Private equity firms were put on notice last year that they may be subject to registration as broker dealers when David Blass, head of the Division of Markets and Trading at the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), provided his insights at an industry conference. Since that time, the SEC has…
Written by: Ildiko Duckor The California Commissioner of Business Oversight (“Commissioner”) recently amended California’s custody rule 10 C.C.R. Section 260.237 (the “New Custody Rule”). The New Custody Rule will be effective on April 1, 2014. All investment advisers licensed or required to be licensed in California must comply with the…
Written by: Jessica M. Brown and Michael G. Wu On March 10, 2014, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Financial Services Agency of Japan signed a Memorandum of Cooperation which expresses the agencies’ intent to work together to supervise and oversee regulated entities that operate on a cross-border…
Written by: Jay B. Gould and Jessica M. Brown The Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations released a “Risk Alert” on January 28, 2014, which focuses on the due diligence investment advisers perform in alternative investments[1] and managers for their clients. After observing an increasing trend…
The annual affirmation process started on December 3, 2013. Advisers who relied on an exemption or exclusion from CPO registration under CFTC Regulation 4.5, 4.13(a)(1), 4.13(a)(2), 4.13(a)(3), 4.13(a)(5) or an exemption from CTA registration under 4.14(a)(8) and filed a notice with the NFA must affirm the exemption or exclusion annually…
If your management company or fund was formed as a California limited liability company, you need to review your Operating Agreement to determine whether amendments need to be made. On January 1, 2014, California’s Beverly-Killea Limited Liability Company Act (Old Act) was superseded by the California Revised Uniform Limited Liability…
Written by: Joseph T. Lynyak, III and Anthony H. Schouten More than three years following the passage of the Dodd-Frank Act, and intense inter-agency negotiations, the federal financial regulatory agencies collectively adopted the final version of the “Volcker Rule,” or “Rule”—which imposes new and potentially severe limitations on domestic and…
Written by: Jessica M. Brown As a result of recent amendments made by the U.S. Department of Treasury to the Treasury International Capital Form B (“Form B”), private funds and investment advisers may be required to file Form B. Form B requires a fund manager or investment adviser to report…
Today, the Securities and Exchange Commission published its 2014 priorities for its National Examination Program (“NEP”). These priorities cover a wide range of issues at financial institutions, including investment advisers and investment companies, broker-dealers, clearing agencies, exchanges and other self-regulatory organizations, hedge funds, private equity funds, and transfer agents. Similar…
As the new year is upon us, there are some important annual compliance obligations Investment Advisers either registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) or with a particular state (“Investment Adviser”) and Commodity Pool Operators (“CPOs”) or Commodity Trading Advisors (“CTAs”) registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission…