Nottingham’ s Formula
Product Development
Legal organization of a new retail mutual fund or a non-registered investment vehicle can be time consuming and expensive, with many opportunities for stumbles. Retaining a law firm to handle the process start to finish unassisted by a fund administrator can triple the cost.
Nottingham has shepherded the organization process for over 250 funds using various fund structures according to the client ’s needs. Our in-house legal, compliance and regulatory expertise can save you time, money and perhaps most important, missteps in the process. Our specialty is the consultative organization of investment products

Our Process
Nottingham’s product development process begins with an in-depth consultation to understand your goals, investment strategy, instruments, and target markets. Using proven questions, we help determine the most suitable fund structure — questions that also guide the creation of disclosure documents.
Our in-house legal team drafts these documents for review by outside counsel before submission to regulators.
Pre-launch Support
During the review period, our team will assist you with marketing strategy, broker-dealer discussions, and other key pre-launch tasks such as, but certainly not limited to:
- Obtain CUSIPs and Nasdaq symbol(s)
- Manage execution of selling and platform distribution agreements
- File post-effective with SEC
- Document revisions to include final comments/changes from the SEC
- Blue Sky registration
- Establish custody account
ETF Support
For ETFs, the process is essentially the same. Nottingham also coordinates and manages:
- ESTABLISHING ETF(S) ON AN EXCHANGE
- SECURING LEAD MARKET MAKER
- ESTABLISHING AGREEMENTS WITH A Ps AND INDEX
- CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS, AUDITOR AND iOPV AGENT
Trust Solutions
Nottingham partners with clients interested in joining a Series Trust, forming their own Trust, or moving from another trust to a more cost-effective, relationship-driven option.
Each fund structure has its pros and cons, which we’ll help you evaluate. While the registration process is similar, new Trusts typically take a bit longer for SEC recognition.
Nottingham News
It’s a wrap: Explaining ETF share classes to clients
"Dual-wrapper structures allow advisors to recommend the same underlying strategy in different formats depending on account type and client needs."
Nottingham seeks patent for ETF share class solution
Learn how Nottingham CEO, Kip Meadows, believes ETF Lighthouse provides a solution for ETF share class in this CityWire article
ETF Share Classes: Why SEC Approval Isn’t the Finish Line
Our CEO, Kip Meadows, shares an analogy of the operational issues faced by ETF share classes in an interview with