Partner, Simpson Thacher
Based in Washington, D.C. office, David Blass is a Partner in the Firm’s Investment Funds Practice. David is a leading regulatory lawyer in the funds industry and has advised on matters involving innovative registered funds products, Investment Advisers Act compliance, SEC examination and enforcement matters, and broker-dealer regulatory compliance. He is uniquely qualified to provide strategic and regulatory advice on matters involving asset management firms and broker-dealers.
David has extensive knowledge of the regulatory requirements of the asset management industry having served as General Counsel of the Investment Company Institute, the trade association for registered investment funds. He also held senior roles for over a decade at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, most recently as Chief Counsel and Associate Director in the Division of Trading and Markets, where he oversaw broker-dealer regulation and large aspects of FINRA’s regulatory program. David was the Associate General Counsel for the SEC where he was responsible for Dodd-Frank Act implementation, among many other programmatic areas. He also held a senior role in the SEC’s Division of Investment Management, leading the office regulating registered investment advisers, including advisers to private funds.
Chambers Global reports that clients say he is an “excellent regulatory lawyer” who is both “very knowledgeable and easy to work with.” David was notably named “Independent Counsel of the Year” by Fund Intelligence’s Mutual Fund Industry & ETF Awards in 2021.
CEO, Institutional Limited Partners Association
As Acting CEO for the Institutional Limited Partners Association (ILPA), Jennifer Choi directs the association's engagement with external industry stakeholders to inform and enhance ILPA's education, research, membership and advocacy platforms. Ms. Choi also leads the implementation of ILPA's responses to emerging issues impacting the asset class, including efforts to establish and promote industry best practices.
Prior to joining the ILPA, Ms. Choi served as Vice President of Industry and External Affairs for the Emerging Markets Private Equity Association (EMPEA), where she led the association's member and industry engagement activities, including efforts to encourage policy frameworks that support the growth of the asset class. As EMPEA's Research Director, she built the industry's first global database of private equity activity in the emerging markets. A frequent speaker and commentator on the industry, Ms. Choi also oversaw the association's media communications and global institutional partnerships. Previously, Ms. Choi was a consultant with Boston-based Stax Inc., leading due diligence engagements and providing advisory services for the U.S. private equity and venture capital industry.
Jennifer holds a Masters in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University and a B.A. summa cum laude in Economics and Political Science from Augustana College.
A View from Both Sides: The SEC’s Proposed Regulation of Private Fund Sponsors and its Impact on the Industry
New York City Lawyers Chapter, In-House Counsel Network, Simpson Thacher Bartlett LLP
New York, NY