K&L Gates Strengthens Asset Management and Investment Funds Practice with Chicago Partner Addition

Chicago – Global law firm K&L Gates LLP welcomes Christopher Lokken as a partner in the Asset Management and Investment Funds (AMIF) practice. He joins the firm’s Chicago office from Sidley Austin LLP. 

Lokken has nearly 25 years of experience advising clients on matters involving the structuring, formation, and operations of private investment funds, managed account programs, and other alternative investment platforms, as well as their investment management firms. With clients ranging from start-up managers to large institutional asset management firms, Lokken regularly advises alternative asset managers on securities and commodities regulatory and compliance matters, and maintains a significant practice representing clients in the negotiation of trading advisory agreements and placement agreements. 

“We are very pleased to have Chris join the firm,” said Michael Caccese, chairman and a leader of K&L Gates’ AMIF practice area. “Chris is a leading private funds lawyer with extensive experience working with alternative managers, and his addition enables us to further expand the high level of legal counseling K&L Gates offers its clients and the alternative manager investment community.”    

K&L Gates’ AMIF practice has more than 50 years of experience in the financial services industry and comprises more than 150 lawyers throughout Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, and North America. These lawyers provide advice to investment companies and advisers, broker-dealers, emerging managers, and institutional investors across a range of areas, including on investment, hedge, private equity, and real estate funds, regulated funds and exchange-traded products, capital markets and derivatives, ERISA, ESG, and global regulation and distribution, among others. 

Michael Martinez, managing partner of K&L Gates’ Chicago office, commented: “Chris’ impressive knowledge across many areas related to funds and private investments will enhance the firm’s Asset Management and Investment Funds practice. We look forward to working with Chris to leverage his unique talents to serve our clients both in Chicago as well as around the globe.”

Lokken is one of numerous partners and of counsel to join K&L Gates’ global AMIF practice during the past two years, with other recent additions to the practice including Ron Feldman in London earlier this month, Lance Dial in Boston in May, and three AMIF partners through the firm’s early January opening of an office in Dublin, Ireland, along with new AMIF lawyers in the firm’s Washington, D.C., Miami, New York, and Sydney offices.