Wesley G. Nissen

Wesley G. Nissen

Chicago, IL recognized lawyers icon Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2006
Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP

49 Best Lawyers awards

Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP logo

Awarded Practice Areas

Corporate Law Private Funds / Hedge Funds Law

Biography

Wes is a partner in the Corporate & Securities practice group. He provides comprehensive legal services and advice to asset managers, proprietary trading firms, single-family offices, multifamily offices, and wealth management advisors. Wes counsels them on a wide range of transactional and regulatory issues, including corporate formation, structure and succession planning, operational and administrative matters, securities, futures, and derivatives matters, brokerage and derivatives documentation, regulatory compliance matters, equity and debt financings, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and private investment deals.

Wes has a distinctive skill set combining a deep understanding of corporate and financial services regulatory and transactional matters with a high emotional quotient and a superior ability to develop and communicate creative solutions to legal and business challenges. He is a certified public accountant and in 2014 earned his Claritas Investment Certificate from the CFA Institute Investment Foundation.

A sought-after speaker and author on topics relating to hedge funds and investment vehicles, he has been recognized for his private funds practice in The Best Lawyers in America and other publications. In 2017 Illinois Best Lawyers recognized him as “Lawyer of the Year,” a peer-review award in the category "Private Funds/Hedge Funds Law." Additionally, since 2006, Wes has been recognized as a leader by The Best Lawyers in America in “Corporate Law: Private Funds/Hedge Funds Law.”

Wes also is a founding member of the Midwest Chapter of the Committee of Hearts, the Board of Directors of Hedge Funds Care a/k/a Hope for Children, an international charity supported by the hedge fund industry dedicated to the prevention and treatment of child abuse.

Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP

49 Best Lawyers awards

Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP logo

Overview

  • University of Illinois Chicago, John Marshall Law School, J.D., graduated 1986
  • University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, B.S., graduated 1983

  • Illinois, Illinois State Bar Association
  • Illinois, Illinois State Bar Association
  • University of Illinois Chicago, John Marshall Law School, J.D., graduated 1986
  • University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, B.S., graduated 1983

Client Testimonials

I am General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of two registered investment advisers, and Wes Nissen has been our counsel for years and I have nothing but positive things to say about him. He is incredibly knowledgeable, both about the broader regulatory schemes that are relevant to my companies and about the nuances and intents behind the laws and regulations. His advice is always practical from a business perspective, while being thorough from a legal and SEC-compliance perspective so that management has all of the information to make the best decision about the issue at hand. And to top it off, he is highly responsive; I never have to follow up or wait for a response, something that seems to be rare these days with firm lawyers. I can't recommend him highly enough.

Awards & Focus

Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2017 - Private Funds / Hedge Funds Law
Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers® for:
  • Private Funds / Hedge Funds Law, Chicago (2017)
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
  • Corporate Law
  • Private Funds / Hedge Funds Law
Additional Areas of Practice:
  • Venture Capital Law
Special Focus:
  • Commodity Pools
  • COVID-19
  • Hedge Funds

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