Speaker Bios
WILLIAM BIELEFELD
William Bielefeld advises registered funds (including open-end funds and closed-end funds) and BDCs, their investmentadvisers, and their boards of directors/trustees on a wide range of matters relating to the development and launch of newfunds, fund reorganizations, acquisitions and mergers, regulatory and compliance matters relating to existing funds, fundgovernance issues, and SEC examinations.
William has extensive experience working with investment managers focused on private markets investments to structure and design registered funds and BDCs to enable broader investor access to private markets strategies. Additionally, he has worked extensively with long established registered fund managers as they develop unique and innovative products encompassing private markets strategies.
Before joining Dechert, William served as an attorney-adviser in the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office ofCompliance Inspections and Examinations.
William has been recognized by The Legal 500 (US) in the area of financial services regulation.
NATHAN BRIGGS
Nathan Briggs is a partner in the asset management group at Ropes & Gray. Nathan’s practice focuses on advising registered investment companies, their independent directors, and investment advisers. Nathan works on a variety of matters regarding the establishment, registration, reorganization, and operation of retail and institutional investment products, including providing advice with respect to governance, regulatory, and compliance issues of all kinds affecting investment management industry clients.
Before working at the firm, Nathan interned at the Investment Adviser Association in Washington, DC, where he assisted and worked with its members in a variety of lobbying and industry-related issues. Nathan holds a master’s degree in international economic relations and has passed Level I of the Chartered Financial Analyst examination.
RYAN BRIZEK
Ryan Brizek is a partner in Simpson Thacher’s registered funds practice. He focuses his practice on transactional and regulatory matters involving mutual funds, listed closed-end funds, interval funds, tender offer closed-end funds, business development companies, exchange-traded funds, and their investment advisers, with a particular focus on providing access to alternative investment strategies through regulated funds.
Ryan regularly advises closed-end funds and their underwriters on capital markets transactions, including initial public offerings, underwritten and privately placed common and preferred stock offerings, at-the-market offerings, and rights offerings to acquire shares of common or preferred stock. He frequently counsels closed-end funds and their boards of directors regarding defensive tactics to seek to protect the interests of long-term shareholders, as well as proxy contests and related standstill arrangements.
In addition to fund representations, Ryan routinely provides strategic investment management regulatory advice to asset management firms in M&A transactions, including acquisitions, sales, mergers, restructurings and spin-offs of asset management businesses, and fund reorganizations and adoptions. He also represents clients seeking no-action positions, interpretive guidance, or exemptive relief from the SEC.
Ryan received his law degree from George Washington University Law School and his undergraduate degree from Pennsylvania State University.
ANNETTE CAPRETTA
Annette Capretta is associate general counsel at the Investment Company Institute and focuses on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) matters. Previously, she served as deputy managing director of the Independent Directors Council (part of ICI). Before joining ICI, Annette held senior management positions at the Securities and Exchange Commission and in the legal department of a large fund complex. Annette began her legal career as a litigator, after a one-year clerkship with a federal judge.
Annette received her law degree from the University of Virginia and a BS in mathematics from the University of North Carolina.
PAUL G. CELLUPICA
Paul G. Cellupica joined PIMCO in June 2021 as executive vice president and deputy general counsel, US regulatory. Previously, Paul was deputy director of the Division of Investment Management at the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from November 2017 until January 2021, and was also the division’s chief counsel from June 2018 until January 2021. As chief counsel, Paul led the office within the division that is responsible for responding to requests for legal and policy guidance, evaluating applications for exemptive relief, overseeing the division’s liaison with the Divisions of Enforcement and Examinations, and engaging with international regulators on matters related to asset management. From 2014 to 2017, he was managing director and general counsel for securities law at Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA), and from 2004 to 2014, he held various senior roles in the law department of MetLife, Inc., including chief counsel for the Americas. Paul also served at the SEC in several leadership capacities in the Division of Investment Management and the Division of Enforcement from 1996 to 2004. During his tenure at the SEC, Paul received the Martha Platt Award; the Law and Policy Award; the Chairman’s Award for Serving the Interests of Main Street Investors; and the Chairman’s Award for Excellence. Paul has a BA, magna cum laude, from Harvard College and a JD, cum laude, from Harvard Law School; he also served as a law clerk for Judge David Nelson of the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
CHRISTIAN CLAYTON
Christian Clayton is a senior vice president and strategist in PIMCO’s Newport Beach office, responsible for closed-end funds, interval funds, and other alternative strategies and structures. Before joining PIMCO in 2014, he worked in the investment banking division at Citigroup in Hong Kong. He holds an MBA from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California and a master’s degree in East Asian studies from Columbia University. Christian received an undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University.
