Tag Archives: hedge fund compliance

SEC Rulemaking Agenda for Hedge Fund Registration

Timeline for Proposed & Final Manager Registration Rules Released

The Dodd-Frank bill requires the SEC and CFTC to propose and promulgate final rules with respect to a number of important areas for investment managers. As we have seen, significant time has already been devoted to trying to develop a framework for OTC derivatives clearing. Over the next couple of months, however, hedge fund and private equity fund managers will begin to see how the registration and hedge fund compliance process will proceed under the new laws and regulations.

The SEC has released a timeline for implementing the provisions under Dodd-Frank. While the SEC discusses a number of the major rule making initiatives, below we have only reprinted the items relating to investment adviser registration. We have also provided some of our thoughts on these items. [Note: section numbers reference the Dodd-Frank act.]

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October

§409: Propose rules defining “family office”

This definition will be important because “family offices” are not required to register as investment advisers with the SEC. Family offices which manage the assets of numerous families will need to pay special attention to the proposed rule because it is possible that the SEC may not provide such offices with an exemption or exclusion from the registration provisions.

See SEC Proposes “Family Office” Definition on Hedge Fund Law Blog

Novemeber – December 2010 (planned)

§§407 and 408: Propose rules implementing the exemptions from registration for advisers to venture capital firms and for certain advisers to private funds

Private equity fund advisers are going to be carefully reviewing this provision to see if there is any way to escape SEC registration. Depending on the scope of the definition of “venture capital,” managers to private equity funds may be able to find a way to fall outside of registration.

§410: Propose rules and changes to forms to implement the transition of mid-sized investment advisers (between $25 and $100 million in assets under management) from SEC to State regulation, as provided in the Act

This will be an important provision for a number of managers who are currently registered with the SEC. Both the SEC and the states want to see an easy and seemless transition from SEC to state registration and there will need to be significant coordination between the SEC, NASAA, the states and FINRA (which runs the investment adviser registration depository).

§418: Propose rules to adjust the threshold for “qualified client”

Changes to the definition of “qualified client” will require hedge fund managers to revise their fund offering documents. Additionally, currently unregistered private equity fund managers should note that they will be subject to the qualified client regulations (i.e. performance fees or the carried interest may be charged only to an investors who fall within the definiton of qualified client). Accordingly, private equity fund managers may need to start thinking about revising their offering documents and/or begin requesting more information from their investors with respect to net worth.

§413: Propose rules to revise the “accredited investor” standard

The SEC has already promulgated guidance with respect to the accredited investor standard which states that an investor’s equity in a primary residence does not count toward the net worth requirement. It is likely that the proposed rules will mirror the guidance.

§926: Propose rules disqualifying the offer or sale of securities in certain exempt offerings by certain felons and others similarly situated

NASAA has lobbied hard to have the ability to have greater control over Regulation D offerings if the promoters of the offerings have previous been subject to certain regulatory or criminal proceedings. Any proposed provision would likely limit the ability of such promoters to offer securities to investors without first going through a rigourous process with each of the states where the securities are sold.

§§404 and 406: Propose (jointly with the CFTC for dual-registered investment advisers) rules to implement reporting obligations on investment advisers related to the assessment of systemic risk

Investment managers with a large amount of AUM will likely be subject to increased reporting requirements to the SEC. The SEC (and the CFTC) will likely use this information (potentially in conjunction with other government agencies) to determine the risk the manager poses to the financial system. It is expect that most, if not all, of the information to be provided to the SEC and CFTC under this provision will not be available to the public, even under a FOIA request.

§913: Report to Congress regarding the study of the obligations of brokers, dealers and investment advisers

NASAA has been fighting for a uniform fiduciary standard for brokers and investment advisers. After the Dodd-Frank act was signed into law, the SEC solicited comments from the public on whether there should be a uniform fiduciary standard. The SEC has already received a large number of comments on this very important issue.

§914: Report to Congress regarding the need for enhanced resources for investment adviser examinations and enforcement

The SEC needs more resources. Ultimately the lack of proper funding for this agency will likely lead to the creation of a self regulatory organization for investment managers similar to FINRA for broker-dealers. This is a separate subject which we intend to discuss in future posts.

§919B: Complete study of ways to improve investor access to information about investment advisers and broker-dealers

It will be interesting to see what additional information that the SEC would like advisers to give investors. The Form ADV and Part 2 are publicly available to investors through the SEC’s Advisor Search tool. Additionally, the SEC recently changed the format of Part 2 to provide more information to investors about investment managers.

