Cleary Gottlieb Adds Retail Investment Experience to Leading Global Funds Group With John Mahon

Cleary Gottlieb announced today that John Mahon joined the firm as a partner in its Global Funds group, based in Washington, D.C. His addition is part of the firm’s ongoing investment in alternative investment funds and follows the arrival of partner Florence Zhang, who advises on asset management transactions, in September. John focuses on the rapidly evolving landscape of permanent capital retail investment vehicles, including their formation and operation.

“We are thrilled to welcome John to Cleary,” said Cleary Managing Partner Michael Gerstenzang. “Retail investment products are transforming how private markets connect with investors, and John has been at the forefront of that change. His experience guiding sponsors through the design and distribution of retail investment products positions us to meet the growing overlap between institutional and individual capital.”

John has extensive experience advising asset management clients in structuring, launching, and managing regulated fund products and other permanent capital vehicles. He represents private equity firms, credit managers, and other market participants in a broad range of fund formation, capital markets, and securities law matters, including both public and private offerings of business development companies (BDCs), closed-end funds, interval funds, and other alternative vehicles. John has been involved in more than 100 debt and equity offerings, including more than 20 initial public offerings (IPOs). He also brings deep experience navigating the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the regulatory implications for both registered funds and BDCs.

“John’s addition to the team underscores our commitment to meeting our clients’ evolving needs,” said Liza Lenas, partner and leader of Cleary’s Global Funds Group. “With his years of experience advising on regulated fund products and retail funds, John enhances the depth of our top-tier fund practice and strengthens our ability to guide clients as private and retail fund strategies increasingly converge.”

“I am delighted to join Cleary’s leading Global Funds group,” said John. “I look forward to joining a distinguished team of lawyers advising on market-leading fund structures, especially as we continue seeing a trend of private equity sponsors entering the retail market.”

Prior to joining Cleary, John was a partner at an international law firm in Washington, D.C. John started his career at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Corporation Finance. He received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and his B.S. from the University of Richmond.