Laura T. Schnaidt

Select Representative Matters

Ms. Schnaidt draws on her extensive background as in-house counsel to provide strategic legal and business counseling to her clients on a wide range of matters. She is a problem solver and trusted advisor, providing responsive and pragmatic advice with the utmost integrity, discretion and care for her clients. Select representative matters include:

Investment Management Matters

Advised the manager to a family of real estate funds on its investment transactions, fund formation, marketing efforts, employment issues and upper tier strategy issues.
Advised the manager of a newly established real estate fund on the launch of a fund and related organizational issues including fundraising.
Advised a fund sponsor on a succession plan and the spin-out of a business unit.
Advised the manager of a hedge fund on the restructuring of an existing fund, including an amendment of global fund documents and ongoing regulatory and operating issues.
Represented a hedge fund manager in the establishment of a new fund and ongoing operating and employment issues and limited partner negotiations.
Represented a $3.5B AUM venture capital firm in the formation of its sixth fund ($700 million) and negotiation of side letters, placement agreements, ongoing operational matters, and regulatory advice.
Represented a $1B AUM middle market private equity firm in its ongoing operational, employee, management company, and fund legal matters.
Represented a middle market credit fund manager with +$7B AUM in its ongoing operational, employee, management company, and fund legal matters including the establishment of a $2 billion fund.
Represented the founder to a private equity fund manager with $4B AUM in the negotiation of the upper tier agreement among the founders.
Represented a hedge fund manager with $2.5B AUM in the creation of a succession plan.
Represented an emerging manager in the establishment of its $1.8B hybrid fund.
Represented an established hedge fund manager with $7B AUM in connection with the restructuring of its flagship long-short equity hedge fund, ERISA hardwiring, liquidating SPV, and ongoing negotiations and communications with institutional investors.
Represented a global asset manager in the establishment of a $2B master-feeder credit hedge fund and the ongoing investor negotiations and operating matters in an existing credit hedge fund with $2B AUM.
Represented a global credit-oriented asset manager in the establishment of a fund-of-one.
Represented a global asset manager in the establishment of a $2B credit fund of one.
Represented a hedge fund manager with $2.5B AUM in connection with its ongoing legal and compliance matters.
Advised a $2.4B hedge fund manager on the dissolution of its business and wind-down of its funds.
Advised on the build-out of an asset management review protocol for a real estate manager and REIT.
Represented a real estate fund and REIT manager with +$1B AUM in connection with its ongoing legal and compliance matters, investor negotiations and asset management.
Advised a credit manager on the establishment of a VCOC (venture capital operating company) strategy and the negotiation of management rights letters with creditors.
Advised a firm on a partnership dispute among partners of a private equity fund and the separation of a key partner.
Advised a firm on a partnership dispute among partners of a venture fund and the separation of a key partner.
Advised a hedge fund founder in a dispute among partners.
Advised on the legal and business aspects of fund managers’ marketing materials, including pitch decks, one-pagers, websites, investor communications (including quarterly letters and annual meetings).
Advised managers on the drafting of daily operating and compliance policies and procedures, interpretation of fund document provisions, common operating issues such as the calculation of the management fee, and routine communications with trading counterparties.
Oversaw the review and negotiation of a hedge fund manager’s suite of trading documents, including prime brokerage agreements and ISDAs.

Compliance and Regulatory Matters

Oversaw the SEC exam of a private fund manager resulting in no material deficiencies.
Built and implemented the compliance program for various private fund managers, including advising on regulatory filings (13F, 13D, 13G, Form PF, Form ADV, NFA exemptions) and drafting compliance policies and procedures.
Advised various fund managers on management of the receipt of MNPI, expert networks and related compliance procedures.
Advised on routine and non-routine regulatory communications from the SEC and global regulators to various private fund managers, including filing obligations and inquiries.
Advised various fund managers on the analysis and implementation of SEC rules and applicable securities laws (including The Investment Advisers Act of 1940, The Securities Act of 1933, Regulation D).

Litigation Management and Risk Management

Directed a hedge fund manager on its activist strategy as a plaintiff in a class action lawsuit directed at a German automaker, including U.S. and German litigation and interfacing with litigation financiers.
Oversaw an auction process to sell a hedge fund manager’s litigation claims.
Advised various private fund managers on pre-litigation risk management and dispute resolution issues with counterparties and regulators.
Managed class action litigation in Delaware Chancery Court for an operating company during a proxy battle.

Corporate Matters

Represented a quasi-public bitcoin miner as it built out its corporate and mining operations following emergence from bankruptcy, including managing the annual meeting and a proxy battle against activists.
Advised a founder of an applied AI company on their commercial service contracts and equity agreements with customers and partners.
Advised a founder on a private investing round, profit sharing plan, and strategic growth.
Advised a startup company on the separation of a founding executive.
Represented a commercial real estate operator in connection with a working capital loan.
Advised an executive on various employment and partnership issues including the negotiation of an employment agreement.
Managed and advised on corporate governance, board dynamics and board meetings for various operating companies and private fund managers.

*Some of the matters above were handled prior to joining Paradox Principals.