April – July 2011 (planned)

During this time the SEC will be adopting finalized rules (taking into account public comments on the proposed rules) with respect to the following matters:

reporting obligations on investment advisers related to the assessment of systemic risk
exemption from registration for advisers to venture capital firms
“family office” definition
transition of mid-sized investment buy cialis soft online advisers (between $25 and $100 million in assets under management) from SEC to State regulation
“qualified client” definition
“accredited investor” definition
disqualifying Regulation D offerings by certain felons

Additionally, the SEC may decide to propose rules during this time based on the §913 study conducted on the obligations of brokers, dealers and investment advisers

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Bart Mallon, Esq. runs the hedge fund law blog and provides registration and compliance services to hedge fund managers through Cole-Frieman & Mallon LLP, a leading hedge fund law firm. He can be reached directly at 415-868-5345.

Form ADV Part 2 and State Registration

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A couple of weeks ago the SEC announced that they approved certain updates for Form ADV Part 2 . While these forms will be required for managers who are subject to registration with the SEC (under the new rules, those managers with either $100 or $150 million of assets under management depending on the circumstance), the states are still determining how they are going to handle new Part 2. We have done a preliminary investigation by calling a number of the more popular states and found that most states are planning to implement new Part 2, but are not sure when the requirement will be finalized. From our research, Texas is the only state that has set a date for implementation of new Part 2.

The list of states is below. We will continue to update this list.

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Arizona – will require but not sure starting when
California – will require but not sure when
Colorado – will require but not sure starting when
Connecticut – discussing now and will have a decision at the end of the month
Illinois – will require but not sure starting when
Massachusetts – will require but not sure starting when
Texas – will require starting 01/11

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Cole-Frieman & Mallon LLP provides legal support and hedge fund compliance services to all types of investment managers. Bart Mallon, Esq. can be reached directly at 415-868-5345.

SEC Approves ADV Part II Update

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New Form to Require More Disclosure

On July 21, the SEC approved changes to the Form ADV Part II which are designed to provide more and better information to investors. Currently Part II (and Schedule F which qualifies much of the information on Part II) contains a series of check the box options and also provides much of the same information which is also provided on Form ADV. The changed proposed below will go into effect 60 days from the publication in the Federal Register which means that most advisers will need to have the new Part II in place by the first quarter of 2011. In addition to traditional investment advisers, the new Part II disclosure requirements will also be applicable to hedge fund managers who are subject to registration after the passage of the Dodd-Frank reform bill.

The proposed major changes include the following:

Increased narrative – currently Part II and Schedule F are composed of a series of check the box answers describing an adviser’s business. The SEC wants to move towards more of a narrative, “plain English” approach to disclosure which will be “clear and concise”.
Discussion of advisory business and fee structure – more disclosure will be required about the advisor’s business and the fee structure. Increased disclosure will be required about expenses like brokerage and custody fees.
Performance fee discussion – the big issue is that if a manager charges performance fees to some accounts and not others, the manager will need to explain the conflicts of interest which are involved.
Discussion of investment methodology and risk factors – the manager will be required to explain the material risks involved in the investment program.
Disciplinary information – all disciplinary information material to the adviser’s business will need to be disclosed. If there is new disciplinary disclosures which become necessary after the relationship has been established, the adviser will need to promptly update the client.
Supplements – the adviser will need to provide supplements to the client regarding the specific person who will be providing investment advice to the client. This supplement will include information about the person’s education, business experience, disciplinary history, etc.

After the changes become effective, both hedge fund managers and other investment advisers will need to update their forms and also update their compliance manuals and policies and procedures. Managers should also note that the information included in Part II will be publicly available online.

While we completely agree with appropriate and easy to understand disclosure, some of the proposed changes may have the unintended effect of creating brochures which are so long and comprehensive that investors will simply not read them. For example, we have discussed “prospectus creep” and there is the possibility for this to happen with the Part II -especially with respect to risk disclosures. Managers and lawyers will certainly err on the side of over-disclosure instead of under-disclosure when faced with a potential risk factor which may or may not be “material” in the eyes of the SEC (see, especially, the Goldman case).

What we see with the supplements is essentially a first step towards developing a self-regulatory organization (SRO) to oversee investment advisers. FINRA has shown a willingness to take on this responsibility and it has become an even greater likelihood as the SEC is tasked with greater responsibilities under the Dodd-Frank bill. While we believe that a SRO can relieve much of the regulatory burden of a government agency (see the NFA), we must note that all SROs have their own issues and this must be weighed against the increased costs (both in time and money) to investment advisers.

