Fractional Legal Counsel for Endowments & Institutional Investors

Stop paying $1,000/hr for lawyers who don’t understand your mission, your culture, or your portfolio.

I help public universities, private colleges, faith-based institutions, and RIAs managing $100M–$10B. While your competitors explain investment basics to junior associates, you get flat-fee, embedded legal counsel who already understands your asset allocation, manager selection, and fiduciary risk—backed by 27 years in investment law and 980+ deals closed.

Legal Support Your Investment Office is Missing

When legal doesn’t understand investing, everything slows down. Deadlines slip. Fund terms stall. Your team steps in—wasting time, adding risk, diluting focus.

You’ve seen it:

  • Side letters negotiated without understanding your leverage

  • Offshore structures reviewed without compliance context

  • Docs stuck while counsel looks up fund terms

And the pressure is rising:

  • Endowment tax hikes increase risk exposure

  • Foreign investment rules complicate diligence

  • Budget freezes stretch your team thinner than ever

I’m Stephanie Pries. I’ve spent 27 years in investment law—from Silicon Valley law firms and lobbying for hedge funds in DC to 18 years running legal for Notre Dame’s endowment—helping grow it from $5B to $22B.

I’ve closed 980+ investment deals across every asset class and structure, combining legal precision with strategic depth to protect performance.

Today, I embed with institutions of all types—public, private, faith-based, and independent—delivering legal support built for your portfolio, your pace, and your purpose.

Flat-fee. In-house. No learning curve.

Just legal that moves at the speed of capital.

Stephanie Pries, Endowment Legal Counsel, in blue blazer

What I Handle

(So you can focus on investment performance)

  • Review and provide issue memos for LPAs and Private Placement Memoranda.

  • Assist with operational due diligence for new managers, draft & review DDQs, prepare & negotiate NDAs, draft form or negotiate side letters, prepare form and negotiate IMAs, and complete subscription documents (including KYC materials).

  • Respond to MFN elections, amendments and consents, custodian administrator or 3rd party compliance requests, verify service provider relationships, manage KYC/AML updates, and similar requests related to investee funds or internal governance matters (e.g., ESG compliance).

  • Keep your team ahead of regulatory and legislative changes through my weekly memos (e.g., endowment tax hike, “countries of concern” regulation/legislation), and other policy shifts impacting institutional investors. Will monitor marketplace matters that also impact your investments and help craft solutions for your team (e.g., Silicon Valley Bank episode).

  • Build out and organize document storage systems in your RMS, create legal data tracking for key fund terms, develop policy manuals, and streamline legal workflows.

  • As a member of your team, I stand available for any urgent fund requests, co-investment opportunities and/or unexpected manager situations—and ensure they are resolved fast.

Flat-Fee Legal Support. No surprises.

You get expert legal counsel—on call and in sync with your team—for one transparent flat fee based on your AUM.

No clock-watching. No unexpected invoices. Just investment-savvy support when you need it.

How It Works

  1. Free Consultation:

    We review your legal needs, current risks, and where I can add immediate value.

  2. Seamless Onboarding:

    I integrate with your team—email, portal, or shared drive. Whatever’s easiest for you.

  3. Legal Work—Handled!

    I take care of contracts, compliance, and legal ops. You focus on growing your endowment.

Why Clients Trust Me

Most lawyers treat investment work like any other legal project. I built Endowment Legal Services because capital markets don't wait for legal to catch up.

  • Investment-Focused & Fast. You get direct access to counsel who speaks asset allocation, not just contract language.

  • Strategic & Forward-Looking. I don't just review terms. I flag risks that could impact performance three years out.

  • Market-Aware & Proactive. I monitor regulatory shifts, tax policy, and compliance changes—so opportunities don't become problems.

  • Built for Capital Speed. I understand your deal timelines, your fiduciary pressure, and your performance accountability.

You get legal partner who understands your investments and speaks your language.

Let’s Simplify Your Legal Work ASAP!

Contact or email me at stephanie@endowmentlegalservices.com or call me at (202)710-6069 to schedule your free consultation.

No obligation. No sales pitch.