Steven Adelkoff,
Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel
sadelkoff@shariahcap.com
For over two decades, Steven Adelkoff has worked in all aspects of the alternative investment industry. He has structured and negotiated domestic and international transactions involving real estate, commodities, power generation, renewable energy, commodity exploration, structured finance, investment management platforms, and investments funds representing a range of strategies. His diverse skill set allows Mr. Adelkoff to meld legal, regulatory, tax and accounting aspects of transactions to achieve world-class results.
After joining the global law firm now known as K&L Gates, LLP in 1988, Mr. Adelkoff became a leading expert in structured leasing transactions, including synthetic leasing, leveraged leasing, silos/lilos, sale/leaseback transactions and credit tenant leases. Representing independent power producers, utilities, exploration companies, lenders (both senior and mezzanine) and equity participants, Mr. Adelkoff successfully completed international and domestic transactions totaling billions of dollars in industries ranging from power generation and timber to commodity exploration and LNG facility development. He participated in the development and acquisition of over 400 MW of wind energy representing both developers and lenders.
Over the last decade, Mr. Adelkoff has focused on the formation and operation of global investment funds, with particular attention to investment strategies and risk management. His expertise extends from private equity investments to hedge funds, venture capital funds, commodity funds, real estate funds, and collateralized debt obligation transactions.
Mr. Adelkoff has become a recognized expert in Shariah compliant investment structures. He served as lead counsel to Shariah Capital and supervised all legal, tax and accounting issues and documentation for the Al Safi Trust platform, including extensive interaction with Shariah scholars. Mr. Adelkoff also served as lead structurer and negotiator for the formation of Dubai Shariah Asset Management, Ltd., Shariah Capital’s joint venture with Dubai Multi Commodities Centre Authority (a Dubai World Group company). He has advised real estate fund managers, rating agencies and investment banks regarding Shariah compliant investments.
Mr. Adelkoff has published numerous articles. He recently authored “Shariah Compliant Real Estate Operations and Finance” which appears in Real Estate Finance, published by Butterworths in 2008. He often serves as an industry source for the media, including the New York Times and CFO Magazine. A Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst, he has been a frequent lecturer on topics as wide-ranging as Shariah compliant investment vehicles and credit tenant leasing. Mr. Adelkoff also is an adjunct professor of the MBA program at Seton Hill University, where he teaches Law and Business Ethics.
Mr. Adelkoff earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, his Master of Business Administration from Cornell University – The Johnson School of Management, and his Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers University.