Text of Chairman Shapiro’s speech can be found here.
SEC News Release can be found here.

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Cole-Frieman & Mallon LLP provides legal support and hedge fund compliance services to all types of investment managers. Bart Mallon, Esq. can be reached directly at 415-868-5345.

Obama Signs Historic Wall Street Reform Bill

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Requires Hedge Fund and Private Equity Fund Managers to Register with SEC

As expected President Obama signed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Act”) on Wednesday July 24, 2010. The Act was designed to address many of the issues that led to the financial crisis of 2008 and is being hailed as the largest financial regulatory bill since the various securities acts of the 1930s.

For most hedge fund and private equity fund managers, the major concern is the requirement that managers register with the SEC by July 24, 2011. Registration, of course, means that firms are going to be required to appoint a chief compliance office, comply with certain advertising restrictions and implement robust recordkeeping procedures. Along with the increased compliance and reporting requirements, managers should be aware that firms will also be subject to surprise or routine SEC audits.

Fund managers who run section 3(c)(1) funds should also be aware of the fact that the definition of both qualified client and accredited investor are affected. The definition of a qualified client will be required to be initially adjusted by the SEC and then will be adjusted every 5 years thereafter. The definition of an accredited investor now does not include the value of an investor’s primary residence. This definition will be subject to adjustment every 4 years.

Other interesting changes:

Venture Capital Funds – VC funds will not be required to register as investment advisers with the SEC, but the SEC may promulgate rules requiring such managers to keep certain records and make reports to the SEC.
Registered CPOs not subject to IA registration – a commodity pool operator which provides advice to a private fund which invests in securities will not also need to be registered as an investment adviser unless the CPO’s business becomes predominantly securities-related.
Recordkeeping – although hedge fund and private equity fund managers will be subject to reporting requirements, there is the possibility for enhanced confidentiality measures for some groups. [This is an issue we will likely hear much more about in the future.]
Short sale reporting – managers generally with $100M in AUM will be required to report their short positions to the SEC.
SIPC protection for futures – the Act extends SIPC protection for futures and options on futures in portfolio margining accounts.
Futures position limits – in the next 6 months the CFTC will be required to impose aggregate position limits on energy products and metals. In the next 9 months the CFTC will be required to impose aggregate position limits on agricultural commodities.
OTC Derivatives – formerly unregulated derivative transactions will now be regulated by the CFTC, SEC or both. These transactions will generally need to be cleared through central clearinghouses.

Many pundits have noted that most of the “real” change will take place through the agency rule-making process which is expected to commence shortly and last at least 12 months. Both the SEC and CFTC will be releasing rule proposals for comments and we will be reporting on these as they occur.

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Other related hedge fund law articles:

Cole-Frieman & Mallon LLP provides legal support and hedge fund compliance services to all types of investment managers. Bart Mallon, Esq. can be reached directly at 415-868-5345.

Hedge Fund Compliance Guide

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After the passage of the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill, managers and service providers will be preparing to go through the registration process. Managers should note that while the registration process is fairly straightforward, the ongoing compliance requirements under the Investment Advisers Act are perhaps more important. In this guide we will be providing an overview and links to the important compliance considerations.

Specifically, we will be discussing the practical application of the following rules to both hedge fund managers and private equity fund managers:

Rule 204-2 — Books and Records to Be Maintained by Investment Advisers
Rule 204-3 — Written Disclosure Statements
Rule 204A-1 — Investment Adviser Codes of Ethics
Rule 205-3 — Exemption from the Compensation Prohibition of Section 205(a)(1) for Investment Advisers
Rule 206(3)-2 — Agency Cross Transactions for Advisory Clients
Rule 206(4)-1 — Advertisements by Investment Advisers
Rule 206(4)-2 — Custody or Possession of Funds or Securities of Clients
Rule 206(4)-3 — Cash Payments for Client Solicitations
Rule 206(4)-4 — Financial and Disciplinary Information that Investment Advisers Must Disclose to Clients
Rule 206(4)-6 — Proxy Voting
Rule 206(4)-7 — Compliance Procedures and Practices

Business Continuity Plans

Rule 206(4)-8 — Pooled Investment Vehicles

This guide will complement the hedge fund registration guide we have developed as well.

Hedge Funds and Insider Trading after Galleon

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By Bart Mallon, Esq. (www.colefrieman.com)

High Profile Case Highlights Issues for Hedge Fund Managers to Consider

Insider trading is now an operational issue for hedge fund managers. The high profile insider trading case involving RR and the Galleon hedge fund has put the spotlight directly on hedge funds again and has also sparked a debate of sorts on the subject. Given the potential severity of penalties for insider trading, it is surprising that we still periodically hear about such cases, but nevertheless it is something that is always going to be there – human nature is not going to change.

