Davis Polk Welcomes Investment Management Partner Aaron Schlaphoff in New York

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Davis Polk today announced that leading investment management regulatory lawyer Aaron Schlaphoff has returned to the firm as a partner in the Investment Management practice in New York.

“Aaron has worked with many of the largest and most sophisticated asset managers and has deep experience advising on the full spectrum of complex regulatory issues these clients face. Our exceptional Investment Management practice continues to grow, and with Aaron, we gain additional dedicated fund regulatory capabilities,” said Neil Barr, Davis Polk’s Chair and Managing Partner. “We are pleased to welcome him back to Davis Polk.”

Mr. Schlaphoff represents asset managers on a wide range of legal, regulatory and compliance matters. He has unique knowledge of the various laws applicable to asset managers, including the Investment Advisers Act and Investment Company Act. Mr. Schlaphoff’s experience spans all types of private equity, credit and hedge fund products, as well as registered fund products such as closed-end funds, interval funds, tender offer funds, business development companies (BDCs), mutual funds and ETFs. He frequently advises clients on SEC examinations, investigations and enforcement matters, as well as on investment adviser registration, exemptions and ongoing compliance. He also has extensive experience with M&A, IPO and restructuring matters involving asset managers.

Mr. Schlaphoff joins Davis Polk from Paul, Weiss, where he was a partner in the Investment Funds Group and served as head of Investment Management Regulation.

From 2014 to 2016, Mr. Schlaphoff was an attorney fellow in the Division of Investment Management at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, where he contributed to a wide range of matters relating to investment advisers and vehicles subject to SEC regulation. Prior to joining the SEC, Aaron was counsel in Davis Polk’s Investment Management practice.

“Aaron is a fantastic lawyer. He is uniquely positioned to cover the full scope of our practice, across private funds, secondaries, and Investment Company Act work. His extensive market knowledge will be incredibly valuable to our investment management clients and will strengthen our position as a go-to firm for counsel on the most complex fund formation, transactional and regulatory matters,” said Leor Landa, head of Davis Polk’s Investment Management practice. “We are delighted to have Aaron back on the team.”

Mr. Schlaphoff said, “I am thrilled to return to Davis Polk. This is an exciting time of growth for the firm’s Investment Management practice, and I look forward to working with the phenomenal team here to help our clients navigate their most critical regulatory and compliance issues.”

Chambers USA recognizes Mr. Schlaphoff as a leader in investment funds regulation and compliance, with a client noting, “He is a very commercial regulatory lawyer with great SEC experience, which is invaluable.” Another notes, “He is a very strong domain expert in regulatory matters and distils complex regulatory issues into understandable advice.”

Mr. Schlaphoff received his J.D. from Yale Law School in 2004 and B.A. from Macalester College in 1998. He was a Fulbright Fellow at the University of Cologne.

About Davis Polk.
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (including its associated entities) is an elite global law firm with world-class practices across the board. Clients know they can rely on us for their most challenging legal and business matters. From offices in the world’s key financial centers and political capitals, our more than 1,000 lawyers collaborate seamlessly to deliver exceptional service, sophisticated advice and creative, practical solutions. Visit davispolk.com.

About Davis Polk’s Investment Management practice.
Investment management clients rely on us for creative, custom solutions that help them achieve their business goals. We work with funds including private equity funds, private credit funds, secondary funds, hedge funds, registered funds and funds of funds – among them, industry leaders and first-time funds. Clients benefit from our deep knowledge on the full range of fund formation issues and market practice, including investor relations, tax, structuring, seeding, deal execution, credit arrangements and compensation. We aim to know our clients’ investors as well as they do. Our premier and longstanding secondaries practice handles the most high-profile transactions. Our creative solutions to regulatory and compliance issues are informed by our extensive experience with the SEC, and we are a go-to firm for sophisticated crisis management counsel.