Laura S. Harper Laura S. Harper is Assistant General Counsel at the Managed Funds Association in Washington, DC. Laura is responsible, along with other MFA counsel, for monitoring, analyzing and commenting on regulatory and legislative developments affecting the alternative investment industry. Prior to joining MFA, Laura was Of Counsel in the New York office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, where she practiced in the firm’s Corporate Group and focused on derivatives and corporate finance transactions. As part of her practice, Laura represented end-users in preparing and negotiating customized over-the-counter derivatives and other trading documentation for their asset management and risk management strategies. Laura also represented investment advisers, pension fund investors, issuers and other capital markets participants in a broad range of public and private securities offerings and investments and related regulatory compliance and disclosure matters. Laura received her Juris Doctor from Cornell Law School and her Master of Business Administration degree from Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management. Laura is a member of the Massachusetts, New York, and District of Columbia bars. She is also a member of the New York State Bar Association’s Derivatives and Structured Products Committee.