ABU DHABI AND WASHINGTON, D.C., June 16, 2026 — Skadden is pleased to announce that Robert Griffin, Kapil Vishnu Pandit and Skye Smith have joined the firm as partners in the Investment Management Group. Mr. Griffin and Ms. Smith will be based in Skadden’s office in Abu Dhabi’s ADGM, and Mr. Pandit in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office.
Mr. Griffin, Mr. Pandit and Ms. Smith bring extensive experience across investment management, private funds and alternative investment strategies, advising global asset managers, sovereign wealth funds, institutional investors, fund sponsors and managers on complex investment matters across international markets. Their combined practices span private equity, credit funds, real estate funds, funds-of-funds, hedge funds, secondaries transactions, continuation vehicles, co-investments and bespoke investment arrangements, offering clients deep experience across the full lifecycle of fund formation and structuring, investment and capital deployment, ongoing fund and management company operations, and liquidity solutions.
Mr. Griffin has a depth of experience in international fund structuring, fund management, regulatory compliance and private placements, including multijurisdictional matters involving Brazil, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and the Middle East.
Mr. Pandit’s practice sits at the intersection of fund formation, strategic capital solutions and institutional investor advisory work, and focuses on sponsor-side private fund formation, structuring and ongoing operations, as well as bespoke fund manager transactions, including liquidity solutions and secondaries transactions, preferred equity structures, spinout transactions, joint ventures and institutional and sovereign investor representations.
Ms. Smith advises on institutional investor-side structuring and negotiation of primary commitments, co-investments, continuation vehicles, separately managed accounts and other bespoke arrangements, alongside strategic fund investment and governance advice for sovereign wealth fund clients.
“We are excited to welcome Robert, Kapil and Skye to join us during this exciting period of strategic growth at the firm,” said Executive Partner Jeremy London. “Their experience advising prominent institutional investors on the full spectrum of fund formation activities across the Middle East, the United States and beyond complements our existing offering and will be of tremendous value to our clients.”
“Skadden’s global platform, depth of practice and commitment to excellence make it the ideal home for our investment management practice,” said Mr. Griffin. “We are excited to work alongside the firm’s talented team to enhance our world-class funds practice and to deepen Skadden’s relationships with clients across the globe.”
“Joining Skadden presents a tremendous opportunity to build and grow our practice,” said Mr. Pandit. “The firm’s strategic vision for investment management, combined with the breadth of its corporate and regulatory capabilities, will enable us to deliver even greater value to our clients on their most complex and consequential fund matters.”
“I am delighted to join Skadden’s Investment Management Group,” said Ms. Smith. “I look forward to the opportunity to continue working alongside Robert and Kapil, as well as my new Skadden colleagues, to advise sovereign wealth funds and institutional investors as they navigate increasingly complex cross-border investment structures.”
Mr. Griffin received his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law, his M.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and his B.A. from the University of Maryland, College Park. Prior to his legal career, Mr. Griffin served in the U.S. Air Force, where he received the Meritorious Service Medal for support to United Nations operations in the Balkans.
Mr. Pandit received his J.D. from Howard University School of Law, his M.S. from the George Washington University and his B.S. from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Ms. Smith received her J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law and her B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles.
