Marianne Dwight

Marianne is an experienced attorney who specializes in fund advisory services. She provides strategic guidance and actionable advice to clients and their funds, working closely with investment fund managers to optimize their success. She relies on her extensive background in analyzing and managing investments in venture-backed companies to help funds thrive.

Marianne works with all asset classes including private equity, real estate, and venture capital clients to determine investment needs, find investment opportunities, identify pain points, and align clients with the appropriate Michael Best services to help them achieve their strategic goals. She advises clients at every stage, from fund formation, financing, offerings, and advising on general corporate matters to portfolio and investment structuring, compliance, and due diligence (including exit transactions), along with risk management services related to regulatory, insurance, and political concerns.

Prior to joining Michael Best, Marianne served as General Counsel to the Texas Treasury Safekeeping Trust Company for more than 13 years. In that capacity she was responsible for analyzing, reviewing, negotiating, and managing investments and other agreements for investing state funds. She also served as a voting member of the investment committee. The Trust Company has an AUM greater than $65B and invests in all asset classes including private equity, real estate, hedged equity, and fixed income. Marianne led the Trust Company’s legal team for its investments in more than 300 funds located in the U.S. and throughout Europe and Asia, including providing legal analysis of more than 90 venture capital, biotech, and life science companies in the Emerging Technology Fund where she assisted in devising new strategies to maximize the state’s return. Marianne participated on the management team and was involved in making the appropriate decisions for the portfolios including redeeming from funds and repositioning as needed. Marianne also collaborated with members of the Texas State Legislature to draft key legislation to structure financing alternatives for public welfare and economic development projects.

Marianne has served in a number of other high-profile positions in Texas state government, including roles as General Counsel for the Commissioner of Insurance, General Counsel to the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services, and Assistant Attorney General for tax, financial, and related cases.

Over the course of her public and private sector career roles, Marianne has successfully implemented a number of key initiatives including:

Forming a private real estate fund to provide affordable workforce housing for Central Texas area residents
Creating a real estate credit investment management platform with Amherst Holdings and the Bank of New York Mellon
Instituting a statewide financing mechanism – the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas – to support water infrastructure projects
Establishing multiple Medicaid HMOs
Marianne began her 30-plus-year law career in private practice, where she represented corporate clients in transactional matters including financial and contractual issues. Today, she is a frequently requested speaker on investment-related issues.