Michael W. Mundt

Partner

Experience

  • Stradley Ronon Advises Dimensional Funds in Securing Exemptive Relief for ETF Share Class Structure

    As counsel to the Dimensional funds, Stradley Ronon prepared the application for exemptive relief recently granted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to Dimensional Fund Advisors to offer exchange-traded funds (ETFs) as a share class within a multiple share class structure (ETF share class). The SEC issued its order on November 17 after Dimensional filed its third amended application on September 26 for relief from certain provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940 to operate such funds.

    The ETF share class delivers potential tax efficiency to fund shareholders and promotes greater investor choice. Dimensional currently advises mutual funds and is also one of the largest active ETF sponsors ranked by assets under management. 

    Michael W. Mundt, Bruce G. Leto and Jana L. Cresswell

  • Pacific Asset Management Acquired by Aristotle

    Stradley Ronon represented Pacific Life Insurance Company with the sale of its third‐party credit asset management firm, Pacific Asset Management, LLC, which manages over $20 billion in assets, to Aristotle Capital Management, LLC. The transaction creates Aristotle Pacific Capital, LLC (Aristotle Pacific).

    Katrina L. Berishaj, Peter Bogdasarian, Philip J. Foret, Thomas L. Hanley, Jason R. Jones, Dean V. Krishna, Mena Larmour, Jeremy M. Miller, Michael W. Mundt, Lawrence P. Stadulis and Megan E. Stamm

  • O’Shares ETFs Completes Strategic Transaction With SS&C ALPS Advisors

    Stradley Ronon represented O’Shares ETFs in a strategic transaction with SS&C ALPS Advisors, a wholly owned subsidiary of SS&C Technologies Holdings. The transaction provides for a long-term collaboration between the providers and reorganized the O’Shares ETFs, with approximately $1.5 billion in assets under management, into new series of ALPS ETFs. O’Shares will continue to provide marketing support and index licensing.

    Michael D. Mabry, Shawn A. Hendricks and Michael W. Mundt

  • Dimensional Enters ETFs Space

    Stradley Ronon’s investment management group represented Dimensional funds and its independent directors in the launch of Dimensional ETF (exchange-traded funds) Trust, three new activity managed, tax-efficient ETFs. The new ETFs will broaden Dimensional Fund Advisor’s existing suite of mutual funds, separate accounts and commingled trusts. Dimensional will be one of the first asset managers to launch active transparent ETFs using SEC Rule 6c-11 and convert mutual funds into ETFs in this fashion.

    Bruce G. Leto, Jana L. Cresswell, Mark A. Sheehan, Michael W. Mundt, Brian Crowell, Miranda L. Sturgis, Joel D. Corriero, David W. Grim, Michael D. Mabry and J. Stephen Feinour Jr.

  • O'Shares Launches Smart-Beta ETF

    Stradley Ronon’s Investment Management Group represented O'Shares Investments, a division of Montreal-based O’Leary Funds Management LP, in the launch of O’Shares FTSE US Quality Dividend ETF (OUSA: NYSE Arca), their sponsored O’Shares ETF through FQF Trust. The team also assisted the client with negotiating index licenses with FTSE and other intellectual property issues. O’Leary Funds, founded by ABC “Shark Tank” investor and CNBC contributor Kevin O'Leary and Connor O'Brien in 2008, has grown to more than $900 million in assets under management, including the Canadian O'Leary Funds.

    Michael W. Mundt and Michael D. Mabry

  • Trusted Advisor to Franklin Templeton and Its $898 Billion Portfolio

    As a global investment management organization with $898 billion in assets under management, Franklin Templeton's mutual funds  face many regulatory and compliance challenges. For more than 25 years, Stradley has advised Franklin as registered fund and advisor counsel. For example, Stradley Ronon's investment management team assisted on the creation of a manager-of-managers alternative strategies fund, which relied on a first-of-its-kind exemptive order that Stradley helped Franklin obtain. Also, we led on the formation of a new Franklin Templeton insurance product fund – a multi-strategy fund, portions of which are managed by various affiliated investment managers. Stradley also helped Franklin launch its first exchange-traded fund. In addition, we have worked with Franklin Templeton to implement the changes required by the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010. These regulatory changes have had a profound impact on asset managers and the regime in which they operate.

    Bruce G. Leto, Kristin H. Ives, Alison M. Fuller, Michael W. Mundt, Fabio Battaglia, Amy C. Fitzsimmons and J. Stephen Feinour Jr.

Firm Highlights