DMX founders, Chris Davies and Johan Maunsbach, spent a decade together at Partners Group. During that time, they developed deep expertise in legal aspects of private markets investments. Moreover, they witnessed firsthand how the execution on transactions requires handling of many workflows on top of the legal review and analysis. The execution can in itself be complex, time consuming and often the limiting factor in scaling private markets investment activity.
Chris and Johan have devoted a large part of their professional time to build teams, processes and technology to effectively handle the transaction process. Based on their belief that a holistic, commercially driven legal and transaction management service would lend itself well in the format of a law firm. This is why they started DMX Partners: to support investors getting their deals done.
Chris qualified as a Solicitor of the Senior Courts (England & Wales) in 2008 and worked in private practice before taking on in house roles with Partners Group for a decade.
Chris has developed extensive expertise across the private equity spectrum, including primary, secondary, and direct sales and acquisition transactions across a wide range of asset classes. In addition, Chris is a expert in semi-liquid and evergreen fund structures, as well as complex fund formation and restructuring. His deep understanding of these specialized areas enables him to provide tailored solutions for sophisticated investment vehicles, ensuring compliance and operational efficiency while addressing the unique needs of investors and stakeholders. Beyond his transactional work, Chris has made significant contributions to the financial and regulatory landscape. He has served as a member of the Bank of England’s “Technical Expert Group” and represented Partners Group in engagements with major regulatory authorities, including the European Commission and CSSF.
Johan is qualified as a Solicitor of the Senior Courts (England & Wales) and also as a lawyer in Sweden, and he has spent most of his career working with investments in private markets.
After working in private practice, he spent the 10 years at Partners Group based in Switzerland, the U.S. and London. Johan has also been Partner & COO of venture capital firm 2xN. In his work within the asset management industry Johan has had a particular focus on various private markets investments globally, including directs (lead and co-investments) and fund investments (primaries and secondaries) across private equity, venture capital & real assets with particular expertise in building and managing legal, transaction management and operational teams and developing their processes.
To be a leading next generation law firm focused on private markets
To provide high-quality, fast, and cost-effective execution of indirect investments
DMX Partners is a law firm authorized and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). We bring extensive expertise to a wide range of legal issues relating to private markets investments. From fund formation to legal due diligence, we provide tailored advice on complex matters. Acting as an in-house counsel, we focus on key issues that drive meaningful results for your business.
We seamlessly integrate with our clients, offering a broader range of support than a traditional law firm. This approach frees up valuable time for your investment and legal teams, allowing them to focus on strategic priorities.
We assist clients in all types of secondary transactions, including LP-led, GP-led, and secondary directs.
Our priority is ensuring a smooth transaction process. We understand the critical importance of speed, ownership, organization, and attention to detail. Our team includes highly skilled Transaction Closers who go beyond the traditional legal role, proactively coordinating workflows and ensuring swift execution.
In secondary transactions, we work as an integrated part of your team, managing every step—from signing the LOI to onboarding the investment into your internal systems.
For primary fund investments, we utilize our proprietary checklist designed to identify key considerations. Our focus includes legal issues, economic terms, investment policies, governance, and tax.
We tailor our checklists to align with each client’s unique requirements, ensuring all aspects—such as tax, reporting, and governance—are thoroughly addressed. Following our review, we negotiate side letters with fund managers to secure favourable terms for our clients.
Co-investments come in various forms, and we adapt our approach to suit the specific transaction.
For syndications, we apply a review process that is similar to primary fund investments and negotiate related side letters. For more active positions, we offer in-depth legal due diligence and negotiate transaction documents, always prioritizing issues with the most significant commercial impact.
Legal and Regulatory Information
DMX Partners Limited is a private limited company established under the Companies Act 2006, with registration number 12519269. A list of our members, including non-lawyers designated as partners, is available at our offices or upon request.
DMX Partners Limited is registered in England and Wales with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), under registration number 8008815. We are authorized and regulated by the SRA, and our services comply with the SRA Standards and Regulations. For more information, visit the SRA website.
Legal Terms and Conditions
The specific terms and conditions for our services vary by engagement and will be provided with our engagement letter. If you wish to review these terms before instructing us, please contact your point of contact at the firm. All our contracts are governed by the laws of England and Wales.
Professional Liability Insurance
Our professional indemnity insurance complies with the legal regulatory requirements in England & Wales. Our lead insurer is Alchemy Underwriting Limited on behalf of Bridgehaven Insurance.
