Represented Emerging Global Advisors, a New York-based registered investment adviser and a leading provider of smart beta portfolios focused on emerging markets, in connection with its merger agreement with Columbia Threadneedle Investments, the global asset management group of Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (NYSE: AMP).

On May 11, 2016, Seward & Kissel client, Emerging Global Advisors (“EGA”), a New York-based registered investment adviser and a leading provider of smart beta portfolios focused on emerging markets, announced that it had entered into a merger agreement with Columbia Threadneedle Investments, the global asset management group of Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (NYSE: AMP). With $892 million in assets, EGA has an established presence in the smart beta marketplace. It is the investment adviser to the EGShares suite of nine emerging markets equity exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that track custom-designed indices. Columbia Threadneedle Investments is a leading global asset management group that provides a broad range of investment strategies and solutions for individual, institutional and corporate clients around the world. With more than 2,000 people, including over 450 investment professionals based in North America, Europe and Asia, Columbia Threadneedle manages $464 billion of assets across developed and emerging market equities, fixed income, asset allocation solutions and alternatives. The transaction is expected to close later this year. The Seward & Kissel team representing EGA in connection with the transaction are Business Transactions Group partner Craig Sklar, Tax partner Jon Brose, ERISA counsel Mike O’Brien and Business Transactions associates Gary Anderson, Dora Pulido, Amit Raviv and Emmeline Hateley.