Mike Dankis

Mike is an investment funds counsel in Linklaters' New York office. He advises private investment funds, including private equity funds, real estate and infrastructure funds, credit and special situations funds and hedge funds with respect to formation, marketing, operation and investment and management activities. Mike also represents institutional investors, including large U.S. pension schemes and sovereign wealth funds in connection with their investments in private equity funds, debt funds, hedge funds and other investment partnerships, as well as on the disposal of such investments on the secondary market.

His practice includes advising investment managers on spin-offs and transfers of management contacts and he has acted for one of Europe’s largest hedge funds on a number of such deals. Mike provides specialist regulatory advice to U.S., European and non-EEA fund houses.

Mike has been recognized in Chambers USA 2022 for Private Equity: Fund Formation. Clients commented that "Mike is pragmatic and solutions-focused and also has great depth of market knowledge." "He is always responsive, commercial, and reliable." "He is a fantastic, details-focused lawyer."

Work highlights

• Aermont: advising on the establishment of their fourth generation European-focused opportunistic real estate fund (€2bn).
• Barings: advising on the establishment and management of its core open-ended real estate fund and its fourth generation special situations fund.
• SMBC, New York: advising on the establishment of its second U.S. direct lending fund.
• A large European real estate manager: advising on the establishment and management of a single asset continuation vehicle for a high-performing asset.
• One of the world’s leading global asset managers: advising on its establishment of a US$3bn strategic partnership with a high-profile U.S. government retirement system.
• Macquarie Group: advising on the formation of multiple infrastructure debt funds and separate accounts
• KKR: advising on the launch of St James’s Place’s Diversified Assets Fund, an open-ended investment platform providing its clients with access to a diversified pool of assets managed by KKR
• KKR Credit Advisors: advising on the establishment of its European direct lending platform.
• Ardian: advising on the set up and fundraise of its first North American buyout Fund.
• Deutsche Bank: advising on the establishment of its private credit asset management business. 
• State Street Global Advisors: advising on their clients’ investments in real estate funds in the U.S. and Europe
• A large UK pension scheme: advising on its investments in separate managed accounts with three separate managers, established to invest in retail and commercial real estate debt.

Mike joined Linklaters in London in 2009 as a trainee solicitor. After qualifying into the Investment Funds group in London in 2011, Mike relocated to New York in 2016. 

Mike studied law at the University of Cambridge in the UK and completed the Legal Practice Course at the University of Law, London.