Based in Simpson Thacher’s London office, Owen Lysak founded and co-leads the Firm’s European financial services and funds regulatory practice and co-founded and co-leads the European registered and retail funds practice. Owen is widely recognized as a leading practitioner advising private funds and alternative asset managers on complex U.K. and EU financial regulatory matters and on the democratization of access by ordinary investors to private markets investments. Owen has deep experience counseling prominent private funds, asset managers and financial institutions on U.K. and EU financial market regulations and transactions, including AIFMD, MiFID II and UCITS, as well as helping asset management firms design, develop and structure investment products, including having advised on many of the leading European private markets retail funds. His broad practice also includes advising on the regulatory aspects of M&A and restructurings within the financial sector, market abuse regulations, regulatory capital requirements and securities offering rules.
Owen is acknowledged by Legal 500 UK as a “Next Generation Partner” and Chambers UK where clients describe him as “able to distil mind-bending complexity into plain English” and “a leader in complex cross-border regulation”. He was recognized by IFLR as one of the most influential individuals in financial regulation in 2019 and as a “Rising Star” for financial services regulatory by IFLR1000. He was also named to Private Equity International’s Private Funds Management “30 Under 40 Lawyers” list in 2015 and 2017.
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Work Highlights
- EQT in the formation and launch of "EQT Nexus", EQT's first semi-liquid, open-end, retail fund-of-funds, aimed at providing individual investors with the opportunity to access EQT's wide range of strategies that are typically reserved for institutional investors
- KKR in the formation of “KPRIME” and “KIF”, its leading European semi-liquid, open-end retail funds focussing on private equity and infrastructure strategies for individual investors
- Blackstone on its leading European semi-liquid private wealth vehicles, Blackstone European Property Fund and Blackstone European Private Credit Fund
- Ares in the formation of its first European semi-liquid retail fund, AESIF
- Bridgepoint on the establishment if its long-term private equity fund, Bridgepoint Europe VII
- CVC on the formation and raising of CVC’s $6.8 billion Asia VI and on the establishment of its €26 billion long-term private equity fund, CVC IX, and €4.6 billion long-term private equity fund, CVC Strategic Opportunities II
- Permira on the establishment of its long-term private equity fund, P8, and its credit focussed fund PCS5
- Blackstone Tactical Opportunities in its investment in Currencies Direct
- NIC in the formation of the JPY 63 billion NIC III Series Funds
- CLSA Capital Partners in Sunrise Capital’s fifth Japan buyout fund, $500 million Sunrise Capital V
- Apax Partners in the formation and raising of c.$900 million Apax Global Impact Fund
Accolades
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Legal 500 UK, “Next Generation Partner” for Investment Fund Formation and Management
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Chambers UK for Financial Services: Non-contentious Regulatory
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IFLR, “Fin Reg Influencer” (2019)
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Private Equity International’s Private Funds Management, “30 Under 40 Lawyers” (2015 and 2017)
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The Legal 500 for Private Equity, Brexit and FinTech
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IFLR1000, “Rising Star” for Financial Services Regulatory
Education
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London School of Economics and Political Science, 2002 LL.B.
Associations
- BVCA’s Regulatory Committee
- Financial Markets Law Committee Asset Management Scoping Forum
Based in Simpson Thacher’s London office, Owen Lysak founded and co-leads the Firm’s European financial services and funds regulatory practice and co-founded and co-leads the European registered and retail funds practice.
Owen is widely recognized as a leading practitioner advising private funds and alternative asset managers on complex U.K. and EU financial regulatory matters and on the democratization of access by ordinary investors to private markets investments. Owen has deep experience counseling prominent private funds, asset managers and financial institutions on U.K. and EU financial market regulations and transactions, including AIFMD, MiFID II and UCITS, as well as helping asset management firms design, develop and structure investment products, including having advised on many of the leading European private markets retail funds.
His broad practice also includes advising on the regulatory aspects of M&A and restructurings within the financial sector, market abuse regulations, regulatory capital requirements and securities offering rules.
Owen is acknowledged by Legal 500 UK as a “Next Generation Partner” and Chambers UK where clients describe him as “able to distil mind-bending complexity into plain English” and “a leader in complex cross-border regulation”. He was recognized by IFLR as one of the most influential individuals in financial regulation in 2019 and as a “Rising Star” for financial services regulatory by IFLR1000. He was also named to Private Equity International’s Private Funds Management “30 Under 40 Lawyers” list in 2015 and 2017.
Owen is a regular contributor to regulatory policy debate and development, including in connection with reforms to European legislation including ELTIFs and AIFMD2, U.K. regulatory developments such as the introduction of the Long-Term Asset Fund and the U.K. Consumer Duty, the U.K’.s Patient Capital Review, as well as advising the Investment Association on issues relating to Brexit. Owen is a member of the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA) Regulatory Committee.
Owen obtained an LL.B. from The London School of Economics and Political Science. He is admitted to practice in England and Wales.