Tag Archives: hedge fund

Hedge Fund Audits Post Madoff

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Hedge Fund Audits Expected to Increase in Importance

The Madoff scandal has shown the hedge fund industry many things, not the least of which is the importance of hedge fund audits.  While the details of Madoff’s audits are still a little unclear, it has been widely reported that the audit firm he used was a little known shop which is tightlipped.  This article investigates reaction of hedge fund investors with regard to hedge fund audits going forward.  (Please note, the Maddoff investment firm was not a hedge fund; however, the scandal will likely have a great influence on hedge fund due diligence and audit standards.) Continue reading →

SEC Stands Behind “Fair Value” Accounting

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FASB may re-evaluate FAS 157 in light of recent market events

While the SEC does not directly control the manner in which hedge fund assets are valued for the purpose of striking a NAV for a fund, the SEC valuation policies are important for hedge funds in a number of different ways.  Maybe most important is that the SEC valuation guidelines require issuers of securities to adhere to certain valuation practices with regard to their own assets.  Recently Congress mandated the SEC reevaluate its valuation guidelines in light of the market collapse of 2008. Continue reading →

How to Invest in a Hedge Fund

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Hedge Fund Investors Guide

Many potential hedge fund investors come to this website for information on how to invest in a hedge fund.  While there are many headlines and resources for hedge fund managers, there are fewer resources out there for hedge fund investors.  This article will provide an overview of how to go about investing in a hedge fund. Continue reading →

North Carolina Hedge Fund Law

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Starting a hedge fund in North Carolina

The North Carolina Securities Division has a very good website which provides great information for managers based in North Carolina.  Unlike many securities divisions, it informs the public when new securities rules are proposed and provides links to the proposed rules.  The site also has a very good FAQ section for start up hedge fund managers in North Carolina.  We’ve posted the FAQ section below for your information.  If you have any questions starting a hedge fund in North Carolina, please contact us discuss with a hedge fund attorney.  Other related hedge fund law articles include: Continue reading →

Can a hedge fund value its own assets?

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Hedge Fund Questions

For the new year we will publish a list of common questions we receive from our readers.  This question involves hedge fund valuation.

Question: Can a hedge fund provide its own valuation?

Answer: Generally yes, provided that the hedge fund offering documents state that the valuation of the hedge fund’s assets will be conducted by the fund – more specifically by the hedge fund’s management company.  In many hedge fund documents a provision which allows a manager flexibility in valuation is standard – although, it is likely that these normally nebulous provisions will become more specific as institutional investors require greater specificity in the offering documents. Continue reading →

Hedge Funds, Congress and Madoff

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The Madoff scandal, which caught the SEC and savy institutional investors flat-footed, is increasing the pressure for more oversight and regulation within investment management and hedge fund industries.   It is expected that Congress will be busy with this and other matters regarding regulation of the capital markets.  In fact, Senator Chuck Grassley from Iowa recently announced his intention to require hedge fund registration at the SEC level.

In addition to Grassley, two more members of Congress are calling on greater oversight in the wake of the Madoff scandal.  Specifically Congressman Paul E. Kanjorski from Pennsylvania and Congressman Spencer Bachus from Alabama are calling on the House Financial Services Committee to hold hearings on the Madoff scanal.  I have reprinted the two notices below.  We will continue to provide information on possible hedge fund registration as it comes forward.  Related hedge fund law and registration articles include: Continue reading →

Idaho Hedge Fund Law

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Idaho has another well run securities division and their website is particularly helpful.  The information below comes from their website and describes the major laws that hedge fund managers in Idaho need to be concerned about.  The information is applicable to traditional securities-only hedge fund managers (with regard to investment advisor registration) and also to forex hedge fund managers.  Like many states Iowa has enacted a commodity code which may apply to forex managers depending on the nature of the manager’s forex program.  Continue reading →

SEC Hedge Fund Registration Exemption – Section 203(b)(3) and Rule 203(b)(3)-1

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Exemption from the Registration Provisions of the Investment Advisors Act

We have discussed the SEC hedge fund registration exemption many times before, but we have not addressed it directly.For most management companies with a single hedge fund client, registration is actually a relatively easy and straightforward process.  Once hedge fund managers are registered as investment advisors with the SEC there are certain recordkeeping requirements for the hedge fund manager, but the requirements are not onerous (for more information, please see ).

Notwithstanding the above, many managers will choose to remain unregistered for a variety of different reasons and those managers will typically rely on the hedge fund registration exemption found in Section 203(b)(3) of the Investment Advisors Act of 1940.  The exemption and the rule underlying the exemption is detailed in full below. Continue reading →

Illinois Hedge Fund Law – Various Laws and Regulations

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Perhaps not surprising, Illinois has a very well developed Securities Division website which provides its investment advisors (and potential investment advisors) with many informative articles.  In this article we have reprinted three separate resources which we found helpful for potential hedge fund managers located in Illinois.

The first resource provides a basic overview of investment advisors and the separation of regulatory jurisdiction between the federal government and the states.  This resource is glib on whether hedge fund managers in Illinois need to register as investment advisors with the state – generally they do not.  For those managers which are registered with Illinois, the second resource provides an overview of the potential for on-site examinations of the manager’s business.  The final resource provides an overview of the different fees which an advisor registered (or notice filed) in Illinois will need to pay. Continue reading →

Offshore Hedge Funds – Side by Side Hedge Fund Structure

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Offshore hedge funds can be structured in a number of different ways including a stand alone structure, a master-feeder structure and a side by side structure.  This article discusses the side by side hedge fund structure and also provides a side by side offshore hedge fund organizational chart.  As we have noted earlier in an article regarding offshore hedge fund structural considerations, a side by side offshore hedge fund is a structure consisting of two distinct entities which are managed in the same way by a single management company.

I attached the following Offshore Side by Side Hedge Fund Organizational Chart so that hedge fund managers can get an idea of the structures involved and the flow of payments. This specific chart details (1) a management fee and a performance allocation paid from the domestic counterpart and (2) a management fee and a performance fee paid from the offshore counterpart.  Offshore hedge fund managers should discuss these aspects of their offshore hedge funds with their attorneys. Continue reading →