A Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Registered Funds Practice, Benjamin Wells focuses his practice on advising registered investment vehicles and investment advisers on various transactional and regulatory matters, including structuring and formation, initial and follow-on securities offerings, regulatory relief applications and ongoing governance and compliance. His experience includes listed closed-end funds, interval funds, business development companies and REITs. He also represents underwriters in connection with offerings by registered investment vehicles. Benjamin was named a Rising Star at the 2017 Mutual Fund Industry Awards as well as in Super Lawyers magazine.
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Work Highlights
- Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, Inc., a non-exchange traded equity REIT, in the launch of its continuous SEC-registered offering and ongoing matters
- Blackstone / GSO Secured Lending Fund, a business development company, in connection with its private offering and ongoing matters
- New Mountain Guardian III BDC, L.L.C., a business development company, in connection with its private offering
- Clarion Partners Real Estate Income Fund Inc., a closed-end interval fund, in connection with its continuous offering
- Blackstone / GSO Floating Rate Enhanced Income Fund, a closed-end interval fund, in connection with its continuous offering
- Oaktree Real Estate Income Trust, Inc., a non-exchange traded equity REIT, in the launch of its continuous SEC-registered offering and ongoing matters
Accolades
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Rising Star, 2017 Mutual Fund Industry Awards
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Rising Star, Super Lawyers Magazine
Education
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University of Michigan Law School, 2008 J.D.
cum laude
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Trinity University, 2003 B.A.
cum laude
Associations
- American Bar Association
- New York State Bar Association
Benjamin Wells is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s New York office and a member of the Firm’s Registered Funds Practice. Benjamin focuses his practice on advising registered investment vehicles and investment advisers on various transactional and regulatory matters, including structuring and formation, initial and follow-on securities offerings, regulatory relief applications and ongoing governance and compliance. His experience includes listed closed-end funds, interval funds, business development companies and REITs. He also represents underwriters in connection with offerings by registered investment vehicles.
Representative transactions on which Benjamin has worked include:
- Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, Inc., a non-exchange traded equity REIT, in the launch of its continuous SEC-registered offering and ongoing matters
- Blackstone / GSO Secured Lending Fund, a business development company, in connection with its private offering and ongoing matters
- New Mountain Guardian III BDC, L.L.C., a business development company, in connection with its private offering
- Clarion Partners Real Estate Income Fund Inc., a closed-end interval fund, in connection with its continuous offering
- Blackstone / GSO Floating Rate Enhanced Income Fund, a closed-end interval fund, in connection with its continuous offering
- Three Blackstone / GSO closed-end funds in their IPOs and ongoing matters
- KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Inc. in its IPO
- Oaktree Real Estate Income Trust, Inc., a non-exchange traded equity REIT, in the launch of its continuous SEC-registered offering and ongoing matters
- Blackstone / GSO as sub-adviser in connection with its separation from funds advised by FS Investments
- Blackstone Real Estate Income Fund, a non-listed closed-end fund, in ongoing matters
- Underwriters in connection with various offerings, including by Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc., Highland Income Fund and funds advised by Gabelli Funds, LLC
- First Data Corporation in the largest IPO of 2015
Benjamin received his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School and his B.A., cum laude, from Trinity University. He is admitted to practice in New York.