Brendan’s practice focuses on alternative investment funds across all major asset classes for both emerging and established managers, including credit, private equity, infrastructure and real estate.

Joining from Proskauer Rose in London where he was counsel, Brendan previously worked as a senior associate in the investment funds team at Fried Frank, which included a secondment to global investment firm Permira for over six months. He has experience advising clients in relation to fund formation spin-outs, secondary transactions, general partner-led restructurings, carried interest arrangements, and managed accounts.

Delphine Currie, co-chair of Reed Smith’s Global Corporate Group, commented: “We’re delighted to welcome Brendan to the firm, he is a brilliant specialist funds lawyer who will greatly complement our existing funds offering and strengthen Reed Smith’s corporate practice. In particular, Brendan’s focus on credit funds, with the combined offering of our market leading funds finance team and the broader private credit practice, will be of great benefit to the firm and highly valued by our clients.”

Reed Smith is considered a market-leader in the area of funds finance, with the firm acting on behalf of most of the UK, European and U.S. financial institutions that provide capital call/subscription line, NAV, asset-backed, hybrid and other fund facilities.

Brendan Gallen said: “I am thrilled to be joining Reed Smith, a firm that is highly regarded as one of the market leaders in the core areas that my practice focuses on. It will provide me with a truly global platform to continue to build my practice and to work alongside the corporate partners and, in particular, the private credit team.”

Andrew Jenkinson, managing partner of the firm’s London office, said: “We are really excited to welcome Brendan to Reed Smith. Building our funds capabilities here in London is a strategic priority for the firm, and Brendan truly fits the bill. He is a well-established lawyer who brings a broad range of expertise to the table.”

Reed Smith’s Global Corporate Group covers all aspects of corporate and commercial law and spans the firm’s 30 offices. The EME corporate practice has undergone significant growth over the past few years, with the group welcoming corporate partners Milan Thakker, Sam Webster and Shervin Shameli in London, Adela Mues in Dubai, Caroline Ledoux in Paris, and Dimitris Assimakis in Athens.