Blake Estes Email and Phone Number

Partner in the Financial Services & Products Group. My practice centers on two primary verticals: alternative investment funds and derivatives/structured products.Alternative Investment Funds: I counsel asset managers and broker-dealers on all aspects of the development and distribution of alternative investment products, including registered investment companies, business development companies, and other permanent or long-term capital structures, as well as hedge funds and private equity funds. My asset management practice focuses on product structuring, compliance, operations, and fundraising within complex regulatory frameworks, including the Investment Company Act, the Investment Advisers Act, the Securities Act, the Securities Exchange Act, the Commodity Exchange Act and FINRA regulations. Derivatives/Structured Products: My derivatives practice covers a wide range of transactional and regulatory matters for investment fund managers, financial institutions, and corporate end-users. I guide clients through the development, structuring and documentation of derivatives and other complex financial products. I am a member of the Futures & Derivatives Regulation Committee of the New York City Bar Association.. FinTech Projects: I also provide essential legal and commercial guidance to operators of FinTech projects, including technology platforms for managing alternative investments, digital asset exchanges, tokenized platforms, and project investors. I am co-leader of Alston & Bird’s Blockchain & Distributed Ledger Technology Team.

General counsel for an SEC-registered manager of registered and private alternative investment funds with approximately $1.7 billion in assets under management employing infrastructure, energy and corporate credit strategies.

Advised on legal matters relating to the management company, funds and managed accounts for an SEC-registered manager of hedge funds with approximately $3 billion in assets under management employing relative value and macro fixed income and equity strategies.

Structured Finance DepartmentRepresented issuers and underwriters in connection with complex structured financing transactions, including CLOs, CDOs, ABCP facilities and total return swaps.

Capital Markets DepartmentRepresented issuers and underwriters in connection with complex structured financing transactions, including structured credit note programs and loan warehouse facilities.