As such hedge fund managers need to be prepared to deal with this issue internally (through their compliance procedures) and also will need to be able to communicate how they have addressed this issue to both the regulators and institutional investors. While managers always need to be vigilant in their enforcement of compliance policies and procedures, during this time of heightened insider trading awareness, managers need to be even more vigilant about protecting themselves. As the Galleon liquidation too vividly shows, a lapse in operational oversight can and will take down an entire organization.

Insider Trading Overview and Penalties

We have discussed insider trading before, but as a general matter insider trading refers to the practice of trading securities based on material, non-public information. Whether information is material depends on case law. In general information will be material if “there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable shareholder would consider it important” in making an investment decision (see TSC Industries, Inc. v. Northway, Inc., 426 U.S. 438, 449 (1976)). Information is non-public if it has not been disseminated in a manner making it available to investors generally. An insider is generally defined as officers, directors and employees of a company but it can also refer to a company’s business associates in certain circumstances (i.e. attorneys, accountants, consultants, and banks, and the employees of such organizations). Additionally, persons not considered to be insiders may nevertheless be charged with insider trading if they received tips from insiders – such persons generally are referred to as tippees and the insider is generally referred to as the tipper. [HFLB note: more information on insider trading generally can be found in the discussion of Regulation FD on the SEC website.]

The penalties for insider trading are potentially harsh – censures, cease and desist orders, fines, suspension and/or revocation of securities licenses are all potential penalties. Depending on the severity of the insider trading there may be criminal sanctions in addition to the listed civil penalties. Securities professionals (or other business professionals like an attorney or accountant) may jeopardize their ability to work in their industry if they are caught engaging in insider trading which, for most people, would be a large enough deterrent to engage in such activity.

Addressing Compliance Inside the Firm

Insider trading is usually addressed in the firm’s compliance policies and procedures. Indeed, Section 204A of the Investment Adviser Act of 1940 requires SEC registered investment advisers to maintainpolicies and procedures to detect against insider trading.

Usually such policies and procedures forbid employees from trading on material non-public information (as well as “tipping” others about material non-public information). Additionally, employees typically are required to disclose any non-public material information they receive to the chief compliance officer (“CCO”) of the firm. The employee is generally prohibited from discussing the matter with anyone inside or outside of the firm. The policies and procedures may require the CCO to take some sort of action on the matter. There are a number of different ways that the CCO can handle the situation including ordering a prohibition on trading in the security (including in options, rights and warrants on the security). The CCO may also initiate a review of the personal trading accounts of firm employees. Usually when the CCO is informed of such information the CCO would contact outside counsel to discuss the next course of action.

Dealing with Regulators

While many large hedge fund managers are registered as investment advisors with the SEC, many still remain unregistered in reliance on the exemption provided by Section 203(b)(3). With the Private Fund Investment Advisers Registration Act likely to be passed within the next year, managers with a certain amount of AUM (either $100 million or $150 million as it now stands) will be forced to register with the SEC. Of course, this means that such managers will be subject to examination by the SEC and insider trading will be one of the first issues that a manager will likely deal with in an examination.

As we discussed in an earlier insider trading article, the SEC has unabashedly proclaimed war against insider trading and they will be aggressively pursuing any leads which may implicate managers.

Some compliance professionals believe that the SEC comes in with a view that the manager is guilty until proven innocent. While I do not necessarily subscribe to this blanket viewpoint, I do believe that managers, as a best practice, should be able to show the SEC the steps they have taken to ensure that compliance with insider trading prohibitions is a top priority of the firm. The firm and CCO should be prepared to describe their policies and structures that are in place to deal with this issue.

Institutional Standpoint

Potentially more important than how a firm deals with the SEC, is how a firm describes their internal compliance procedures to institutional investors. The question then becomes, how are institutional investors going to address this risk with regard to the managers they allocate to – what will change?

Right now it appears a bit unclear. Over the past week I have talked with a number of different groups who are involved hedge fund compliance, hedge fund consulting, and hedge fund due diligence and I seem to get different answers. Some groups think that institutional investors will be focusing on this issue (as many managers know, one of the important issues for institutional investors is the avoidance of “headline risk”); other groups seem to think that this is an issue that institutional groups are not going to focus on because there are other aspects of a manager’s investment program and operations which deserve more attention.

