Skadden announced that Robert Griffin, Kapil Vishnu Pandit, and Skye Smith have joined the firm as partners in its Investment Management Group.
Griffin and Smith will be based in Skadden’s office in Abu Dhabi’s ADGM, while Pandit will be based in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office.
The trio brings experience across investment management, private funds, and alternative investment strategies. Their clients include global asset managers, sovereign wealth funds, institutional investors, fund sponsors, and managers.
Their combined practices cover private equity, credit funds, real estate funds, funds-of-funds, hedge funds, secondaries transactions, continuation vehicles, co-investments, and bespoke investment arrangements. They also advise across the full lifecycle of fund formation and structuring, investment and capital deployment, ongoing fund and management company operations, and liquidity solutions.
Griffin has experience in international fund structuring, fund management, regulatory compliance, and private placements. His work includes multijurisdictional matters involving Brazil, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and the Middle East.
Pandit’s practice focuses on sponsor-side private fund formation, structuring, and ongoing operations, as well as strategic capital solutions and institutional investor advisory work. He also advises on bespoke fund manager transactions, including liquidity solutions, secondaries transactions, preferred equity structures, spinout transactions, joint ventures, and institutional and sovereign investor representations.
Smith advises institutional investors on structuring and negotiation of primary commitments, co-investments, continuation vehicles, separately managed accounts, and other bespoke arrangements. She also provides strategic fund investment and governance advice for sovereign wealth fund clients.
Skadden said the hires support a period of strategic growth for the firm and expand its investment management capabilities across the Middle East, the United States, and other international markets.
Griffin received his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law, his M.A. from the University of Texas at Austin, and his B.A. from the University of Maryland, College Park. Before his legal career, he served in the U.S. Air Force and received the Meritorious Service Medal for support to United Nations operations in the Balkans.
Pandit received his J.D. from Howard University School of Law, his M.S. from George Washington University, and his B.S. from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Smith received her J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law and her B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles.
KEY QUOTES:
“We are excited to welcome Robert, Kapil and Skye to join us during this exciting period of strategic growth at the firm. Their experience advising prominent institutional investors on the full spectrum of fund formation activities across the Middle East, the United States and beyond complements our existing offering and will be of tremendous value to our clients.”
Jeremy London, Executive Partner at Skadden
“Skadden’s global platform, depth of practice and commitment to excellence make it the ideal home for our investment management practice. We are excited to work alongside the firm’s talented team to enhance our world-class funds practice and to deepen Skadden’s relationships with clients across the globe.”
Robert Griffin, Partner at Skadden
“Joining Skadden presents a tremendous opportunity to build and grow our practice. The firm’s strategic vision for investment management, combined with the breadth of its corporate and regulatory capabilities, will enable us to deliver even greater value to our clients on their most complex and consequential fund matters.”
Kapil Vishnu Pandit, Partner at Skadden
“I am delighted to join Skadden’s Investment Management Group. I look forward to the opportunity to continue working alongside Robert and Kapil, as well as my new Skadden colleagues, to advise sovereign wealth funds and institutional investors as they navigate increasingly complex cross-border investment structures.”
Skye Smith, Partner at Skadden
