Deutsche outsources real estate fund to BNY

• Niklas Amundsson, former Asia partner at MVision Private Equity Advisers, has joined placement agent Monument Groupin Hong Kong. The hire was described as part of an effort to build Monument’s profile in the Asia Pacific region, according to a firm statement.

• Under a new deal, BNY Mellon will provide real estate and infrastructure fund administration services for Deutsche Bank’s asset and wealth management group, representing roughly $46.3 billion in assets under administration. Up to 80 members of Deutsche AWM’s fund finance team are expected to transfer to BNY Mellon and become part of its alternative investment services business, making BNY Mellon one of the largest real estate fund administrators in the market, according to a firm statement. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

• AlixPartners, a consultancy firm known for its turnaround advisory work, is set to acquire EU rival Zolfo Cooper. The acquisition, reportedly worth just under $100 million, is designed to expand AlixPartners’ UK and continental European practice, the firm said in a statement. In related news, Alix hired Jeff Howe to lead the firm’s private equity business from New York. He was previously a managing director with both Jefferies and Credit Suisse.

• SS&C Technologies, a provider of financial software, will acquire rival software group Advent for a deal worth approximately $2.7 billion, according to a firm statement. The purchase will provide SS&C with roughly 4,300 new customers including asset managers, hedge funds and fund administrators. The deal, pending approval by Advent shareholders and regulators, is expected to close mid-year.

• Alter Domus, one of the major EU private fund administration groups, launched a new regulatory and compliance service. The new division includes services for AIFMD reporting, FATCA compliance and “Know Your Customer” rules, according to the firm’s website.

• Goldman Sachs Group named Alison Mass and Alasdair Warren as global co-heads of its financial sponsors group, which advises private equity firms on their deals. Mass was most recently co-head of the bank’s financial sponsors group in the Americas while Warren held the same position for private equity advisory work in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

• AXON Partners, a private equity and real estate placement agent, appointed Mark Engler as a partner in its Zug, Switzerland office. Engler was previously a portfolio manager at Unigestion, a Geneva-headquartered asset manager.

• Augentius, a fund administrator, launched a new UK compliance consultancy business line: Augentius Compliance. In addition to AIFMD and FATCA reporting services, the new service offers UK-based firms help with FCA authorization and regulatory training for in-house staff. Moreover, Augentius is offering clients a “compliance health check” to identify any compliance weak spots for free. 

• Professional services firm Deloitte named Doug Puckett as director for the group’s private equity tax practice in the Dallas-Fort Worth region. Before the hire, he worked at Helmsman Advisors where he provided strategic tax and business planning advice to private equity firms. Prior to that role, Puckett spent more than a decade at TPG Capital where he helped manage the firm’s global tax risk. 

• NewOak, a risk and litigation consultancy, opened new offices in Atlanta, Boston, and Irvine, California. The offices complement the group’s existing bases in New York, Dallas, and Danbury, Connecticut.

• Professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M), recruited Dhruv Sarda to lead its corporate M&A and post-merger Integration services in Europe. Sarda, previously a managing director with consultancy group Accenture, will be based in London.