We tend to agree more with the second opinion, but we still believe that robust insider trading compliance policies and procedures are vital to the long term success of any asset management company. We also encourage groups to discuss their current procedures with their compliance consultant or hedge fund attorney.

Outsourcing and Technology solutions

Many large managers have implemented compliance programs which have technology solutions designed to track employee trading. Presumably there will be technology programs developed to address this concern for manager. Although I do not currently know of any specific outsourced or technology solutions which address this issue, I anticipate discussing this in greater depth in the future – perhaps there is some data warehousing solution. [HFLB note: please contact us if you would like to discuss such a solution with us.]

Final Thoughts

The Galleon insider trading case could not have happened at a worse time for the hedge fund industry which is trying to put its best face forward as Congress determines its future regulatory fate. However, increased awareness of this issue will force managers to address it from an operational standpoint which will only help these managers down the road. While the full effect of this case will not be understood for a while, in the short term it is likely to cost managers in terms of time and cost to review and implement increased operational awareness and procedures.

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Bart Mallon, Esq. of Cole-Frieman & Mallon LLP runs the Hedge Fund Law Blog and the Series 79 exam website. He can be reached directly at 415-868-5345.

Hedge Fund Regulation IT Solutions

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Technology Solutions for Registered Hedge Fund Managers

http://www.hedgefundlawblog.com

It is the final quarter of this year’s political season and it has become clear that the earlier clamor for hedge fund registration has been overshadowed by larger political issues – namely health care legislation and the cap and trade bill. Recent events, however, have shown that the registration issue is not dead and the venture capital industry has been able to potentially secure an exemption from the registration provisions. Even though we don’t know where regulation will take us in the next 6 to 18 months, it is likely that many hedge fund managers will need to institute compliance and IT programs as a result of forthcoming laws and regulations.

The article below, submitted by Meyer Ben-Reuven, CEO of Chelsea Technologies, details some issues which managers will need to be ready to handle once legislation and regulations go into effect. State registered investment advisors should take note as they may already be required (under state law) to maintain such compliance programs.

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How is President Obama’s New Hedge Fund Regulation Plan affecting you?
By Meyer Ben-Reuven, CEO Chelsea Technologies

The challenging question Hedge Fund Managers should ask themselves is what should they be doing to be compliant with President Obama’s Hedge Fund Regulation Plan? There are many questions and many tasks to accomplish, but most important is to understand the main points of the plan, what needs to be done and what are the costs associated. In this paper I present you with a summary of the President’s plan and what a Chief Compliance Officer needs to face in conjunction with the IT department to be compliant with regulations. Costs are important, but I will keep them away from this paper.

Obama’s New Hedge Fund Regulation Plan

In June 2009, President Obama presented a proposal for new regulations that affect Hedge Funds and fund managers. The most important part of this new regulation will be to require Hedge Fund, Private Equity, and VC Fund Managers to register with the SEC as investment advisors.

Although it is a proposal, all fund managers will have to start thinking about the re-registration and the process to keep the fund compliant.

The plan’s 5 main goals are:

Promote robust supervision and regulation of financial firms.
Establish comprehensive supervision and regulation of financial markets.
Propose comprehensive regulation of all OTC derivatives.
Protect customers and investors from financial abuse.
Raise international regulatory standards and improve international cooperation.

The idea is to require advisers to report financial information on their fund and its management and thus have the ability to assess whether the fund poses a threat to the stability of the financial system and at the same time strengthen investor protection.

The specific goals regarding hedge funds are as follows:

Data collection
SEC should conduct regular, periodic examinations of hedge funds
Reporting AUM and other fund metrics to the SEC
SEC would have ability to assess whether the fund or fund family is so large, highly leveraged, or interconnected that it poses a threat to financial stability

How will IT Departments have to help keep the funds within regulation rules?

As of February 2006, Hedge Fund Advisors were obliged to comply with SEC Rule 203(b)(3)-2 requiring registration under the Investment Advisor Act. Under these rules, the Hedge Funds were advised to retain all internal and external email and IM business communications. In June 2006, the Goldstein ruling against the SEC pushed several funds to de-register. With the failure of the financial system since the end of 2007, the new administration has been poised to regulate the industry more than ever.

What needs to be done?

Take a look at all the ways communications are conducted in the fund
What are the devices used to communicate
Always be on the lookout for new technologies

Afterwards, insure you have control over the different communication methods. As stated, all electronic communication in and out of the fund has to be retained for future review. This means that if it cannot be controlled and retained, it must be prohibited.

