Prakash H. Mehta

Partner

Areas of Focus

Prakash H. Mehta

Partner

pmehta@akingump.com

Areas of Focus

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Biography
  • Advisor to many of the world’s most prominent investors, including private equity, hedge and credit fund sponsors, sovereign wealth funds, university endowments, investment banks, international organizations and other institutional investors.
  • Member of the firmwide management committee, the firm’s governing body; the firmwide partner compensation committee and the firmwide diversity, equity & inclusion council.
  • Key leader of the firm's international practice, instrumental in the establishment of the firm’s offices in Singapore, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong and Beijing, and launching of initiatives covering Saudi Arabia, India, Japan and Norway, among others.
  • Member of the Board of Trustees of Drucker School of Management, Claremont Graduate University; Member of Advisory Board of Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute; Member of the Advisory Council of the Committee for Global Thought at Columbia University; Board of Directors of the U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC).

Prakash is a leader in the firm’s pioneering, preeminent and global investment management practice. He is internationally recognized as one of the world’s leading attorneys in the field of private investment funds. Prakash represents the largest and most sophisticated global asset management firms, including many of the marquee names in the industry.

In his storied career, Prakash has advised on hundreds of billions of dollars of private fund formations across a wide variety of strategies, including private equity, hedge and credit.

Furthermore, Prakash has a global network of clients and contacts developed over his more than 25 years of experience advising some of the largest sovereign wealth funds, university endowments, investment banks, international organizations and other institutional investors around the world, on all aspects of their business, from capital raising and fund formation, to assisting in complex transactions that support their investment and other business strategies.

Prakash also provides ongoing counseling on investor portfolio company matters and serves as corporate counsel to public and private portfolio companies.

Following the global financial crisis and in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Prakash has been extensively involved in investigations and formal dispute resolution, both within and outside of the funds industry.

Prakash is a leader of the firm's international practice. He was instrumental in the establishment of the firm’s offices in Singapore, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong and Beijing, and launching of initiatives covering Saudi Arabia, India, Japan and Norway, among others.

Widely regarded as one of the most influential lawyers advising fund managers, Prakash has had a profound impact on the industry and he has been honored for his work and contributions.

Prakash has been recognized by publications such as the National Law Journal and Institutional Investor, and consistently ranked in legal directories such as Chambers and The Legal 500.

Clients consider Prakash to be “an outstanding attorney who has the unique ability to provide technical expertise along with practical commercial advice.” His peers remark that “he's fantastic in terms of knowledge of the industry and he’s just great to work with” and “clients absolutely adore him; he has a really loyal following.”

Prakash is a highly sought-after thought leader and prolific speaker at conference, trade association, industry and university events. Most recently, he spearheaded the launch of FundSpeak, a monthly speaker series that critically examines legislative, regulatory and enforcement priorities under the Biden administration and Congress, with a particular focus on impacts on the investment funds space.

Representative Work
  • Advised Breakout Capital in the $250-million launch of its flagship emerging markets-focused investment fund, which was seeded by a leading sovereign wealth fund and was launched in strategic partnership with Rockefeller Capital Management.
  • Advising university endowments in connection with their investment activities, negotiation of terms and compliance with tax, regulatory issues, civil litigation and securities and enforcement matters.
  • Advising sovereign wealth funds in connection with some of their most significant capital commitments, deployments and transactions across the world and covering all major industry sectors.
  • Advising on manager-level transactions, including seed arrangements, joint ventures and minority stake sales.
  • Counseling funds on the restructuring of shale-play investments impacted by the volatility in the energy sector.
  • Providing advice on debt and equity investments in shipping assets around the world.
  • Assisting Asian clients on U.S. inbound investments in a variety of sectors deemed attractive by virtue of the relative strength of the U.S. economy.
  • Representing limited partner advisory boards with respect to “zombie fund” manager disputes, with extensive work on “funds divorce” matters involving fund principals and investors.
"An outstanding attorney who has the unique ability to provide technical expertise along with practical commercial advice."
Chambers Global, 2021

Education
  • J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, magna cum laude, 1994

  • B.S., Georgetown University, summa cum laude, 1991

Bar Admissions
  • District of Columbia

  • New York

Recognitions
  • Chambers Global, 2009-2024.
  • National Law Journal, 50 Most Influential Minority Lawyers in America.
  • Chambers USA, 2008-2023.
  • Acritas, Acritas Star, 2019.
  • The Legal 500 US, Investment Fund Formation and Management: Alternative/Hedge Funds and Private Equity Funds, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023.
  • The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific, India, 2022, and Hong Kong, Investment funds, 2021 and Singapore, Investment funds, 2022.
  • Institutional Investor, 10 Rising Stars of Private Equity and M&A Law.
Affiliations and Public Service
  • Member, Board of Trustees, Drucker School of Management, Claremont Graduate University
  • Member, Advisory Board, Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute
  • Member, Advisory Council, Committee for Global Thought, Columbia University
  • Board of Directors, U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC), part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
  • Founding Member, Advisory Council, South Asia Center, Atlantic Council
Speeches and Publications
  • Moderator, “What Akin Gump is Seeing in the Funds Industry – How Are Governments, Lenders, GPs and LPs Reacting,” Akin webinar.
  • Moderator, “Are Asian Countries at Risk,” Institute Fund Summit Asia hosted by the Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute, Singapore.
  • Moderator, “City of Tomorrow,” Annual New York Private Investment Funds Conference.
  • Moderator, “President Biden’s FDR-Inspired Legislative Agenda: What Should Investment Managers Expect,” Akin FundSpeak Series.
  • Moderator, “What Can Global Investors and SWFs Expect from the U.S.,” Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute webinar.
  • Moderator, “LP Perspectives: What Drives Allocations?” EMPEA/IFC: Annual Global Private Equity Conference, Washington, D.C.
  • Panelist, “Brexit, Trump and the Rise of Populism: The Modern Global Fund Landscape,” Maples Investment Forum, Grand Cayman.
  • Panelist, “Compliance and Reporting Considerations for Hybrid Funds,” Managed Funds Association.
  • Panelist, “U.S. and India: Post-Election Perspectives,” USIBC.

Insights and Achievements

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