Friedrich, who had been with Shearman & Sterling for 12 years, has joined as a partner in Willkie’s asset management group in New York.

She will be part of the group’s private equity fund formation team focusing on advising US domestic and international private investment fund sponsors, distributors and investors on formation, investment and regulatory matters.

Friedrich has extensive fund formation experience, working with both fund sponsors and investors in fundraising efforts for multibillion-dollar funds, as well as middle market, regional and sector-specific funds. Her clients include US and international private equity, venture capital and hedge funds and their sponsors with investments in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

She has represented sponsors across numerous asset categories, including buyout, real estate, funds of funds, debt, energy, infrastructure, transportation and media. Additionally, Friedrich counsels funds and their sponsors on a broad range of business and transactional matters (including co-investments), as well as internal management, and regulatory and compliance issues.

Willkie’s asset management group – consisting of approximately 100 lawyers –  provides legal services to a range of clients in the asset management industry, including privately owned investment advisers, publicly traded asset management firms, broker dealers, insurance companies and banks, on subjects ranging from operations to fund formations, compliance and regulation. The group’s clients include funds, advisers and independent directors of more than 30 of the world’s most prominent asset management firms with assets under management ranging from $4 billion to nearly $7 trillion.

With a team of more than 50 attorneys in New York, Washington, London and Paris, the firm’s private equity fund formation practice group represents over 130 clients. Over the past two years, the firm has advised sponsors on forming more than 75 funds, as well as advising financial institutions and wealth managers on the formation of more than 40 access funds into private equity funds.

Margery Neale, chair of the asset management group, said: “Laura is a talented fund formation lawyer who is highly respected and a leader in the private fund and asset management community. Her addition is a significant step in the expansion of our fund formation practice, and adds tremendous value to our growing client base of firms investing in the buyout, credit, energy, real estate, insurance and technology sectors.”

Friedrich said: “Willkie’s dynamic private equity fund formation practice combines the firm’s strengths in asset management and private equity into one of the leading platforms of its kind. I am delighted to join this accomplished team, which serves many of the world’s largest sponsors, to further enhance Willkie’s capabilities to its clients.”


Willkie Farr & Gallagher's 2018 revenue stood at $817 million.