Alpa Patel is a partner in the Investment Funds Regulatory Solutions Group of Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Chicago, IL. Prior to joining Kirkland, she served as Branch Chief of the Private Funds Branch of the Investment Adviser Regulation Office in the SEC’s Division of Investment Management in Washington, D.C. At Kirkland, Ms. Patel’s practice focuses on counseling U.S. and non-U.S. investment advisers regarding the complex regulatory framework in which they operate. As a former regulator, she is able to provide insightful and practical guidance to clients grappling with issues related to the structure, management, and operations of their advisory business. She provides counsel to all types of investment advisers, including advisers registered with the SEC or state securities authorities, unregistered advisers, exempt reporting advisers, and family offices, regarding the establishment, marketing, operations of the funds and products they offer, such as separately-managed accounts, private equity funds, hedge funds, real estate funds, venture capital funds, and co-investment vehicles. Ms. Patel also routinely counsels clients through SEC examinations and enforcement actions. While at the SEC, Ms. Patel helped develop various rule proposals under the Advisers Act and provided technical assistance on the interpretation and application of the Advisers Act rules to all types of registered investment advisers. As head of the Private Funds Branch in the Division of Investment Management, she was a key adviser on all private fund-related projects and priorities across the SEC. She regularly consulted with the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examination (OCIE) and the Division of Enforcement on interpretive matters regarding the application of the securities laws to private fund advisers, as well as market practices in the private equity and hedge fund industries. She also represented the SEC on various interagency projects with the Department of Treasury, the Federal Reserve Board, and others regarding policy matters that had implications on asset managers and the private fund industry in particular. Ms. Patel is a frequent speaker on regulatory issues related to the asset management industry.