June 16, 2025
New York, NY, June 16, 2025 -- Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP announced today that private funds lawyer Debra Franzese has joined the Firm as a partner in the Asset Management Department. She is based in New York.
“Debra is recognized as a trusted adviser in the private funds space and we are delighted to welcome her to Willkie,” said Phil Isom, Chair of Willkie’s Private Funds practice group. “She brings diverse transactional and regulatory experience and a results-oriented approach to addressing day-to-day as well as complex issues for clients that align well with our global team’s growing capabilities.”
Debra maintains an extensive fund formation practice across a broad range of asset classes and strategies, advising sponsors and managers of various private investment funds, including hedge funds, private equity funds, funds of funds, commodity pools, co-investment vehicles and hybrid funds. She focuses on fund formation and structuring, fund interest offerings and investments, and domestic and offshore partnerships and other investment vehicles, including separately managed accounts for institutional investors. Debra also has significant experience with regulatory and compliance matters, including providing advice regarding SEC registration for both U.S. and non-U.S. investment advisers, development of compliance policies and procedures, regulatory filings, and assistance with regulatory examinations. She is a regular speaker at industry events and has also been recognized for her work by leading industry organizations.
Debra commented: “Willkie has a top-ranked global private funds practice that aligns well with the broad transactional and regulatory needs of my investment adviser and fund manager clients. I’m excited to further extend the Firm’s private funds capabilities and grow my practice within a world-class platform.”
Debra joins a team of approximately 25 partners in Willkie’s Private Funds practice group who focus specifically on private fund formation and liquidity solutions transactions across the Firm’s offices in New York, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, London, Paris and Frankfurt. She was previously a partner at Seward & Kissel.
Willkie’s Asset Management team is one of only four firms ranked by Chambers USA 2025 for each of Private Equity: Fund Formation; Investment Funds: Regulatory & Compliance; Investment Funds: Investor Representation; Hedge Funds; and Registered Funds. Willkie is also recognized in the 2025 editions of Chambers France for Investment Funds and Chambers UK for Investment Funds: Private Equity.
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Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP provides leading-edge legal solutions on complex, business critical issues spanning markets and industries. Our more than 1,200 attorneys across 15 offices worldwide deliver innovative, pragmatic and sophisticated legal services across approximately 45 practice areas. Learn more at www.willkie.com.
