As ESG requirements for funds grow in line with regulatory and investor demands, fund managers around the globe are looking for solutions.

With an entrenched African footprint and European foundation, Maitland was ideally positioned to provide deep expertise and a vertically integrated multi-jurisdictional service offering recently to a major fund client requiring a unique solution.

The fund – an ESG-focused real estate fund – comprises two parallel funds: one focused on EU investors and domiciled in Luxembourg; and the other focused on the north-eastern African market. The Limited Partners comprise some of the largest institutional investors.

In onboarding the client, there were many intricacies and complexities to be navigated. It was only when we started to engage in detail that it became apparent to all parties that Maitland could offer a multi-jurisdictional, all-in-one solution across all the group’s business lines.

More specifically, we were able to offer:

In our capacity as an AIFM for the EU Fund:

• Third-party management company services
• EU marketing passport
• Assistance complying with the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR)

Vertically integrated fund administration services comprising:

• Registered office facilities
• Corporate governance
• Corporate secretarial functions
• Investor services and reporting
• Full fund administration
• General Partner & SPV services

For the African parallel fund, Maitland has a full services offering replicating the above for Africa, something not many peers can offer. Indeed, Maitland was founded in Luxembourg 45 years ago and has maintained a strong footprint in Europe and Africa ever since.

We were able to complete the service offering by providing trustee services, a requirement Maitland could meet due to its jurisdictional reach and capabilities.

Maitland’s technology solutions for these funds include Investran (FIS) for fund administration and reporting services with Cascade and In Scope providing the compliance support.

Building on our client-centric approach, we have established powerful teams comprising the services described above and a key point of contact for the client driving their agenda within Maitland.

In meeting all the client’s needs through a single contact, efficiencies were achieved, impacting positively on overall costs. Communication is improved as Maitland runs a seamless group across business segments.

This case study speaks to a solution matching the various touch points of Maitland’s overall offering. We anticipate that with increasing ESG requirements and ever-growing regulatory and investor demands, more fund managers will seek to invest in African countries. The long-term beneficial returns from infrastructure investing in such markets leads to a direct, measurable ESG impact.

Post-Covid, the world will be altered forever and – with the focus on ESG – we are likely to see a more considered approach to investing.

An article by Kavitha Ramachandran, Head of Business Development & Client Management (Continental Europe), Maitland.

Maitland Luxembourg S.A. is licensed as Professional of the Financial Sector (“PSF”) and is regulated by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF). Maitland Luxembourg S.A. holds a “Conseil Economique Licence”. MS Management Services S.A. is an Alternative Investment Fund Manager and Chapter 16 Management Company and is regulated by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) under licensed numbers A00000548 / S00000983.

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