Strategic ETF Partner Hire Strengthens K&L Gates' Asset Management and Investment Funds Practice

San Francisco – Global law firm K&L Gates LLP welcomes Edward Baer as a partner in its Asset Management and Investment Funds (AMIF) practice. Baer joins the firm’s San Francisco office from Ropes & Gray LLP.

Baer brings extensive experience advising exchange-traded funds (ETFs), investment companies, and asset managers on a wide range of compliance, regulatory, governance, operational, and capital markets matters. His practice spans the full lifecycle of fund development and operation, including product structuring, compliance frameworks, board governance, ETF trading, and creation and redemption mechanics. He also has significant experience advising clients on digital assets and cryptocurrency-related matters, including fund structuring, regulatory considerations, and investments tokens, as well as emerging products and market structures.

Earlier in his career, Baer served as managing director and senior counsel for the world’s largest global asset manager and as chief legal officer of the largest US ETF platform, where he oversaw legal and compliance matters for more than 300 ETFs representing approximately US$800 billion in assets under management at the time. In his previous roles, Baer led work across ETF registration, exemptive relief, exchange listing and trading issues, and innovative product development, including novel ETF structures and strategies.

“Edward’s deep experience across both traditional ETF structures and rapidly evolving digital asset products makes him an outstanding addition to our practice,” said Clair Pagnano, a leader of the firm’s global AMIF practice. “Clients are increasingly navigating the intersection of regulated funds and next-generation investment vehicles, and Edward brings valuable insight into both.”

Baer’s arrival follows several additions to the firm’s AMIF practice in the past year, including Washington, DC partner Thoreau Bartmann, Hong Kong partner Huberta Chow, London partner Marianna Tothova, and New York partner Robert Leonard.

“Edward has spent his career at the forefront of ETF product development, regulation, and innovation, and he brings a level of depth and practical experience that is rare in this space,” said Matthew Mangan, managing partner of K&L Gates’ San Francisco office. “His arrival reflects our continued commitment to the California market and strengthens our ability to meet the evolving needs of clients across asset management and digital assets.”

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.