Paul Hastings announced that investment funds and sports lawyer Chidi Oteh has joined the firm as a partner in its Boston office, continuing the firm’s strategic expansion of its global Investment Funds practice.
Oteh joins from Ropes & Gray, where he practiced in its Band 1-ranked investment funds group. He advises investment advisers, hedge funds, private equity funds, institutional investors and asset managers on fund formation, governance, regulatory compliance and transactional matters. His practice also spans the sports industry, advising asset managers, principals and organizations on matters involving both professional and collegiate sports.
His client roster includes Bain Capital, Benefit Street Partners, Bracebridge Capital, HarbourVest, PIMCO, The Vistria Group, Aralan Capital, the NFL, the Golden State Warriors, the Seattle Seahawks, the Carolina Panthers and the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
The addition marks the seventh partner to join Paul Hastings’ global funds team in 2026 and reunites Oteh with Investment Funds practice co-chair Amanda Persaud, who also recently joined the firm from Ropes & Gray. Since the beginning of 2023, Paul Hastings has added 12 other investment funds partners from firms including Paul Weiss, Kirkland & Ellis, Simpson Thacher and Ropes & Gray, contributing to more than 70% revenue growth for the practice during that period.
The firm’s Investment Funds & Private Capital platform advises a broad range of global asset managers and institutional investors, including Apollo Global Management, Ares Management, Blackstone, Brookfield, Carlyle, EQT, Fortress Investment Group, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, H.I.G. Capital, KKR, Morgan Stanley Capital Partners, New York Life, PGIM, Sixth Street Partners and TPG. The practice has also received industry recognition, including Law Firm of the Year – Fund Formation: Europe at the Private Debt Investor Awards and the Fund Formation Law Firm Award at The Drawdown Awards.
KEY QUOTES:
“We have a stellar list of over 500 asset manager clients across virtually every asset class from credit to PE buyout, infrastructure, real estate and entertainment, sports and media. It is a strategic priority for us to continue the growth of our premier funds platform globally and the addition of premier talent like Chidi adds further depth to our existing elite team. Chidi fits with our culture driven by excellence and collective ambition and his reputation and skillset will be invaluable to our extensive list of leading asset manager and institutional investor clients as we continue to gain market share at the top of the market.”
Frank Lopez, Chair of Paul Hastings
“I am excited to join Paul Hastings at such a pivotal moment in the evolution of its platform at the intersection of private funds and sports. My capabilities and clients align seamlessly with the firm’s offerings, and I look forward to reconnecting with Amanda and working with the broader team. Sports-focused private funds and transactions are an emerging strategy, and Paul Hastings is one of the very few law firms well positioned to advise clients in the space.”
Chidi Oteh, Partner at Paul Hastings