Hamilton Lane files to go public

Alternative investment money manager and consulting firm Hamilton Lane filed a registration to go public, according to documents filed Wednesday with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

The firm plans to raise $200 million in the offering. Hamilton Lane has $40 billion of assets under management and approximately $274 billion of assets under advisement as of Sept. 30, according to the filing.

Hamilton Lane is filing to go public to, among other things, enhance its profile and position as a “global private markets investment solutions provider,” to grow on a stand-alone basis “while maintaining our unique culture” and to allow equity owners a way to manage their investment in the firm, the filing states.

The firm plans to give employees at or below the rank of vice president a grant of restricted stock equivalent to 20% of their current salary.

“We believe this grant will further align the interests of our non-management employees with those of our stockholders,” the filing states.

In 2015, Hamilton Lane bought back 100% of Cascade Investment's minority ownership position in the firm. Cascade is the personal investment arm of Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft.

Kate McGann, Hamilton Lane spokeswoman, declined to comment, citing legal restrictions on publicity surrounding the potential offering.