Photo, Laurent Fessmann

Laurent Fessmann

Biography

Laurent Fessmann is a Banking & Finance partner specializing in the formation and structuring of Luxembourg investment funds. He is a former managing partner of the Luxembourg office and the current co-chairman of the Baker McKenzie's Global Funds Steering Committee. He started his career in 1996 as in-house counsel in a French CAC40-listed company where he worked intensively on LBO transactions, capital markets and corporate law matters. Mr. Fessmann joined a Luxembourg business law firm where he became a partner prior to founding his own law firm in 2009. He is a highly regarded professional and recognized legal professional in Chambers, Legal 500, IFLR notably. He contributes time and knowledge in several market participant industry associations in particular as co-chairman of the ABBL/ALFI depositary forum working groups, the European Public Real Estate Association, the Luxembourg Private Equity Association and the Association of Global Custodians. He is also a regulator at fund conferences such as ALFI, IBCI and regularly invited to speak on internal or bank seminars.

Practice Focus

Mr. Fessmann has 25 years’ experience in business law highlighted by significant experience in fund structuring and asset management including formation and ongoing assistance of investment funds in a variety of asset classes (real estate, private equity, loan funds and infrastructure funds ). He advises asset managers and global custodians on regulatory and custody law issues and acts for them in the creation of asset management companies and regulated entities active in the financial sector. He also provides fund raising solutions in the securitization business and the debt capital markets.

Representative Legal Matters

  • Advises three multibillion US-based global asset managers on fund formation and ongoing compliance issues in the real estate and private equity sectors.
  • Acts for a London-based asset management bank in the implementation of private equity funds in various asset classes (debt funds, PE/VC and renewable energy).
  • Regularly engaged by European and Asian institutional investors in their LP due diligence and investment processes.
  • Acts for the three biggest French asset management firms in the set-up of UCITS and alternative funds in Luxembourg.
  • Trusted legal adviser to three ultra high net worth family offices

Admissions

  • Strasbourg~France (2006)
  • Luxembourg (2006)