Derek Steingarten is a partner in Morrison Foerster’s New York office and co-chair of the firm’s Investment Management Group. He also serves on the global Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) steering committee at Morrison Foerster.

Derek has 25 years of experience advising a wide range of registered and private fund sponsors and other institutional asset managers. He counsels clients on the fund formation, capital raising, marketing, and compliance needs of hedge funds, private equity funds, private credit funds and fund of funds, sub-advised funds, bank collective funds, institutional separate accounts, managed account platforms, mutual funds, ETFs, and other registered vehicles, such as interval funds and BDCs. His broad experience allows him to advise clients on regulatory and transactional issues in a way that is tailored to the lifecycles of their businesses and financial product offerings. This includes managing regulatory and governance issues under the Investment Company Act, the Investment Advisers Act, and other U.S. federal securities laws, including SEC examinations, investigations, regulatory enforcement, and disputes.

Asset managers regularly engage Derek as an active partner in transaction negotiations and due diligence for wealth management industry acquisitions, lift-outs, and strategic combinations and restructurings. He has extensive experience with state- and federal-chartered trust companies and their specialized role within the wealth management industry.

Derek is recognized in Chambers most recent legal ranking guides including Chambers Global 2025 and Chambers USA 2024 nationwide, with clients noting that he “offers quality business-oriented counsel and unfailing responsiveness” and that he is “thoughtful and clear in his advice.”