Ziba Kinder

Ziba Kinder is a Director at Cleveland & Co, where she leads on key matters within the firm’s asset management practice. With over 15 years of experience across global law firms and top-tier asset managers, Ziba provides strategic legal counsel to clients on financial services regulation, fund structuring, trading arrangements, and cross-border distribution.

Ziba is qualified as a solicitor in England & Wales and is recognised for her ability to balance legal precision with commercial pragmatism. She advises a wide range of clients, from institutional fund managers and ACDs to pension funds and platform providers, on complex regulatory obligations, governance frameworks, and legal documentation. Her areas of expertise include UCITS, non-UCITS, AIFs, MiFID II compliance, derivatives, custodial arrangements, and investment management agreements.

Before joining Cleveland & Co , Ziba held senior legal roles at Franklin Templeton and Ninety One, where she supported front-office initiatives, developed internal legal frameworks, and advised on the implementation of major regulatory regimes including Consumer Duty. Earlier in her career, she trained and practised in private practice at leading law firms, gaining a solid grounding in corporate, commercial, and financial services law.

Ziba’s approach reflects Cleveland & Co’s core values of integrity, clarity, and excellence. Known for her problem-solving mindset, strong communication skills, and calm under pressure, Ziba consistently delivers advice that is tailored, clear, and anchored in the real-world needs of her clients. She is valued not just for her technical expertise, but for her ability to foster trusted partnerships, grounded in empathy, transparency, and a deep understanding of the asset management industry.

Her work spans the drafting and negotiation of complex agreements (including IMAs, platform and distribution agreements, and service contracts), advice on fund prospectuses and KIIDs, and end-to-end support on trading, custody, and settlement arrangements. Ziba also provides practical guidance on governance oversight, inducements, and product governance, helping clients manage risk and meet evolving regulatory expectations with confidence.

Outside of her legal practice, Ziba is driven by connection, with her family, friends, and team, and brings warmth, humour, and authenticity to every relationship she builds.