Kate Watchorn

Kate has significant experience advising leading European and global asset managers on the establishment, authorisation, marketing and ongoing management of public alternative investment funds and UCITS (with a broad range of strategies) in Ireland. She has broad regulatory expertise and advises on various legal and regulatory frameworks including AIFMD, UCITS Directive, MiFID, EU marketing requirements and the sustainability-related legal framework including SFDR and the Taxonomy.

Kate also has experience advising on the establishment, authorisation, fundraising, marketing and ongoing management of private funds and carrying out detailed fund reviews on behalf of large institutional investors and family offices making investments into private funds.

Kate trained in a leading Irish law firm and worked in the Asset Management and Investment Funds Department of that firm (after qualifying) for 6 years. Kate also worked in the Fund Structuring and Fund Services Department at a global U.S. law firm for 3 years (based in Amsterdam).

Kate is also a member of our ESG & Sustainability practice area and assists in advancing the firm’s client sustainability offering.

Recent work includes advising:

• Fund managers on the establishment and ongoing management of standalone and umbrella funds;
• Fund managers on seeking regulatory clearance of EU and non-EU investment managers;
• Fund managers on domestic and cross-border mergers under the UCITS Directive;
• Fund managers on sustainability-related frameworks including SFDR and the Taxonomy, drafting pre-contractual disclosures, website disclosures and responsible investing policies;
• Non-EU AIFMs marketing non-EU AIFs across the EU via NPPR;
• EU and non-EU investment firms on the application of MiFID;
• Private equity firms on the establishment, authorisation, fundraising and ongoing management of large private equity funds; and
• Institutional investors and family offices on making large investments into private funds;

Kate is currently a member of Invest Europe’s Financial Services and Regulatory Working Group and is also a member of Irish Funds’ Events Working Group and holds a Batchelor of Laws from Trinity College Dublin.