Biography
Kate Downey is a corporate partner resident in Fried Frank's London office, and head of the Firm's European Private Equity Funds Practice.
Ms. Downey advises fund sponsors and financial institutions across a broad range of asset classes, including private equity, venture and growth, infrastructure, credit and real estate. She counsels fund managers on carried interest, co-investment and other incentive arrangements, including leveraged co-investment arrangements. She also has considerable experience advising on a broad range of other international private equity transactions, including secondary portfolio acquisitions and synthetic secondaries, fund and management company restructurings and other general corporate matters.
Ms. Downey co-chairs the European Committee of Women in Fund Finance, a group focused on recognition and promotion of women leaders within the alternative investment fund finance industry.
Ms. Downey advises fund sponsors and financial institutions across a broad range of asset classes, including private equity, venture and growth, infrastructure, credit and real estate. She counsels fund managers on carried interest, co-investment and other incentive arrangements, including leveraged co-investment arrangements. She also has considerable experience advising on a broad range of other international private equity transactions, including secondary portfolio acquisitions and synthetic secondaries, fund and management company restructurings and other general corporate matters.
Ms. Downey co-chairs the European Committee of Women in Fund Finance, a group focused on recognition and promotion of women leaders within the alternative investment fund finance industry.
Honors & Awards
Ms. Downey is consistently recognized as a leading private funds practitioner by Chambers UK, Chambers Europe, Legal 500 UK, Legal 500 US, IFLR 1000, Best Lawyers (ranked in UK 2020 edition for Investment Funds), The Lawyer (ranked in 2019 Hot 100), Who’s Who Legal (EMEA Formation Thought Leader) and PLC Which Lawyer?.
Chambers UK 2019 noted Ms. Downey’s “clients regard her as ‘simply outstanding in her technical knowledge, commercial awareness and responsiveness.’” Chambers UK previously said Ms. Downey’s “clients praised her for ‘knowing the funds industry inside out’ and ‘being an intellectually rigorous, very commercial, detail-oriented and solution-focused partner with excellent judgement.’” Legal 500 UK recognized Ms. Downey as “extremely technically strong.”
In addition, the 2019 edition of Who’s Who Legal: Private Funds recognized Ms. Downey “as ‘a huge asset’ in fund formation, drawing praise for her ‘excellent work’ for fund sponsors and financial institutions”. She also received the 2019 Dee Dee Sklar Women in Fund Finance Award, which recognizes the recipient's outstanding overall contribution to women in the fund finance industry. Furthermore, Ms. Downey was recognized as one of the IFLR1000 Women Leaders 2018 (one of 22 Women Leaders in the UK), ranked in Expert Guides for investment funds and women in business law, and was named in Financial News’ “40 under 40” as a rising star in the legal industry.
Chambers UK 2019 noted Ms. Downey’s “clients regard her as ‘simply outstanding in her technical knowledge, commercial awareness and responsiveness.’” Chambers UK previously said Ms. Downey’s “clients praised her for ‘knowing the funds industry inside out’ and ‘being an intellectually rigorous, very commercial, detail-oriented and solution-focused partner with excellent judgement.’” Legal 500 UK recognized Ms. Downey as “extremely technically strong.”
In addition, the 2019 edition of Who’s Who Legal: Private Funds recognized Ms. Downey “as ‘a huge asset’ in fund formation, drawing praise for her ‘excellent work’ for fund sponsors and financial institutions”. She also received the 2019 Dee Dee Sklar Women in Fund Finance Award, which recognizes the recipient's outstanding overall contribution to women in the fund finance industry. Furthermore, Ms. Downey was recognized as one of the IFLR1000 Women Leaders 2018 (one of 22 Women Leaders in the UK), ranked in Expert Guides for investment funds and women in business law, and was named in Financial News’ “40 under 40” as a rising star in the legal industry.