Ben Watford

Ben Watford is a partner in the Investment Management Practice Group and European Head of Hedge Funds in the London office of Haynes Boone. Ben qualified as a solicitor in 2002 and has been a partner for more than ten years, with the majority of that time in leadership roles. His practice focuses on the structuring and establishment of onshore and offshore investment funds in various jurisdictions, as well as providing ongoing counsel to fund managers, investors, and service providers to funds. Ben has worked on a range of alternative investment funds for fund managers, family offices, sovereign investors, and entrepreneurs, including credit, event-driven, special situations, global macro, crypto emerging markets, long/short equity, quantitative, multi-strategy, fund of funds, commodities, and real estate. Such funds have been domiciled in various jurisdictions including the Cayman Islands, Ireland, Luxembourg, Channel Islands, BVI, Malta, UK, and the U.S. He has been widely recognised for his extensive investment management expertise, including The Legal 500 UK, Alt Credit Awards, Hedgeweek European Awards, Private Equity Wire, Wealth and Finance Fund Awards, and Best Onshore Law Firm for Start-Up Hedge Fund Managers. Ben is also the sole founder of the hugely successful ‘The Winchester Group’, which has over 250 best-of-breed professionals within the alternative fund management industry as members. Its overriding principle is to raise funds for charities including Atlas, Cure Parkinson's, Hacked Off, My Name'5 Doddie Foundation, and The Matt Ratana Rugby Foundation. It hosts an annual charity ball in December where it raises funds for the above-named charities.