THOMAS H. CONNORS
Thomas H. Connors is vice president and senior counsel at MFS Investment Management, a large global asset management firm. Tom provides legal support for the MFS Funds (both open and closed-end funds) and advises MFS on Investment Company Act of 1940 and other securities law matters. He is a member of the ICI Closed-End Fund Committee. Before joining MFS in 2012, he was an in-house lawyer at Deutsche Asset Management, John Hancock Advisers, and Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company. He was also an associate at Dewey & LeBoeuf, LLP. He received his undergraduate degree from Brandeis University and his law degree from George Washington University Law School.
PARTH DOSHI
Parth Doshi is a vice president and leads product management and development efforts for Nuveen’s closed-end fund product line. He is responsible for developing and bringing new concepts to market, as well as overseeing the ongoing product management of existing closed-end funds. Before joining Nuveen, Parth was a senior tax consultant at Deloitte, where he specialized in investment company taxation.
Parth graduated with a BS in accountancy and finance from the University of Illinois. He holds the Series 7 and 66 securities registrations.
KENNETH FANG
Kenneth Fang is associate general counsel at ICI. He has also worked at ProShare Advisors LLC, Goodwin Procter LLP, Morrison & Foerster LLP, and the SEC’s Division of Investment Management. Ken received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, his JD from the University of Maryland School of Law, and his LLM (with distinction) from Georgetown University Law Center.
ELLIOT J. GLUCK
Elliot J. Gluck is a partner in the asset management group of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP. His practice focuses on representing mutual funds, closed-end funds, exchange-traded funds, and their investment advisers. He has extensive experience in counseling on the organization and operation of registered investment companies, corporate governance, and regulatory compliance. Elliot serves as fund counsel to some of the largest fund complexes in the mutual fund industry, as well as midsize and smaller fund groups. Elliot regularly advises closed-end funds in capital markets transactions. He also provides counsel to investment advisers and their parent companies in connection with mergers and acquisitions of their asset management businesses.
Elliot is ranked nationally for Investment Funds: Registered Funds in Chambers USA (2021). In 2016, he was selected as a Rising Star of Mutual Funds at the Mutual Fund Industry Awards. Elliot has also been recognized by Legal 500 US and IFLR1000.
MICHAEL HE
Michael He is a senior account executive with AST Fund Solutions mutual fund division and has more than a decade of mutual fund proxy experience.
Michael started his proxy solicitation career at The Altman Group as a research analyst with the firm’s shareholder identification division. He has extensive experience with closed-end and open-end shareholder meetings, with special focus on proxy fights.
JONATHAN ISAAC
Jonathan Isaac is vice president and managing director, product management for Eaton Vance Distributors, responsible for all of Eaton Vance’s open- and closed-end funds and separate account strategies. He manages the firm’s product and portfolio strategy and market intelligence teams, oversees all investment-related communications, and maintains the firm’s relationships with closed-end fund research analysts and designated market makers. He also heads up the responsible investment strategy team, which was formed upon the firm’s acquisition of Calvert Research and Management in 2016. He joined Eaton Vance in 1994.
Jonathan leads the firm’s new product development and launch efforts. He is also managing director of product strategy for Advanced Fund Solutions LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Eaton Vance Corp. He is responsible for all product-related activities associated with AFS. Over his career at Eaton Vance, Jonathan has held a variety of managerial positions in the firm’s operations, marketing, and wealth management groups. His involvement with closed-end fund products dates to 2004 and coincided with dramatic growth in the firm’s closed-end fund assets under management.
Jonathan is a graduate of University College, London, in his native United Kingdom.
J. CHRISTOPHER JACKSON
J. Christopher Jackson is senior vice president and general counsel of Calamos Investments in Naperville, Illinois, where he has responsibility for the legal and compliance functions of Calamos and its affiliated companies. He has been involved in the financial services industry since 1986. From 1986 to 1996, he was associated with Van Kampen American Capital, Inc. (now known as Van Kampen Investments), in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, as vice president and associate general counsel in charge of the investment advisory group. In 1996, Christopher joined Hansberger Global Investors, Inc. (HGI), a global asset management firm with offices in Fort Lauderdale; Moscow; Ontario, Canada; and Hong Kong and served as HGI’s senior vice president, general counsel, and assistant secretary from 1996 to 2006. Christopher was responsible for all investment advisory and general legal functions at HGI; he also served on the Board of Trustees of the Hansberger Institutional Series open-end investment companies. Christopher joined Deutsche Asset Management in 2006, where he served as the director and head of US retail legal for Deutsche Asset Management’s legal division in New York, New York. Christopher’s primary responsibility at Deutsche Asset Management was overseeing the US investment company business, which had approximately 130 open-end and closed-end investment companies. He joined Calamos in 2010.