All internal rules have to be specified in IT policies and procedures, otherwise no one can be held accountable.

The following is how data needs to be archived for SEC purpose audits:

Incoming/Outgoing Data must be kept in its original form
Data has to be easily retrievable and searchable
Data has to have a date and time stamp
Data has to be retained in the main office for first 2 years
Data has to be retained for 5 years
Data has to be put into tamper proof media (meaning non-rewritable and non-erasable)
Data has to be stored in a secondary backup location (preferably away from the same grid)
Be able to produce data promptly (within hours)
Be able to provide data in its original format in either view or print form
Implement annual review of the system

It is highly recommended that data be tested for integrity including testing retrieval and searching, as well as accuracy. The test should be conducted on a yearly basis, but better if on a more frequent basis.
Although the IT department is in charge of conducting the process, it is ultimately the Chief Compliance Officer who is responsible for this area. The Chief Compliance Officer needs to dictate the test frequency as well as to advise everyone in the firm about the policies and make sure everyone understands the consequences of failure to comply.

All these internal policies have to be in writing and any violations have to be documented and fixed. The regular testing and reviews have to be documented and be ready for presentation in case of an audit.

NOTE: TAPE BACKUP IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR MESSAGE ARCHIVING

What are the different communication venues that exist and can be controlled and thus archived?

Email and IM from Exchange
Email and IM from Bloomberg and Reuters
Blackberry archiving of Pin-to-Pin , SMS, Call Detail logs
E-Faxes
Blogs
Chat Rooms
Message Boards
Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn

Since all of the above require certain technologies and software for archiving and retaining, you have to make an effort to comply with the regulations or otherwise prohibit the usage of such technologies in the work place.

How do you implement compliance?

There are two schools of thought to achieve compliance:

Build an in-house system
Use a third party system

The in-house system is more complex and often requires a larger upfront investment to build and maintain. Keep in mind you will have to have the following:

Servers, storage, and software
Backup Servers, storage, and software in a location out of the main location grid
Replication system
Maintain both the main and backup location

The responsibility and costs can escalate, but depending on the size of the firm, it might be the most cost efficient.

The third party systems, which have built an infrastructure that is scalable, keep on growing as more clients join their list. The time to implement is a fraction of building an in-house system. Depending on the third party provider, there are several ways of getting the data:

Have the data arrive to the email server and from there delivered to the third party provider
Have the data arrive to the third party provider and then to the email server

Both methods of delivery have issues of their own. The first method requires you to be diligent about monitoring the email flow and ensure data is routed to the archiving provider – the responsibility is shifted completely to you. The second method, where the provider requires the email to be routed through their system before it arrives to your server, usually poses a different challenge where emails might get delayed at the provider.

If you decide on any of the above systems, you should try to utilize an external anti-spam solution to keep your storage usage to a minimum as well as to make sure that non-account emails do not reach your email server. These measures will keep all spam from being part of your retention data.

References and information used from the following sources: Global Relay, Zantaz, LiveOffice, NextPage, Hedge Fund Law Blog

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Bart Mallon, Esq. of Cole-Frieman & Mallon LLP runs Hedge Fund Law Blog. Mr. Mallon’s legal practice is devoted to helping emerging and start up hedge fund managers successfully launch a hedge fund. If you are a hedge fund manager who is looking to start a hedge fund or if you are a current hedge fund manager with questions about ERISA, please contact us or call Mr. Mallon directly at 415-868-5345. Other related hedge fund law articles include:

IA Compliance Fall Conference 2009

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Over the past few months I have written extensively about the new regulatory environment and the likelihood that many hedge fund managers will need to register with the SEC within the next year or so (assuming that Congress passes one of many proposed registration bills). Anticipating this requirement, my team and I at Cole-Frieman & Mallon LLP have been preparing for registrations and as part of that preparation I am attending the IA Compliance Fall Conference today at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel.

The conferne is designed to provide lawyers and compliance professionals with more context on how firms need to deal with compliance issues in this hype-sensitive environment. Today’s conference hosts a number of renowned speakers, including top SEC officials:

John Walsh – SEC’s Office of Compliance Inspectrions and Examinations
Gene Gohlke – OCIE’s Associate Director
Andrew Donohue – director of the SEC’s Division of Investment Management

There are a number of items on the adgenda which I am particularly excited to hear about and discuss with my colleagues including some of the hot-button issues and recent reports from SEC examinations. I will be taking notes throughout the event and will be writing blog posts about the conference in the coming days. I will also be providing more information on Mallon P.C.’s investment adviser registration and compliance services for hedge fund managers.

