Sarah Davidoff
Partner, Ropes & Gray
Sarah Davidoff is a partner in the firm’s asset management practice and a co-head of Ropes & Gray’s Client Program. The world’s largest and most well-known alternative asset managers turn to Sarah for guidance on issues relating to the formation, structure and operation of their funds and firms. Clients have noted in Chambers USA that they value her ‘nuanced, commercially-relevant guidance” and commend her for being “exceptional at providing recommendations based on market experience.” She has particular expertise with spinouts, reorganizations, asset management M&A transactions, seed arrangements, high net worth access products, structuring internal compensation programs, designing bespoke and hybrid investment vehicles, and launching innovative fund products. In addition, Sarah has carved out a niche developing first-of-their-kind funds for clients focused on investing in cryptocurrencies, a ground-breaking investment strategy. Sarah regularly advises clients at the forefront of the constantly evolving regulatory and compliance landscape, is a frequent speaker at conferences, forums and other seminars in the private funds industry, and has contributed to a number of well-known legal publications.
Kathy Krause
Associate General Counsel, Goldman Sachs
Katherine is an associate general counsel in the Legal Department supporting the Merchant Banking Division (MBD). She serves on the MBD Client and Business Standards Committee and MBD Infrastructure Investment Committee. Katherine joined Goldman Sachs as a vice president in 2012 and was named managing director in 2017. Previously, she was an associate at Weil, Gotshal & Manges for six years. Katherine earned an AB in History and Literature from Harvard College and a JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Mike LaGatta
Deputy General Counsel, TPG Global
Michael LaGatta is General Counsel of TPG Holdings and Deputy General Counsel of TPG. Prior to joining TPG in 2011, Michael was Vice President, Strategy and Marketing at First Solar, a solar project developer and panel manufacturer. Prior to that, he was an Associate at the law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP in New York, where his practice was focused on M&A and leveraged transactions.
Michael graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a BS in economics, and earned his JD, Magna Cum Laude with order of the Coif Distinction, and his MBA, Summa Cum Laude, from Georgetown University.
Ranesh Ramanathan
Partner, Kirkland & Ellis
Ranesh Ramanathan is a partner in the Boston office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, and focuses on debt finance, distressed/special situations, alternative investments and credit fund transactions. Ranesh has extensive experience negotiating, structuring and managing complex transactions globally, from the United States to Europe, Asia and Australia, including acquiring diverse multijurisdictional portfolios of assets and extracting entire business units from distressed sellers. He has managed the legal aspects of investments in publicly traded and pre-IPO companies, as well as investments across the credit spectrum, and has worked with a variety of fund types including closed-ended, open-ended and managed accounts in a wide variety of strategies. Ranesh has also advised on private equity and hedge fund investments.
Ranesh returned to private practice in 2018 after nearly 15 years in in-house legal roles with Bain Capital and Citigroup. Immediately prior to joining Kirkland, Ranesh was a managing director at Bain Capital and general counsel to Bain Capital’s public markets business and served on Bain Capital Credit’s risk and oversight committee
Jude Scott
CEO, Cayman Finance
Jude is well respected locally and globally having spoken internationally on financial services topics and featured on a number of occasions in international media. He retired as an Audit Partner in 2008 after spending over 23 years with Ernst & Young. As the Global CEO of Maples and Calder, he took an active role in the strategic growth and development of the firm. Having served on various Cayman Islands Government and private sector committees, including the Cayman Islands Financial Services Council, the Cayman Islands Society of Professional Accountants, the Education Council, the Insolvency Rules Committee and the Stock Exchange, Jude has attained extensive experience within the Cayman Islands’ financial services industry. He has served as the CEO of Cayman Finance since 2014, and is committed to protecting, promoting, developing and growing the financial services industry of the Cayman Islands.
Sheryl Dean
Partner, Maples Group
Sheryl specialises in the structuring, establishment and operation of private equity funds and advising on their downstream transactions, as well as the formation and ongoing operation of hedge funds. She represents large sponsors as well as boutique and start up investment managers. Sheryl also advises on a wide range of corporate transactions, with particular expertise in M&A transactions, restructurings and joint venture arrangements.
Sheryl joined Maples and Calder in 2012, having previously been a partner at another international law firm in the Cayman Islands. Prior to her move to the Cayman Islands, she worked in the corporate and M&A teams at each of Slaughter and May and Gibson Dunn in London. Sheryl commenced her legal career in the corporate team of Russell McVeagh in New Zealand. Identified as a leading lawyer, Sheryl has been featured in Who's Who Legal publications and ranked by IFLR1000.
