Fund Placement

Distinguishing a private equity fund in a crowded marketplace requires proper positioning. Forum works most effectively with fund management teams well in advance of entering the market to streamline the marketing process and minimize the time clients spend fundraising. We help fund managers refine their message and strategy to eliminate confusion in the market, identify the highest priority targets among our audience of institutional investors, set-up pre-marketing meetings with a large number of these groups, and then shepherd interested parties through the due diligence process to a closing. Following the completion of a fundraise, Forum stays involved with our clients to help develop institutional-quality investor relations programs and assist in off-cycle marketing to maximize efficiency for the next fundraise.

Secondary Transactions

In addition to our core fund placement services, Forum advises fund sponsors experiencing dislocation within their investor bases and intermediates creative, collaborative solutions designed to address the objectives of all parties. Forum has advised many of its clients on the selection of value-added new Limited Partners to replace existing investors that were seeking liquidity for various reasons, such as asset re-allocation, capital constraints, regulatory pressure, or simple fatigue with long-term capital partners. Forum also advises select clients on more complex, structured secondary transactions designed to restructure the existing investor base, or the limited partnership itself, and provide liquidity for follow-on or new investments.

Direct Co-Investment

As the private equity landscape has changed over the past few years, the independent or “fundless” sponsor market has grown considerably, as has institutional LP appetite for direct private equity transactions. Forum has adapted to this trend, partnering with independent sponsors to market attractive investment opportunities to our institutional investor audience. As institutional investors grow more sophisticated and talented investment management teams become less reliant on the traditional private equity fund structure, Forum expects this part of the market to continue to grow and we intend to participate.