Bass, Berry & Sims hires two for new investment funds practices

Bryan P. Bylica and Nova D. Harb have joined the newly launched investment funds practices at law firm Bass, Berry & Sims. Bylica, who joins as a member, will lead the new practice and Harb will serve as counsel. Both attorneys are based out of the firm’s Nashville office and join from McGuireWoods LLP.

PRESS RELEASE

Nashville, Tenn., (February 22, 2022) – Bass, Berry & Sims is pleased to announce the launch of its Investment Funds Practice with the additions of Bryan P. Bylica, who joins as a member and leads the new practice, and Nova D. Harb as counsel. Both attorneys are based out of the firm’s Nashville office and join from McGuireWoods LLP.

“We are excited to add Bryan and Nova’s extensive fund formation experience to complement our long-established and nationally recognized private equity and M&A work,” said Michael J. Holley, chair of the Corporate & Securities Practice at Bass, Berry & Sims. “Private equity funds have turned to our attorneys for years in a wide range of business transactions and investments, and with the addition of Bryan and Nova, we have expanded our ability to serve these clients through all aspects of their business, including the structuring and formation, capital raising, and operational and regulatory aspects of running an investment firm.”

“Bass, Berry & Sims has a tremendous reputation for providing sophisticated and effective counsel to private equity funds and other investment firms for their transactional matters. This is a great opportunity for our clients to develop long-term partnerships with our attorneys and receive best-in-class service for each phase of their life cycle,” said Bylica. “We have worked with many of the attorneys here through the years and are excited to expand our service offering to our clients with this great fit and shared commitment to excellent client service.”

Investment Funds Practice
The Investment Funds Practice counsels a wide range of national private equity, private credit, growth equity, venture capital funds and other investment vehicles and has an extensive background working with Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) funds, Rural Business Investment Company (RBIC) funds, independent sponsors, and first-time fund managers. The firm represents middle- and lower middle-market sponsors across all aspects of an investment fund’s life cycle – from formation, fundraising and capitalization, through the fund’s investment period and related operations to, ultimately, the fund’s dissolution and wind down. The team works with the fund’s principals to establish the investment vehicles, general partner and investment manager entities and assist them with the related tax planning, regulatory and governance issues.

Bylica is one of few attorneys in the nation who regularly represents both SBIC and RBIC funds, and the team counsels these funds throughout the licensing process and in post-licensing regulatory and compliance matters. The firm counsels these private investment funds when making investments in qualifying small and rural businesses in compliance with the rules and regulations of the federal agencies that administer these programs: the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), respectively. The firm is also an active sponsor for the Small Business Investor Alliance (SBIA), an association of senior investment professionals focused on the lower middle-market and advocacy for policies promoting domestic investment in small businesses.

Additionally, the team regularly counsels family offices, endowments, pension funds, insurance companies and other institutional investors that serve as anchor investors in blind pool funds, provide capital to support independent sponsors or make co-investments along with financial sponsors. The team also has an active secondaries practice, working with institutional investors that provide liquidity, additional capital and a longer investment term for existing investments in a sponsor’s portfolio. Further, the team works with independent sponsors to raise capital and structure the investment documents in support of the independent sponsor’s investments.

The Investment Funds Team is supported by the firm’s Private Equity Team, which counsels investors and portfolio companies in structuring complex private equity acquisitions and financings. Bass, Berry & Sims has been recognized nationally for its private equity and mergers and acquisitions work, most recently being named the 2021 Law Firm of the Year by The M&A Advisor. The practice is a mainstay in rankings published by Chambers USA, which has called the practice a “preeminent group highly recommended for its expertise in big-ticket M&A transactions.” The firm has earned the highest tier ranking in Chambers’ Corporate/M&A in the state of Tennessee for 19 consecutive years. In addition, the firm maintains top rankings in industry leading league tables, including most recently being named #6 Most Active in Healthcare Private Equity Deals (PitchBook League Tables, 2020).