Faegre Drinker Grows Investment Management Practice Group in Washington, D.C. With Partner Gwendolyn Williamson

Faegre Drinker announced today that Gwendolyn (Gwen) Williamson has joined Faegre Drinker’s investment management practice group as partner in the Washington, D.C. office. Williamson joins from an international law firm where she was a partner.

Williamson represents players in the asset management space — registered funds and their independent directors; investment advisers, private funds, and other institutional investors; and high net worth individuals and family offices. Williamson focuses much of her practice under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, meaning that she advises clients on issues that arise in the operation of registered funds and investment advisory businesses. She is also highly experienced in environmental, social and governance (ESG) and principles-based investing.

“We’re excited to have Gwen joining the investment management group,” said David Williams, investment management practice group leader. “We know her sophisticated experience advising a broad range of investment industry stakeholders on governance and compliance responsibilities is going to be a great value add for teams and clients across the firm.”

Williamson enjoys working with clients to solve problems, whether in the short or long term. She thrives on working creatively to advise clients around the novel investment products that are the future of the asset management industry and in implementing SEC rulemakings and complying with the federal securities laws day to day.

“Having such a highly regarded attorney with Gwen’s breadth and depth of experience is a wonderful addition to our D.C. office,” said Maureen Donahue Hardwick, Washington, D.C. office leader. “She brings a great collaborative spirit and we are looking forward to learning from and working with her.”

A highly active speaker and writer, Williamson serves on the editorial board of The Investment Lawyer: Covering Legal and Regulatory Issues of Asset Management (Wolters Kluwer). Recent pieces she has authored cover the SEC’s new rules for private fund advisers, ESG investing frameworks, exchange-traded funds (ETF) governance and the evolution of mutual fund distribution arrangements.

Williamson earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia School of Law.