Mintz today announced that Kari K. Harris has joined the firm as a Member in the Corporate Practice in Boston. Ms. Harris focuses on the representation of private investment funds in connection with their fundraising, as well as representing institutional investors in an advisory fashion. She also has extensive experience in fund structuring. Prior to joining Mintz, Ms. Harris led Nixon Peabody’s Fund Formation team and was a member of the firm’s Private Equity and Investment Funds group.
While at Nixon Peabody, she worked with investment advisers in connection with regulatory compliance, corporate governance and sponsorship of private investment funds, and institutional investors in connection with alternative investments. Her private investment fundraising experience includes the organization of a full range of private investment funds, including leveraged buyout, venture capital, real estate, senior debt, mezzanine debt, and special focus funds. Ms. Harris specializes in representing private equity funds of funds, including fundraising for funds of funds investing across the full spectrum of private investment funds, and investing in the full spectrum of fund of funds investments (primary, secondary, and direct co-investments).
Ms. Harris also brings institutional investor experience to Mintz including representation of a broad variety of institutional domestic and international investors in connection with their alternative investments, including primary investments in hundreds of private equity, mezzanine funds, venture capital, real estate and special focus funds, traditional and synthetic secondary investments, and direct co-investments.
“Kari’s arrival is the latest step in our firmwide initiative to continue to build and diversify our Investment Funds Practice and fund formation capabilities,” said Bob Bodian, Mintz’s Managing member. “Her background and expertise enhances the firm’s ability to represent private investment funds in the fundraising and structuring of funds, including guidance on regulatory compliance, and institutional investors in their alternative investments. Furthermore, Kari’s in-house experience and perspective as general counsel to a global family office and private equity fund help her bring effective solutions to clients.”
Bodian continued, “She is a significant addition to our already talented group of attorneys, which includes the Chair of Mintz’s Investment Funds Group, Loretta Shaw-Lorello, who joined the firm last year and advises private equity fund sponsors on fund formation, operation, and regulatory compliance and counsels public and private pension plans on their private equity and hedge fund investments.”
Ms. Harris previously served as U.S. General Counsel at Waypoint Capital, a family office headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, with offices in Cambridge, MA, Jersey, London, and Luxembourg, and separately, as General Counsel of Gurnet Point Capital, a Massachusetts-based affiliated private equity fund. In her roles at Waypoint and Gurnet Point Capital, she focused primarily on life sciences and asset management, including hedge funds, private equity, real estate, and funds of funds investments.
Ms. Harris is Mintz’s latest addition to its Corporate Practice, with Ivan Presant and Louis Mercedes joining recently in New York and Boston, respectively. The additions to the firm are part of a strategic growth plan and support Mintz’s reputation for client service excellence.