Other attendees include representatives from: The Carlyle Group; Westover Capital Advisors, LLC; Oppenheimer Funds, Inc; State Street; Penbrook Management, LLC; Trilogy Capital; Bridgewater Associates; AXA Investment Managers; Strategic Value Partners, LLC; Pershing Square Capital Management; Guggenheim Advisors, LLC; Lone Pine Capital; Parkway Advisors; Vicis Capital LLC; The Swathmore Group; Abbott Capital Management, LLC; Redwood Investments; Tocqueville Asset Management; RNK Capital LLC among others.

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Please contact us if you have any questions or would like to start a hedge fund. Other related hedge fund law articles include:

Bart Mallon, Esq. runs hedge fund law blog and has written most all of the articles which appear on this website. Mr. Mallon’s legal practice is devoted to helping emerging and start up hedge fund managers successfully launch a hedge fund. If you are a hedge fund manager who is looking to start a hedge fund, or if you have questions about investment adviser registration with the SEC or state securities commission, please call Mr. Mallon directly at 415-296-8510.

Hedge Fund Compliance and Twitter

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Cat and Mouse Securities Compliance

It seems so many aspects of the securities industry is the cat and mouse game of regulate (government) and sneakily avoid (industry participants). This is especially true when it comes to compliance and “what you can get away with.” As the post below notes, many compliance rules (and other securities laws and regulations) are written fairly broadly – accordingly, registered individuals always need to be aware of the consequences of their actions. The article reprinted below by Doug Cornelius of the Compliance Building blog examines the misconceptions of Twitter and compliance requirements.

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Twitter and Compliance

By Doug Cornelius

I was struck recently by the power and misconceptions around Twitter, the current press darling of Web 2.0. On one side is the enormous power of Twitter to crowdsource the news. The fallout of the Iran elections was better covered on Twitter than the mainstream media. At one point I watched CNN only to see the anchors reading from Twitter and displaying images posted to Twitter applications.

On the other side is the misconception that Twitter communications are not regulated by the SEC or FINRA. Everyone can acknowledge that the regulations have not caught up with the current tools of web 2.0. But the existing rules were drafted broad enough to cover all electronic communication. Twitter is clearly electronic communication.

Last week at at Jeff Pulver’s 140 Characters Conference in New York an attendee said “Twitter allows us to say f— you to the SEC!” Earlier this week there was a quote in Forbes.com that “Since brokers have to save instant messages and e-mail, but thus far have no such mandate for tweets….”

The SEC and FINRA may have more pressing issues on its hands, but the existing rules cover the use of Twitter. Sure the rules could be more explicit. But ignore them at your peril.

If you are a registered representative, you should take a look at FINRA’s Guide to the Internet. The features of Twitter could be considered an advertisement, sales literature, or correspondence. The direct message feature is correspondence. If your Twitter feed is unprotected, each twitter post would be considered an advertisement. If your Twitter feed is protected it would be considered sales literature.

The SEC’s Guidance on the use of web sites (SEC Release 34-58288) does not give the clearest guidance. But it is clear that the rules are independent of the platform and the technology.

Insider trading, wrongful public disclosure and fraud and prohibited regardless of the communication tool. That includes Twitter.

Companies that have to monitor electronic communications should add Twitter to the mix. As the Iran election showed us, blocking access is ineffective. You should adopt a policy for Twitter or a revise your existing policies to specifically include it. Twitter has become too popular and powerful as a tool to ignore.

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Please feel free to leave us a comment below on this article. You can also contact us if you have any questions or would like to start a hedge fund. Other related hedge fund law articles include:

California Investment Advisor FAQ

2 Replies

California Based Hedge Fund Managers Receive Answers to Common Questions

As I have discussed many times before, each state securities division has different rules and regulations. In addition, each state has different interpretations of those rules and regulations. This makes it difficult for hedge fund managers to really know exactly what is required in each state unless they have representation from a specialized compliance group or hedge fund attorney. Many securities regulators, also, do not completely understand their own rule and regulations and are not able to provide any sort of practicle advice to hedge fund managers regarding their obligations. While not surprising, this lack of ability to provide general straight-forward answers to managers is what creates the need for specialized advice. Some states however are recognizing that there are common questions which arise and that it makes sense to provide answers to those common questions and the FAQ below, provided by the California State Securities Regulation Division is a step in the right direction towards increasing the dialogue between regulators and market participants.

