MaameYaa Kwafo-Akoto
Partner · A&O Shearman
Panel Discussion — Selecting Investment Managers: Due Diligence, Access & Alignment in a Changing Portfolio
MaameYaa has over 20 years of experience advising sovereign wealth funds, central banks, family offices, insurance companies, pension funds and development finance institutions around the world on their investment arrangements. On a daily basis, MaameYaa advises investors on asset management issues and strategic global and national issues.
Her work includes public investments and private fund investments (both cornerstone and smaller amounts), single investor mandates and co-investment arrangements covering all asset classes including infrastructure and energy, as well as a wide variety of other agreements and financial services regulatory issues. MaameYaa spent time on secondment to a government entity in Riyadh in 2017 and an Emirati government entity in 2021.
Representative matters include advising a Middle Eastern sovereign wealth fund on a broad range of fund investments into credit, real estate, private equity and hedge funds, with values ranging between USD10m and USD3bn, and a Middle Eastern pension fund on co-investments, managed accounts and funds-of-one alongside custody arrangements and brokerage agreements.
MaameYaa was named a Rising Star in Legal Week's British Legal Awards 2019, listed as a Female Future Leader by Financial Times HERoes for championing the conversation on diversity and inclusion, listed in Financial Times EMpower Minority Future Leaders, and recognised in The Lawyer Hot 100 2024.