At B.E. Blank & Company (B.E. Blank), we believe ourselves to be long-term stewards of our clients' capital. This philosophy leads us to focus on the long-term prospects for the assets in which we invest. Because a law firm's sustainability profile can impact its ability to create long-term value for investors, responsible and impactful investing is integrated into our investment approach alongside legal underwriting, credit and financial underwriting, and other relevant investment considerations.
We employ a rigorous traditional credit and legal analysis on each loan considered for investment, which includes identifying and considering various ESG-focused factors. We believe that sustainable long-term investing extends beyond the evaluation of quantitative factors and traditional review of conventional financial metrics, which results in impactful investing being a natural derivative of our quality-oriented fundamental research and risk management.
Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI)
B.E. Blank is a signatory member of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). B.E. Blank has committed to a framework that ensures accountability and enables us to evaluate our process against an industry-standard framework. By implementing principles for ESG integration and impact investing, we contribute to sustainability.
Engagement & Stewardship
To promote the long-term success of our clients, B.E. Blank acknowledges the importance of investor stewardship. When a firm is involved in certain controversial activities, B.E. Blank may refrain from investing in loans to that firm. In our investors' best interest, we monitor the law firms and loans in which we invest and engage with the law firms on issues such as strategy, risk and corporate governance. We will voice our opinions with respect to sustainable and impactful business practices that improve the long-term prospects of a loan, where possible, via interaction with a law firm's management.
Training
As practitioners, every member of our investment and asset management teams understands the importance of businesses that embrace sustainable business principles. Many of our investment team members are distinguished by years of hands-on relevant work experience across various legal, investment and financial services sectors. As a result, we research potential investments from the viewpoint of industry practitioners as well as financial analysts, and we have developed the knowledge, experience, and robust network of industry contacts to appreciate the nuances of potential investments. While academic credentials provide a foundation of intellectual rigor, it is our real-world judgment at the heart of each investment that differentiates our team's approach to discerning fundamentally sound investment opportunities from those that simply appear attractive.
Disclosures
This document is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice, as a research report, as a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold any security, or as a solicitation of investment services. The views expressed herein are as of a particular point in time and are subject to change without notice. Investing in a fund managed by B.E. Blank involves risk of loss including the risk of loss of the entire investment. Potential investments should be made only after consulting with independent, qualified sources of accounting, investment, legal, tax and other advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results and no investment strategy can guarantee profit or protection against losses. This document may not be reproduced or distributed without our prior written consent.