As alternative investments become increasingly globalized and digitalized, legal frameworks are racing to keep pace with innovation. This session will examine the evolving legal and regulatory considerations that asset managers must navigate when structuring funds, offering digital assets, and scaling across jurisdictions. With a focus on Europe and emerging markets, panelists will explore how fund vehicles like LTIFs, Luxembourg Part II UCIs, and other registered structures are enabling cross-border capital formation—and how their adoption is diverging from US frameworks. The discussion will also cover the legal implications of tokenized investment products and digital platforms, including smart contract enforceability, custody standards, investor protection, and jurisdictional gaps.

As demographic shifts, market volatility, and inflation concerns challenge traditional retirement planning, alternative investments are becoming an essential component of long-term portfolio construction across global pension and retirement systems. This session explores how the UK, EU, and Australia are integrating private markets into defined contribution (DC) and defined benefit plans, and what lessons can be learned from each region’s policy frameworks and investor behavior. Experts will discuss regulatory developments that are enabling greater access to alternatives in retirement accounts, including efforts to modernize portfolio allocation rules, the role of illiquidity premiums, and how fiduciary standards are evolving. The conversation will also address the growth of multi-asset and target-date solutions that incorporate alternatives, as well as the operational and communication hurdles that asset managers and plan sponsors face when implementing these strategies.

As private wealth investors increasingly seek exposure to private markets, asset managers and distributors are expanding their reach across borders to meet demand. This session explores how firms are building scalable, compliant, and investor-friendly pathways to private equity, private credit, and real assets for high-net-worth individuals and family offices around the world. Panelists will examine key considerations for accessing private markets on an international scale—including jurisdictional structuring, distribution regulations, and investor education. The conversation will also highlight the evolving role of technology, partnerships with global platforms, and how firms are tailoring strategies to local investor behaviors while maintaining global standards.

Private market access is undergoing a global transformation as demand from institutional and high-net-worth investors accelerates, with key developments in the UK, EU, and other major markets. This session will explore how wealth managers, financial advisors, and private banks are evolving their distribution models, and how new access vehicles—such as interval funds, evergreen structures, and private listed companies—are shaping the future of fundraising. Speakers will delve into the challenges of navigating diverse financial landscapes, including jurisdictional barriers, investor segmentation, and regulatory hurdles across regions. The discussion will also highlight how private market providers are adapting their due diligence, client onboarding, and product design to meet the evolving needs of the global wealth ecosystem.

Operational infrastructure is the backbone of global private markets—and it’s being tested like never before. As fund managers, platforms, and intermediaries expand into new jurisdictions, they must contend with fragmented regulatory regimes, manual processes, and rising investor expectations. This session explores how top firms are building operational models that are scalable, tech-enabled, and resilient in the face of regulatory scrutiny and cross-border complexity. Panelists will highlight the technologies, service providers, and platform models enabling greater standardization in onboarding, reporting, and fund servicing—especially in multi-jurisdictional environments. The conversation will also tackle legal and compliance friction at the intersection of fintech and alternatives, from oversight of digital distribution platforms to the operational challenges posed by tokenization and secondary trading.

In an environment marked by elevated interest rates, tighter capital conditions, and macroeconomic uncertainty, secondary markets are emerging as a critical tool for liquidity, portfolio rebalancing, and strategic repositioning across the global alternatives ecosystem. This session will explore the evolving role of secondaries in diverse international markets. Experts will discuss current pricing dynamics, buyer and seller motivations, and the growing sophistication of GP-led transactions and continuation funds, with insights from both developed and emerging markets. Attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of how institutional and private wealth investors worldwide are leveraging secondaries to manage risk, access quality assets, and unlock capital in a challenging fundraising environment.