Bio

Melissa Bender is a partner in the asset management group and is a co-head of the private funds practice. She advises hedge funds, credit funds, and other private funds on all aspects of their business, with a focus on helping sponsors with fund formation and regulatory compliance matters. Named to Daily Journal’s “Top Women Lawyers” list in 2019, Melissa has been praised for “making her mark with hedge funds.” Her clients also include U.S. and international institutional investors, endowments, funds of funds, private foundations, sovereign wealth funds and family offices. Melissa practices at the cutting edge of fund work and is recognized in her field as a member of the Legal 500, IFLR1000 and in Band 5 by Chambers. She has launched numerous funds using novel hybrid structures, advises clients extensively on cryptocurrency, digital assets and Fintech matters, and counsels clients on environmental, social and governance (ESG) and responsible investing. Based on the West Coast, Melissa also advises clients on California laws that affect asset managers, including in the areas of carbon credits, privacy and lobbying. Clients come to Melissa for elegant and pragmatic solutions, which they describe as encompassing “not only legal advice but also valuable market insights.” They also appreciate her in-house perspective, honed during her tenure as counsel at a Fortune 500 company. Melissa values building and managing diverse teams, and is a much sought-after mentor by junior lawyers. To connect women within the asset management industry, she launched the Ropes & Gray Women in Asset Management Network (WAMN), which regularly hosts networking events in the Bay Area. Melissa also leads the firm’s crypto blockchain task force, which is composed of more than eighty lawyers working across multiple practice groups and is dedicated to providing training, knowledge management and top tier client service in the digital asset space.