Don Seymour
Founder
Don Seymour was the Founder of DMS Governance and is a Managing Director in the Cayman operation of Waystone. His fund governance practice includes a broad range of sophisticated private investment funds. Don has extensive experience in fund-related transaction matters, including fair valuation, side letters and service provider agreements, compliance, regulatory and governance matters.
Don has been involved in assisting numerous U.S. and European-based open-end and closed-end funds across various investment strategies and structures, including single investor arrangements for prominent U.S. and international investors. His entrepreneurial track record and extensive relationships with influential industry contacts enable him to provide key input on business and strategic matters.
Don is widely acknowledged to be one of the most experienced professional fund directors having served numerous funds during his 20 year career. He has significant experience guiding stakeholders through various extraordinary events including complex litigation, financial restructuring and dispute resolution matters.
Don was the founding Head of the Investment Services Division of the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA) and the creator of its regulatory framework for hedge funds. While at CIMA, he led the authorization, supervision and enforcement of hedge funds in the Cayman Islands to become the number one hedge fund jurisdiction worldwide.
Skills and experience
- Representing various private investment funds sponsored by one of the largest asset and wealth managers in the world, with assets under management of $1.7 trillion.
- Representing various hedge and private equity funds employing a contrarian, value-oriented investment approach across the capital structure, frequently involving a high degree of complexity, sponsored by one of the world’s largest alternative investment managers with assets under management of $173 billion
- Representing long-short equity fund investing primarily in the technology, media and telecommunications sector, including serving as a member of the Master Fund Review Committee.
- Representing various hedge funds investing in equity and equity linked securities, bonds and trade claims in emerging and frontier markets.
- Representing various fund-of-hedge fund structures investing with various sub-managers with individual investment approaches and styles utilizing various innovative and sophisticated investment techniques.
- Representing long-short hedge funds investing primarily in U.S. and non-U.S. public traded and private issued equities and equity derivatives globally, sponsored by leading independent asset manager with $6 billion of assets under management.
- Representing various managed futures funds employing systematic, trend-following proprietary programs trading a diversified portfolio of global derivatives, sponsored by one of the largest and most successful Commodity Trading Advisers in the world.
- Representing private equity fund structures investing in all sectors with a focus on energy, financials and financial services internet, mobile, outsourcing and technology, sponsored by one of the most successful private equity and venture capital firms in the world.
- Representing various hedge funds investing primarily in secured loans, collateralized debt instruments and other short-term high yield debt instruments collateralized by real estate.
- Representing hedge fund structures investing primarily in fixed income relative value arbitrage worldwide, sponsored by leading independent asset manager with more than $10 billion of assets under management.
- Representing fund structures primarily investing in public and private debt and equity securities across a variety of industries worldwide, sponsored by prominent manager with $12 billion of assets under management.
- Representing hedge funds primarily investing in fixed income, equity, credit, currency and commodity markets, sponsored by leading independent asset manager with $8 billion of assets under management.
- Representing hedge fund structures investing primarily in distressed credit and event-driven strategies and sponsored by prominent activist investor.
- Representing hedge funds employing long-short value catalyst strategy sponsored by leading activist investor with $11 billion in assets under management.
- Advisory committee representation to investment funds in connection with affiliated transactions and other conflict matters.
- Advising private funds in the design and maintenance of compliance programs.
- Assisting in cross-border investigations conducted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, U.S. Department of Justice and other law enforcement and regulatory agencies worldwide.
- Assisting in organizing and registering investment companies in various jurisdictions around the world.
- Hedge Funds
- Commodity Pools
- Private Equity
- Emerging Markets Distressed Investment Funds
- Featured as one of the 50 leading Wall Street financiers and academics in Kim Ann Curtin’s book Transforming Wall Street: A Conscious Path for a New Future.
- Recognized by the Financial Times as “one of the global hedge fund industry’s most influential men”
- Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, Head of Investment Services, 1997-2000 Price Waterhouse, Manager, 1991-1997
- Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, former member board of directors Cayman Islands Director Association, founding Vice-president and member Cayman Finance, member of board of directors
- Cayman Airways, former member of board of directors
- University of Texas at Austin, BBA, 1991
- CPA Certificate, Illinois, 1991
