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…
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…
Written by: Jay B. Gould On December 12, 2013, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged a London-based hedge fund adviser and its former U.S.-based holding company with internal controls failures that led to the overvaluation of a fund’s assets and inflated fee revenue for the firms. The investigation came…
Written by: Jay B. Gould On October 23, 2013, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) voted unanimously to propose rules under the JOBS Act to permit companies to offer and sell securities through crowdfunding. Crowdfunding describes an evolving method of raising capital that has been used outside of the securities…
Written by: Kimberly V. Mann The Security and Exchange Commission’s recent enforcement action against Lawrence D. Polizzotto serves as a reminder to all issuers that Regulation FD enforcement is alive and well. The Polizzotto Case Polizzotto, the former vice president of investor relations at First Solar, Inc. (and, ironically, a…