What should I name my Hedge Fund?

For start-up hedge fund managers, finding the right name for the hedge fund and management company can be very difficult.  You want to be able to convey the message with your name, but there are other considerations such as general hedge fund naming conventions and of course the availability of good domain names (for your hedge fund website).  Below are some general ideas we recommend when asked about naming:

Names for the Hedge Fund Management Company

The management company will generally be based in the manager’s home state.  Prior to drafting the hedge fund offering documents, the attorney will incorporate the company.  The attorney will be able to check proposed names with the Secretary of State.  Common naming conventions are:

XYZ Capital Management, LLC
XYZ Capital Partners, LLC
XYZ Capital Group, LLC
XYZ Capital, LLC
XYZ Asset Management, LLC
XYZ Investment Management, LLC
XYZ Investment Group, LLC
XYZ Investments, LLC
XYZ Managers, LLC
XYZ Partners, LLC
YXZ Advisors, LLC
XYZ Group, LLC
XYZ, LLC

Popular choices for the first name of the management company are:

Last name of the hedge fund manager (e.g. Smith Capital Management, LLC)

Words which convey a central theme or concept of the management company/ fund (e.g. Greenlight Capital, Maverick Capital)

For the Hedge Fund

Most hedge funds are established in Delaware, which may present a problem for managers which would like a certain name.  Some common naming conventions include:

XYZ Capital Partners, LP
XYZ Capital Group, LP
XYZ Partners, LP
XYZ Capital, LP
XYZ Investment Partners, LP
XYZ Investment Fund, LP
XYZ Group, LP
XYZ Fund, LP
XYZ, LP

Because many hedge fund names are already taken, managers may choose to add a roman numeral behind the desired name:

XYZ Fund, LP
XYZ Fund I, LP
XYZ Fund II, LP

Note: in Delaware, placing a roman numeral behind a name is sufficient to distinguish it from another existing fund.  Accordingly, if a manager wants to protect his brand name and the possibility for future funds with similar names, the manager may want to establish these companies at the outset.   Likewise, if a manager wants a name which is already taken, he may want to simply add a roman numeral behind the name to distinguish it from an existing fund.

Some hedge fund managers distinguish different funds by using a strategy description in their name:

XYZ Long-Short Fund, LP
XYZ Arbitrage Fund, LP
XYZ Muti-Strategy Fund, LP

*We do not recommend using the term “hedge fund” in the name.

Trademark Issues

Outside of the issue of whether a name is available at the state level, there is the issue of whether the name may infringe on another group’s trademark.  While trademark issues typically do not make headlines in this industry, there is the possibility that your hedge fund name would violate the trademark of an existing name.  Managers should discuss this issue with their attorney, who will be able to check the U.S. trademark database.