Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres is pleased to announce Brantley Hawkins has joined the firm as a partner. Brantley focuses his practice on private funds and investment management, adding additional depth and capacity to the firm’s transactional practice.

Prior to joining Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres, Brantley was a senior associate at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP in New York City. In that role, Brantley advised clients on formation, structuring, investments, and operations for private investment funds raising as much as $4 billion. He has represented institutional investors, private investors and financial institutions, fund sponsors and other entities, counseling them in accordance with the Investment Company Act and Investment Advisers Act. Brantley also brings in-house experience to the firm, having served as in-house counsel for Two Sigma Investments LP where he provided fund formation and regulatory guidance to the hedge fund manager.

“Brantley brings a broad range of experience, with both in-house and outside counsel experience specific to private funds and investment management,” said Drew Beres, managing partner, Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres. “His guidance will strengthen our ability to serve our clients and ensure they are positioned to take advantage of the record levels of innovation and investment happening right now.”

In addition to his corporate work, Brantley maintains a robust pro bono practice. He has successfully represented asylum seekers from Honduras through their immigration proceedings and assisted clients in connection with The Promise of Justice Initiative, which supports individuals within the criminal legal system through litigation, support services and community engagement.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Croke Fairchild team and to leverage my experience in funds and investment management to support the firm’s growing client base,” said Brantley. “The opportunity to work more cohesively and collaboratively with clients, to serve as a holistic advisor and to expand my practice was something I couldn’t pass up.”

Brantley is a member of 1844, an association of African American lawyers founded in 2014 as a vehicle to address the challenges of industry representation and to promote collaboration, business development, and mentorship. The name 1844 highlights the year the first African American, Macon Bolling Allen, was admitted to practice law in the United States.

Brantley holds a J.D. from Cornell University and a B.A. from the University of Connecticut. He is based in New York City.

About Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres

Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres is a corporate law firm founded by attorneys from the world’s leading law firms who recognized a better way to deliver legal services. Valued for their legal skill, intellectual curiosity and commitment to forging pragmatic solutions, our attorneys provide end-to-end business and legal counsel to public and private companies, private equity and venture firms, founders and family offices. With offices in Chicago, Milwaukee and Lake Forest and attorneys from New York to Dallas, our nimble, approachable model allows lawyers to serve as strategic advisors and apply their energy and talents to what matters most – our clients. For more information, please visit www.crokefairchild.com.