Gibson Dunn has hired a partner from Fried Frank in New York as its head of fund finance.
Duncan McKay joins after three years at Fried Frank, before which he was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis. He brings extensive experience with commitments-based, NAV-based, hybrid, asset-based, GP finance and other bespoke investment funds-related transactions.
“Duncan is regarded as a leading sponsor-side fund finance lawyer, with rare experience advising on both complex fund finance and structured capital transactions,” said Shukie Grossman, global chair of Gibson Dunn’s investment funds practice group. “As the investment funds landscape evolves and the demand for liquidity solutions and fund finance products steadily increases, Duncan’s capabilities and best-in-class deal execution will be invaluable to our clients.”
Gibson Dunn also pointed to McKay’s status as a market leader in the US in structuring and executing complex rated note feeder and collateralised fund obligation transactions; over the past two years he has led such transactions for asset managers with an aggregate deal value in excess of $8bn, according to his Fried Frank profile.
His representative clients include Ares Management Corporation, Fortress Investment Group, Investcorp, Goldman Sachs and Neuberger Berman.
Commenting on his move, McKay wrote on LinkedIn that he looked forward to building “the market’s premier platform for fund finance and structured capital transactions” at his new firm.
McKay’s arrival brings Gibson Dunn’s New York investment funds practice to 23 partners in New York, according to the firm’s website.
The firm’s efforts to grow its funds practice saw it hire its first dedicated investment funds partner in London earlier this year, recruiting James O’Donnell, the global co-chair of DLA Piper’s funds practice. He joined with counsel Hannah Watson Fanin.
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