Geoffrey Kittredge, a London-based partner and Chair of Debevoise’s European Funds/Investment Management Group, focuses his practice on private investment fund formation. Mr. Kittredge represents a broad range of international private equity and other private investment funds and their sponsors, including buyout, infrastructure, energy, credit, real estate, secondaries and venture funds, as well as funds of funds. Among his recent third-party reviews:
Resident in Europe since 1999 and in London since 2002, he is a member of the Legal & Regulatory Council of the Global Private Capital Association (previously the Emerging Markets Private Equity Association), and is also a member of the Legal & Accounting Committee of the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association.
Mr. Kittredge represents a wide range of sponsors in their fund formation and related activities, including:
He has published numerous articles on private investment fund related topics including “Key Developments in Fundraising in 2021,” Evercore – State of the Market (January, 2022); “Case Law update,” BVCA Technical Bulletin (November, 2020); “Emerging Managers Barometer,” BVCA (April, 2020); “Legal Considerations – Structuring, Key Terms & LPA Negotiation,” BVCA Investor Relations and Fundraising (September, 2019); “Governance in Emerging Market Private Capital,” Emerging Markets Private Equity Association(April, 2019); “First-Time Fundraising Barometer,” BVCA Report (July, 2018); “Debevoise On Brexit: The ‘No-Deal Deal’,” The Columbia Law School Blue Sky Blog (February, 2018); “Debevoise & Plimpton Discusses Contingency Planning For Brexit,” The CLS Blue Sky Blog (December, 2017); and “Expense Allocation: The SEC Brings Down The Hammer,” Vol. 16 No. 1, Journal of Investment Compliance (May, 2015).
Mr. Kittredge is a regular speaker at the Fundraising Masterclasses held by the Emerging Market Private Equity Association, including delivering sessions in Mumbai and London. Other recent speaking engagements include “Co-Investment Trends and Best Practice in Emerging Markets,” Global Private Capital Association (November, 2023); “SEC Private Funds Proposals: Developments from the United States,” BVCA: Tax, Legal and Regulatory Conference 2022 (November, 2022); “How has the LP-GP Relationship Changed?,” BVCA Private Debt Forum (March, 2022); “First Time Funds – The Legal Perspective,” First Time Fundraising Digital Workshop (February, 2021); “Legal Considerations – Structuring, Key Terms & LPA Negotiation,“ BVCA Investor Relations and Fundraising Workshop (October, 2020); “The Legal Perspective,” BVCA First Time Fundraising (February, 2020); “Latest Trends in Fund Terms and How These May Evolve,” BVCA Summit 2019 (October, 2019); “Legal Strategies: Balancing GP Interests and Maintaining Marketable Positioning to LPs,” EMPEA Masterclass – London (October, 2019); “Does the Structure Fit the Purpose?,” EMPEA Sustainable Investing in Emerging Markets Summit (October, 2019); “Key Fund Terms and Market Trends,” Invest Europe Fund Structuring Training (September, 2019); “The Main Economic Terms,” Invest Europe Fund Structuring Training (September, 2019); “Legal Considerations – Structuring, Key Terms & LPA Negotiation,” BVCA Investor Relations and Fundraising (September, 2019); “Latest Trend in Fund Terms and the Implications for Managers and Investors,” Invest Europe Investor’s Forum (March, 2019); “International Real Estate Investment Vehicles: Debt Fund Structures,” Geneva Investors' Forum (March, 2019); “The conflicts of interest LPACs are addressing. What are the current hot issues?,” BVCA Roadshow (March, 2019); “The Legal Perspective,” First Time Fundraising (February, 2019); “The current state of the secondaries market,” BVCA Secondaries Roundtable (December, 2018); “Key Fund Terms and Market Trends,” and “The Main Economic Terms,” Invest Europe Fund Structuring Training (September, 2018); “PE Funds 101,” International Lawyers for Africa (ILFA) 2018; Advanced Training (September, 2018); “Key Fund Terms and Market Trends,” and “The Main Economic Terms,” Invest Europe Fund Structuring Training (March, 2018).
A regular contributor to the Debevoise & Plimpton Private Equity Report, he has contributed to articles including “EU Directive on Alternative Investment Fund Managers: Are the Trialogues Almost Over?,” “Spinouts of Private Equity Funds,” “UK Freedom of Information Act Could Spell Trouble for Private Funds,” “Advisory Committees in US and European Private Equity Funds” and “Emerging Markets Shine in a Difficult Year.”
Mr. Kittredge received his B.A. in 1984 from the University of Virginia, his M.B.A. in 1992 from Columbia Business School at Columbia University in Finance and Business Economics and his J.D. in 1996 from New York University, where he was an editor of the Law Review.