BRAD HOWARD serves as the Chicago office group head of the Investment Funds practice area. He advises alternative asset managers with respect to all manner of private funds, managed accounts, and various related structures. Brad advises both managers and limited partners/asset allocators. His advice focuses on structuring, regulatory, and compliance issues for these products relating to the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Securities Act of 1933, the Investment Advisers Act, and the Commodity Exchange Act.
Brad also advises clients on manager M&A transactions and other manager-related transactions, as well as with respect to credit facilities, financing, and leverage facilities.
Representative Transactions Include:
- Hedge funds and fund of hedge funds
- Credit Funds
- Private Equity Funds
- Co-invest, overflow, and special situation funds and opportunities
- Managed accounts and managed account platforms
- Seed deals, General Partner stakes and joint ventures
- Manager restructurings, manager succession planning, and other manager-related transactions
- Fund derivatives
Sidley’s award-winning Investment Funds group provides top-tier service to all aspects of the private funds industry. Chambers USA awarded the group top band rankings in Hedge Funds every year since 2008. Brad has also been recognized in Chambers USA (2021–2024) and Chambers Global (2022–2024) for Investment Funds: Hedge Funds.
Sidley has also been named “Law Firm of the Year” in Private Funds/Hedge Funds Law in U.S. News – Best Lawyers 2022 “Best Law Firms.”
Brad has also been highly ranked in Who’s Who Legal in the Private Funds – Formation category since 2017 and was also recognized in The Legal 500 US 2011, 2013, 2016 and 2017 for Investment Fund Formation and Management. Additionally, Brad has been recognized in the 2014–2016 editions of IFLR1000 as a “Rising Star” for Investment Funds in the U.S.
Brad joined the firm in 1998 out of Stanford Law School. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Chicago.