July 7, 2023
Asset Management partner Bissie Bonner was named a Rising Star at the With Intelligence Mutual Fund & ETF Awards 2023, which honors up-and-comers in the asset management industry who have made significant strides early in their careers and have shown significant potential.
In a recent profile article, she discusses her path to becoming a lawyer, what she enjoys about the asset management industry, what her practice looks like and changes she has seen in recent years.
Bissie was drawn to being a lawyer for the research, learning and intellectual aspects, but soon realized she had a passion for client service. “The more I learned what it means to be a lawyer, the more I liked the idea of advocating for others and working in the client services industry.”
Bissie began her career at Willkie as a summer associate and has been at the firm since, most recently promoted to partner in 2022. She said that what she loves about the industry is that registered funds are highly regulated; as a result, she is working with the law on a day-to-day basis. She notes that Willkie’s Asset Management Department is intellectual in their practice but also practical and innovative.
Bissie’s practice focuses on representing registered investment companies, including mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and closed-end funds, their investment advisers and their boards. She regularly advises clients on the launch of mutual funds, active ETFs and closed-end funds across a variety of strategies. She noted that from early in her career, she gained substantial experience in capital markets transactions for closed-end funds, enabling her to guide clients through significant changes in the closed-end fund market in recent years.
Profiles on Bissie and the other Rising Star honorees can be found here.