Christopher is a member of the bars of the states of Illinois, Florida, and New York and also a member of the American Bar Association and Illinois State Bar Association (former chairman of the Corporate Law Departments Section Council). He is a member of the National Society of Compliance Professionals and served on the Board of Directors from 2002 to 2005 and was the chairman of the board for two years. Christopher was reelected to the NSCP Board of Directors for a three-year term (2006–2008). He was named the 2006 Compliance Leader of the Year by the Compliance Reporter in its fourth annual ARC Awards. Christopher is a frequent speaker on topics involving investment advisers and investment companies and has authored or coauthored numerous articles dealing with a wide range of investment advisory and investment company topics. Christopher received his BA from Illinois Wesleyan University, his MA in economics from Northern Illinois University, and his JD from the University of Tulsa.
BRIAN McLAUGHLIN JOHNSON
Brian McLaughlin Johnson is an assistant director in the Rulemaking Office in the SEC’s Division of Investment Management. Brian heads the division’s Investment Company Regulation Office, which is responsible for rulemaking activities under the Investment Company Act in the division and provides advice on policy initiatives affecting the asset management industry.
Before joining the SEC in 2010, Brian was an associate at the Washington, DC, offices of K&L Gates and WilmerHale. Brian received his BA from the University of Delaware and his JD from the George Mason University School of Law.
DAVID LAMB
David Lamb is a senior managing director in the global structured product group at Nuveen and is the head of closed-end funds. Dave has more than 30 years of experience in the investment management business since joining the firm in 1991 and leads the CEF product management and development efforts at Nuveen. Dave is the current chair of the Investment Company Institute’s Closed-End Fund Committee.
A graduate of the University of Illinois, Dave received a BS in finance and passed the certified public accountant exam. He is also FINRA Series 7, 24, and 56 registered.
CHRISTOPHER LARSEN
Christopher Larsen is a senior product manager focused on closed-end funds with more than 20 years of investment industry experience. Chris has been with Franklin Templeton and predecessor companies since 2007. He is responsible for the strategic oversight, business management, and product development of Franklin Templeton’s closed-end fund business. Chris has served as an executive director of the Closed-end Fund Association since 2013. Before joining Legg Mason in 2007, Chris worked at the New York Stock Exchange for 10 years, most recently in its global corporate client group. He holds a BS in marketing from the State University of New York at Oswego, and an MBA from Fordham University.
STEVEN B. LEVINE
Steven B. Levine is a senior counsel in the Office of the Chief Counsel at the SEC’s Division of Investment Management. In this role, Steven counsels other divisions and offices at the SEC on investment management issues and considers requests for exemptive and no-action relief. Before joining the SEC in 2020, Steven was an associate at K&L Gates LLP, where he worked in the firm’s asset management and investment funds practice group. While attending law school in the evening, Steven worked in the legal departments of two investment advisory firms, focusing on legal and regulatory matters arising under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and the Investment Company Act of 1940. Steven earned his BA from Tulane University and his JD from Brooklyn Law School.
MICHAEL D. MABRY
Michael D. Mabry counsels investment companies, investment advisers, broker-dealers, and other financial service providers on a variety of securities and corporate matters. He regularly works with mutual funds, listed closed-end funds, interval funds, and exchange-traded funds. He has counseled boards of directors and investment advisers on regulatory, investigatory, enforcement, and litigation matters, including SEC examinations, closed-end fund proxy fights, rescissions, and private litigation. Michael frequently helps clients develop, register, and launch new and innovative investment products, and assists investment advisers and funds in complex transactions and instruments, including derivatives, credit arrangements, alternative investments, mergers, offshore investments, and proxy solicitations. He also assists investment adviser clients with registration and disclosure requirements, self‑custody, compliance, and marketing.
DAVID J. MARCINKUS
David J. Marcinkus is a senior counsel in the registered funds group of Proskauer Rose LLP and a member of its business development company (BDC) practice. Dave advises investment companies, boards, investment advisers, and BDC sponsors on regulatory and compliance issues under the Investment Company Act and the Investment Advisers Act. Before joining Proskauer, Dave was a branch chief in the Chief Counsel’s Office of the Division of Investment Management.
