Thomas joined Cleveland & Co in 2022 as a Senior Associate to strengthen our Private Equity and Investment Funds practices.
Thomas obtained his Master’s degree in Business Law from the University of Paris 1, Panthéon-Sorbonne in 2011 and was admitted to the Luxembourg Bar in 2013.
Thomas has previously worked for top-tier international law firm Loyens & Loeff in Luxembourg, Singapore and London as well as for global law firm DLA Piper in Luxembourg and has over 11 years of professional experience. Throughout his career, Thomas has had broad international exposure and has advised clients on matters relating to Private Equity, M&A, Corporate Finance, Structuring and Fund Formation.
Thomas is continuously learning new skills to provide relevant advice and innovative solutions to clients. Thomas obtained a Certificate in Data Analysis for Management from the London School of Economics in 2019 to help clients harness and make sense of data and to bring value to their businesses. Most recently, he also obtained a Certificate in International Environmental Law in 2021 from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, notably to assist clients in keeping up-to-date with ESG matters.
Outside of the office, when Thomas is not creating innovative solutions for his clients, you can find him helping with tree-planting and social projects, or walking his Dalmatian Whisky, together with his son and his partner, in parks, forests, and other green spaces. He also enjoys reading a good book.
Thomas has developed a broad variety of skills, notably in relation to:
- Anti-Money Laundering
- Banking & Finance
- Commercial contracts & negotiations
- Corporate governance
- Corporate restructuring
- Corporate Due Diligence
- Equity Capital Markets
- Financial Services Laws & Regulations (EU)
- Fund Structuring and Fund Formation
- Joint Ventures
- M&A
- Private Equity
Thomas has gained experience at the following institutions:
- Loyens & Loeff
- DLA Piper
- Deloitte
- Commission Vietnam, Paris Bar Association
- Certificate in International Environmental Law, The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)
- Certificate in Data Analysis for Management, The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
- Registered Foreign Lawyer with the Solicitors Regulation Authority in England and Wales
- Previously registered as a Foreign Lawyer with the Singapore Bar
- Qualified as an avocat with the Luxembourg Bar
- Postgraduate certificate in Luxembourg Law, Luxembourg Ministry of Justice
- Master’s degree in Business Law, University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
- Bachelor’s degree in Political and Social Sciences (Private Law Major), University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
- English
- French
- German
- Luxembourgish
- Vietnamese
- Japanese (elementary)
Leela Fair has grown with Cleveland & Co and quickly proven her capabilities becoming the Acting Managing Director of our UK office in early 2021. She oversees business development, client relationships, and all staff needs as well as supports the CEO on the day to day working of the business.
Leela has risen to senior management very quickly through her drive and invaluable experience in financial service. Leela’s experience covers private equity, traditional fund, and hedge fund sectors and includes advising and assisting a range of services providers within the asset management industry including investment managers, investment advisors, administrators, brokers, custodians, introducers, regulatory platforms, pension funds and placement agents.
Leela is a determined and ambitious professional who is adept at working in varied and fast paced environments. Leela’s motivation, versatility and unflappable attitude, make her a highly valued member of the Cleveland & Co team. When she’s not inspiring us running the day to day at Cleveland & Co, you can find Leela reading through a cookbook and planning the weekend menu!
- Leela has developed a variety of skills namely in relation to:
- ACD Arrangements
- Administration
- AIFs
- Appointed Representative Arrangements
- Authorised funds (ACS, AUT, ICVC, UCITS and NURS)
- Broker Agreements
- CISs
- Commercial Contracts
- Custody
- Distribution
- EIS/SEIS
- Hedge Funds
- HR & Employment
- Institutional
- Intra-group Agreements
- Introducer Arrangements
- Listed Investment Companies
- Pooled Pension Funds
- Private Equity
- Real Estate
- Regulation, including: Capital Adequacy, Competition Law, FCA Rules & Guidance, GDPR, MiFID II, Prudential Requirements, SM&CR.
- Research Payments
- Service Agreements
- Sponsorship Arrangements
Qualified in England & Wales
- Border to Coast Pensions Partnership Limited: reviewing all documentation related to prospective investments (private equity, infrastructure, private debt, alternatives), managing side letter and MFN processes.
- Capital Group: carrying out an impact assessment, advising and updating legal documentation for MiFID II.
- Commodities World Capital: preparation of marketing documents, negotiation of all legal documents entered into between service providers and the AIFM, and liaising with Cayman and US counsel in relation to the launch of their Cayman fund.
- Fullerton –creating a global travelling portfolio policy and an assessment report advising on the impact of Capital Adequacy Requirements.
- Hambro Perks: reviewing investment documents for EIS/SEIS investments.
- Investment Association – reviewing member guidance, advising on regulatory issues such as MiFID II, Benchmark Regulations and the Market Abuse Regulations, and assisting with the launch of the IA’s Velocity FinTech Accelerator.
- J Stern: carrying out an impact assessment on research arrangements, advising and updating legal documentation for MiFID II and GDPR.
- Kin Capital: assisting with reviewing and updating appointed representative agreements, custodian terms of business and subscription and shareholder’s agreements.
- Mainspring: managing all custody agreement negotiations with their EIS/SEIS and private equity clients.
- Association of Women Solicitors
- Mentor, Amos Bursary Programme
- The Professional Skills Courses (Kaplan Altior, London)
- Litigation Programme (Kaplan Altior, London)
- Legal Practice Course (BPP Law School, London)
- Bachelor’s degree in Law (King’s College University, London)
- English
- French
- Conversational Italian
