Key Takeaways
- • Schulte Roth & Zabel and Eisenhandler & Co. announced a strategic partnership on March 26, 2025 to combine compensation consulting with legal and tax advice for alternative investment managers, which the firms describe as the first of its kind.
- • Eisenhandler contributes total reward consulting and market data through its MarketLook compensation database, which analyzes pay data across all employee functions, levels and regions at alternative investment managers.
- • Schulte contributes legal and tax advice on compensation and benefit plans, partnership agreements, succession plans and employment law, and represents over 500 alternative investment managers.
- • Schulte provides ongoing operational and strategic support to Eisenhandler and holds an ownership interest in the firm, while the two firms operate separately and retain clients independently.
Summary
Schulte Roth & Zabel, a New York-based law firm focused on alternative investment managers, and Eisenhandler & Co., a compensation consultant to the alternative investment industry, announced the formation of a strategic partnership, according to a Business Wire release. The partnership is designed to coordinate employment and compensation consulting with related legal and tax advice for hedge, credit, private equity and real estate fund managers.
Eisenhandler, led by President Shelley Eisenhandler, provides total reward consulting and market data through its proprietary MarketLook platform. Eisenhandler was formed in 2023, and Shelley Eisenhandler has advised managers of hedge, credit, private equity and real estate funds for more than 20 years. Schulte offers legal and tax advice on compensation and benefit plans, partnership agreements, succession plans and comprehensive employment law, and represents more than 500 alternative investment managers on fund offerings, portfolio transactions, sales of businesses and succession planning.
The firms say the joint offering allows clients to pair data-driven compensation design with the legal and tax implementation needed for compensation plans, succession plans and partnership terms. David Nissenbaum, co-head of Schulte's Investment Management practice, said the two firms have worked with Shelley Eisenhandler on mutual clients for more than 15 years. Ian Levin, head of Schulte's Executive Compensation practice, said the coordinated approach avoids the need for clients to translate consultant input for lawyers who are typically brought in late in the process. Marty Schmelkin, senior partner in Schulte's Employment Law practice, said the arrangement extends coverage to restrictive covenants, separation agreements and DEI compliance.
The release states that the two firms operate separately, retain clients independently and do not share confidential client information without written consent. Clients may engage either firm or both, and Schulte holds an ownership interest in Eisenhandler. The release does not disclose financial terms of the partnership.
Eisenhandler, led by President Shelley Eisenhandler, provides total reward consulting and market data through its proprietary MarketLook platform. Eisenhandler was formed in 2023, and Shelley Eisenhandler has advised managers of hedge, credit, private equity and real estate funds for more than 20 years. Schulte offers legal and tax advice on compensation and benefit plans, partnership agreements, succession plans and comprehensive employment law, and represents more than 500 alternative investment managers on fund offerings, portfolio transactions, sales of businesses and succession planning.
The firms say the joint offering allows clients to pair data-driven compensation design with the legal and tax implementation needed for compensation plans, succession plans and partnership terms. David Nissenbaum, co-head of Schulte's Investment Management practice, said the two firms have worked with Shelley Eisenhandler on mutual clients for more than 15 years. Ian Levin, head of Schulte's Executive Compensation practice, said the coordinated approach avoids the need for clients to translate consultant input for lawyers who are typically brought in late in the process. Marty Schmelkin, senior partner in Schulte's Employment Law practice, said the arrangement extends coverage to restrictive covenants, separation agreements and DEI compliance.
The release states that the two firms operate separately, retain clients independently and do not share confidential client information without written consent. Clients may engage either firm or both, and Schulte holds an ownership interest in Eisenhandler. The release does not disclose financial terms of the partnership.
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