SANGEETA MARFATIA
Sangeeta Marfatia is responsible for closed-end fund research for CIO Global Wealth Management. With more than 20 years of experience in the closed-end fund sector, Sangeeta’s expertise has been featured on Bloomberg Television and Bloomberg Radio; she has also been quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, Financial Times, and Smart Money magazine. She is often a featured panelist at the Investment Company Institute (ICI) closed-end fund conference and at Barron’s women’s conference. Sangeeta started in the paper research group at the Investment Bank. Before joining UBS, Sangeeta worked at Deloitte as a senior manager in its mergers and acquisition services unit. Sangeeta is a Certified Public Accountant and holds NASD Series 7, 63, 86, and 87 licenses. Sangeeta holds an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business and a BBA in accounting from Baruch College, where she graduated magna cum laude.
STEPHEN MINAR
Stephen Minar, director, is a member of BlackRock’s US wealth advisory business, focusing on closed-end fund product management, development, and strategy.
Before joining BlackRock, Stephen worked in global capital markets at Morgan Stanley, where he was primarily responsible for the structuring and sale of closed-end fund initial public offerings and secondary market capital issuance. In a previous role at Morgan Stanley, Stephen was a research analyst covering both closed-end funds and exchange-traded funds.
Stephen earned a BA in finance from Xavier University.
JAMIE PATTURELLI
Jamie Patturelli is currently a director of exchange-traded products at the New York Stock Exchange, where he supports the delivery of customized, full service end-to-end capabilities for exchange-traded product and closed-end fund issuers. From the moment an asset manager begins developing their product, the team at NYSE can help to drive product and index development, regulatory guidance and legal support, an unparalleled listing day experience, and long- term enhancement of product growth and distribution alongside superior market quality and liquidity.
Before joining the exchange-traded products team, Jamie spent a combined 20 years at the New York Stock Exchange and American Stock Exchange in several roles within the regulatory and compliance divisions. He most recently was responsible for leading and managing the exchange’s listing programs for the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE American, NYSE Arca, NYSE Amex, and NYSE Arca options. He also has extensive background and experience in working with the SEC and FINRA on a variety of listing and trading issues.
ASHLEY SCHULTEN
Ashley Schulten, managing director, is the head of ESG investment within global fixed income at BlackRock. Ashley is a portfolio manager on ESG tilted funds and leads sustainable investing efforts within the fixed-income division. She sits on the Fundamental Fixed Income and Fixed Income Beta Executive Committees, the firm’s Voting Issues Advisory Committee, and the Americas Stewardship Advisory Committee. Additionally, she serves on the ExCom of the Green Bond Principles and represents BlackRock on the Task Force for Climate-Related Financial Disclosures.
Before BlackRock, Ashley spent 20 years as a sellside interest rate and options trader. She is an Aspen Institute First Movers Fellow and a trustee of the Mianus River Gorge, the first land conservancy project for the Nature Conservancy.
TOBY SERKIN
Toby Serkin is a partner on the investment management team at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP. Toby’s practice focuses on advising mutual and closed-end funds, their independent directors, and investment advisers. She counsels clients on a wide variety of regulatory, transactional, and compliance matters. She has significant experience in the establishment, registration, and operation of registered funds that employ a variety of investment strategies. Toby’s practice also includes organizing and providing ongoing advice to offshore funds for non-US investors and other private funds. She also represents funds and lenders in financing transactions, including loans to registered investment companies.
NEIL SULLIVAN
Neil Sullivan has been a managing partner at Vision 4 Fund Distributors, Inc (V4) since 2011. The firm specializes in the origination and distribution of both open- and closed-end offerings through the financial intermediary channel. Since its inception, V4 has successfully raised in excess of $5.5 billion in open-end fund assets and in excess of $12.5 billion in listed closed-end assets for their clients. Before Neil’s tenure at V4, he spent 19 years with the Eaton Vance organization. During his time at Eaton Vance, he was the CAO of the firm’s institutional/international business, managing director of national accounts, and sales director for the fee-based advisory channel. While at EV, he was a part of the leadership team responsible for the syndication of more than 50 equity and fixed-income closed-end funds raising in excess of $35 billion. Neil is a 1985 graduate of the College of the Holy Cross.
FINBAR WARD
Finbar Ward joined Morgan Stanley in 2006 and has since held a number of roles in wealth management, working with closed-end funds since 2016. Before Morgan Stanley, he worked at PriceWaterhouseCoopers in Ireland and Australia. He has a bachelor of law degree from the National University of Ireland, Galway, and a master’s in accounting from the Michael Smurfit School of Business, Dublin. He is a Chartered Accountant and a Chartered Financial Analyst.