Marguerite C. Bateman

Marguerite Bateman advises clients on federal securities law compliance, with a focus on the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

She works with boards of trustees for mutual funds, closed-end funds and ETFs, as well as investment advisers. Her clients include the fund boards of some of the world’s best-known asset management firms.

As independent legal counsel, Marguerite guides fund independent trustees in their oversight role and compliance with governance rules under the 1940 Act. She assists trustees in their full spectrum of responsibilities, from compliance with regulatory oversight obligations to reviewing advisory contracts to evaluation of complex transactions. In transactions involving potential conflicts of interest, she helps trustees clarify and discharge their duty to the funds they serve and their shareholders. For adviser clients, she counsels on board interactions and structures and performs compliance reviews.

In addition to routine matters, Marguerite advises clients on shareholder litigation, regulatory examinations, activist shareholder activity, board mergers, fund adoptions and change-in-control events. She works to prepare trustees for the complex decisions they face, facilitating informed approval processes. Her boardroom approach is collaborative, aiming to support constructive dialogue among parties who share responsibility for a fund’s success.

Marguerite’s broad perspective stems from a combination of over 25 years of private practice and an additional 11 years’ service at the Investment Company Institute, including as the first Managing Director of the Independent Directors Council, where she helped shape trustee engagement on rulemaking and education. Responsive and patient, she is dedicated to supporting the industry and helping its participants successfully balance regulatory demands with business goals.