Zeeshan Ahmedani is a partner in our Abu Dhabi office. Zeeshan is a member of the Firm's Investment Funds practice. He has substantive experience advising managers and sponsors on the organization and establishment of private investment funds both onshore and offshore (tax haven) jurisdictions, including hedge funds, private equity funds, real estate funds, distressed debt funds, hybrid funds and Sharia compliant funds. Zeeshan represents managers, placement agents and sponsors around the world, with equity diverse investment and distribution strategies.

He has also represented fund sponsors on the establishment of management companies and compensation arrangements, as well as on US regulatory issues, including investment advisory, investment company, ERISA, securities listing, distribution strategy, and commodities and futures trading matters.

Zeeshan also represents institutional investors on their alternative asset portfolios included negotiating investments in all classes of private investment funds, separately managed account and investment management agreements.

He has had articles published on topics such as securities issues related to private investment funds, hedge fund advisor performance compensation, and US broker-dealer issues.

Zeeshan has also spent time in the Firm's London, Palo Alto, Hong Kong and Tokyo offices, and continues to counsel Asia-based and Europe-based clients.

Examples of recent representations include:

• Advising a Japan-based bank on the establishment and closing of a Cayman unit trust, master fund of the umbrella type (with Japan-focused long-short, long only, and market value strategies as distinct sub-funds), as well as an Irish Stock Exchange listed Euro feeder fund and Japan feeder fund;
• Acting for the seed investors in two European-focused real estate funds;
• Acting for Citibank on the establishment and closing of a MENA-region Shari'ah-compliant real estate fund;
• Advised the Qatar Investment Authority on its investment of more than US$6 billion to become the largest shareholder in one of the world’s leading banks;
• Representing Qatar Investment Authority in its on-going alternative investment programme;
• Acting for GCC-based private pensions, endowments and institutional investors in their alternative asset program investing in large, recognized private investment houses and investment banks;
• Acting for a Dutch fund-of-funds on negotiating Asia-focused real estate and infrastructure fund investments;
• Acting for a large regional development bank on the establishment and closing of a Central Asia-focused private equity fund;
• Acting for a major bank on the establishment and closing of its insurance risks fund;
• Acting for a Russia-based manager on the establishment and closing of a hybrid minerals fund;
• Acting for a MENA-based manager on the establishment and closing of a MENA-region private equity fund;
• Advising a GCC-based entity on the establishment of a sovereign venture capital group for local investments; and
• Representation of InvestAD (formerly Abu Dhabi Investment Company ADIC) in its negotiation of and entry into an agreement to acquire Orasinvest Holding Inc. Limited from Orascom Telecom Holding S.A.E. The acquisition was made through ADIC's Middle East and North Africa (MENA) fund.

Bars and Courts
California State Bar, 1998

Education
JD, University of Southern California, Order of the Coif, 1998
BS, University of California, Irvine, 1994

Languages
English
Urdu
Hindi

Citizenship
United States