Enhancing its 170-lawyer-strong investment management team, Morgan Lewis is adding three partners along the East Coast from Perkins Coie—Mark Parise, Todd Zerega, and Betselot Zeleke. Todd is former co-chair of Perkins Coie’s investment management practice and member of their Blockchain Technology & Virtual Currency group, Mark recently was recognized as Independent Counsel of the Year by With Intelligence (Fund Directions) at the Mutual Fund and ETF Awards ceremony, and Betselot previously served with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the Division of Investment Management. Mark, Todd, and Betselot will be resident in Hartford, Pittsburgh, and Washington, DC, respectively.
“Whether advising on mature mutual funds issues or cutting-edge digital assets, our clients look to us for sound, sophisticated investment management counsel,” said Firm Chair Jami McKeon. “We are one of the largest and most diverse investment management teams in the world, and the addition of Mark, Todd, and Betselot deepens our breadth and diversity of experience and broadens our representation of mutual funds families.”
“This is an exciting development that will enable us to expand client relationships and establish new ones within registered funds and digital assets,” said Timothy Levin, leader of the firm’s investment management practice. “Mark has spent years representing registered funds, exchange-traded funds, and the independent directors of large fund complexes. Todd has in-depth knowledge of innovative and emerging areas in the fintech space, including cryptocurrency, share-class tokenization, and blockchain. Betselot’s previous SEC experience along with his private practice ties in well with our current practice and colleagues in our Washington, DC office.”
OUR NEW PARTNERS:
Mark advises mutual funds, closed-end funds, private equity, and hedge funds on governance, regulatory compliance, and transactional issues. He has deep familiarity with fiduciary obligations, securities regulations, and issues arising under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and counsels independent directors of some of the largest fund complexes. Mark also negotiates material service contracts, advises on director and officer liability at the state and federal levels, and provides counsel about related indemnification and insurance matters, including director and officer liability insurance coverage analysis and dispute resolution.
Todd’s practice includes advising asset managers and other financial institutions on federal securities laws compliance, the development and launch of investment products such as exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and their trading of portfolio investments including derivatives, repurchase agreements, and other complex investments. Todd additionally represents fund companies and their independent directors in connection with their responsibilities under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and advises on the application of blockchain/distributed ledger technology to capital market transactions and security and derivative issues related to the launch of virtual currencies or tokens.
Betselot assists investment advisers, boards of directors, family offices, private funds, mutual funds, ETFs, business development companies, and other pooled asset investment vehicles with their compliance with the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, Investment Company Act of 1940, Securities Act of 1933, and Securities Exchange Act of 1934. A former attorney advisor at the SEC, Betselot served as a member of the Chair’s Attorney Honors Program, where he rotated through different offices within the Division of Investment Management.