Richard J. Coyle

Rick Coyle is an associate in Chapman’s Corporate and Securities Department and a member of the Investment Management Group. Rick focuses his practice on advising registered investment companies, registered investment advisers, index providers and broker-dealers on a variety of matters pertaining to the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Securities Act of 1933, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and other securities laws.

He is an experienced practitioner in the area of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), with extensive experience representing ETF sponsors and ETF fund complexes. His ETF clients include a wide range of asset managers, from startups to large, established firms. He has advised numerous ETF clients in launching novel products, including the first “defined outcome ETFs.” He is an experienced member of Chapman’s ETF team, which serves as fund counsel to over 350 ETFs with cumulative assets under management exceeding $160 billion.

Rick has also advised numerous clients in matters relating to cryptocurrencies and blockchains, including the first blockchain ETF, and strongly advocated on behalf of the digital asset and blockchain industry in connection with Chapman’s membership in the Chamber of Digital Commerce, the world’s leading trade association representing the digital asset and blockchain industry. He was chosen to co-author the Chamber’s comprehensive report of the industry’s pursuit of a Bitcoin ETF approval by the SEC. He represents clients seeking to offer physically-backed bitcoin ETFs, ETFs principally investing in bitcoin and/or ether futures contracts, and other issues relating to funds which invest in cryptocurrency and the use of blockchains by asset managers and in securities offerings.

Rick also has significant experience with forming and providing ongoing advice to closed-end funds, interval funds, mutual funds and unit investment trusts. He has advised numerous clients regarding a wide variety of issues in building out their alternative fund product lines, including reorganizations and board matters. He has also assisted advisers undergoing change-of-control transactions and the mergers of investment companies.