Services and became co-manager of Client Services in 2005. Kara was named managing director in 2006.

Prior to joining the firm, Kara was an audit senior in the financial services practice at Deloitte & Touche from 1995 to 1999. She became a certified public accountant in 1997.

Kara earned a BS in Business Administration and an MA in Accounting in 1995 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

 

Michelle Cirillo, Partner, Bingham McCutchen LLP

Michelle Cirillo advises investment advisers, investment funds and institutional investors on a broad range of legal and regulatory issues.

Private Fund Experience
Michelle has experience structuring U.S. and non-U.S. private investment funds, with a focus on private equity funds and real estate and hedge funds. Representative private investment fund matters include: 

 -Organization of U.S. real estate funds pursuing core plus and value add strategies, including the establishment of a leveraged blocker structure to accommodate non-U.S. and tax-exempt investors; and 

 -Organization of Indian private equity fund of funds, private equity funds with an Asia focus, and U.S. energy funds. 

Registered Fund Experience
Michelle advises mutual funds, closed-end funds, including registered funds of funds, and exchange traded funds on various regulatory and compliance matters, including registration, mergers and reorganizations, internal compliance controls and negotiations with fund service-providers. 

Selling Arrangements
Michelle assists investment funds, investment advisers and broker-dealer platforms with the implementation of selling arrangements. She negotiates dealer agreements, private placement agreements and solicitation agreements.

Investment Adviser Registration and Transactional Experience
Michelle has experience with investment advisory registration and transactional matters. Including:

-organizing and assisting investment advisers with the SEC and Massachusetts registration process, including preparing Form ADV and internal compliance policies and procedures; 

 -negotiating seed transactions; 

-assisting with M&A transactions involving registered investment advisers; and 

-negotiating separately managed account agreements. 

Boston University School of Law, Juris Doctor, Cum Laude (2000)
Cornell University, Bachelor of Arts, Distinction In All Subjects (1997)