The following summary is also very helpful for manager because it discusses some of the nuances of California law as it relates to investment advisors who are also hedge fund managers. Specifically the FAQ below deals with the issue of “custody,” the net worth requirements and the 120% net worth. Also discussed is the “gatekeeper” issue (also known as the independant secondary signer service).

The entire text of the FAQ is reprinted below. Please see below for additional hedge fund articles and please also see our guide to state hedge fund laws.

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1) What responsibilities do I have as an investment adviser?

As an investment adviser, you are a “fiduciary” to your advisory clients. This means that you have a fundamental obligation to act in the best interests of your clients and to provide investment advice in your clients’ best interests. You owe your clients a duty of undivided loyalty and utmost good faith. You should not engage in any activity in conflict with the interest of any client, and you should take steps reasonably necessary to fulfill your obligations. You must employ reasonable care to avoid misleading clients and you must provide full and fair disclosure of all material facts to your clients and prospective clients.

So, what is considered material? Generally, facts are “material” if a reasonable investor would consider them to be important. It is something a client would want to consider in determining whether to hire the adviser or follow the adviser’s recommendations. You must eliminate, or at least disclose, all conflicts of interest that might incline you to render advice that is not in the best interest of the client. If you do not avoid a conflict of interest that could impact the impartiality of your advice, you must make full and frank disclosure of the conflict. You cannot use your clients’ assets for your own benefit or the benefit of other clients. Departure from this fiduciary standard may constitute “fraud” upon your clients.

2) How are “assets under management” determined?

In determining the amount of your assets under management, include the securities portfolios for which you provide continuous and regular supervisory or management services as of the date of filing Form ADV. You provide continuous and regular supervisory or management services with respect to an account if:

(1) You have discretionary authority over and provide ongoing supervisory or management services with respect to the account; or

(2) You do not have discretionary authority over the account, but you have an ongoing responsibility to select or make recommendations, based upon the needs of the client, as to specific securities or other investments the account may purchase or sell and, if such recommendations are accepted by the client, you are responsible for arranging or effecting the purchase or sale.

Other factors: You should also consider the following factors in evaluating whether you provide continuous and regular supervisory or management services to an account:

(a)Terms of the advisory contract.
If you agree in an advisory contract to provide ongoing management services, this suggests that you provide these services for the account. Other provisions in the contract, or your actual management practices, however, may suggest otherwise.

(b)Form of compensation.
If you are compensated based on the average value of the client’s assets you manage over a specified period of time, this suggests that you provide continuous and regular supervisory or management services for the account.
If you receive compensation in a manner similar to either of the following, this suggests you do not provide continuous and regular supervisory or management services for the account:

(a) You are compensated based upon the time spent with a client during a client visit; or
(b) You are paid a retainer based on a percentage of assets covered by a financial plan.

(3)Management practices.

The extent to which you actively manage assets or provide advice bears on whether the services you provide are continuous and regular supervisory or management services. The fact that you make infrequent trades (e.g., based on a “buy and hold” strategy) does not mean your services are not “continuous and regular.”

3) Our firm is registered with the SEC or another state. Must we also register with the Department of Corporations?

SEC registered advisers with more than five clients who are residents of California must make a notice filing with the Department.

Other states registered investment advisers with a place of business in this state or more than five clients who are residents of California must also registered with the Department.

4) How does a firm convert from being a state-registered to an SEC-registered investment adviser or vice versa?

From State to SEC: To convert from being a state-registered adviser to being an SEC-registered adviser on the IARD system, mark the filing type “Apply for registration as an investment adviser with the SEC.” After the SEC approves your registration you should file a “Partial ADV-W” to withdraw your state registration(s). Do not file your Partial ADV-W until your application for SEC registration is approved or you will be unregistered and may be unable to conduct your business during this period of time.

From SEC to State: To convert from being a SEC-registered adviser to being a state-registered adviser, mark the filing type “Apply for registration as an investment adviser with one or more states.” After your state registration has been approved, then you should file a “Partial ADV-W” to withdraw your SEC registration. Do not file your Partial ADV-W until your state registration application(s) is approved by the Department or you will be unregistered and cannot conduct your business during this period of time.

5) What is an “investment adviser representative?”

An investment adviser representative (“IAR”), sometimes referred to as a registered adviser (“RA”), or associated person is defined in Code Section 25009.5(a) as any partner, officer, director of (or a person occupying a similar status or performing similar functions) or other individual, except clerical or ministerial personnel, who is employed by or associated with, or subject to the supervision and control of, an investment adviser that has obtained a certificate or that is required to obtain a certificate under this law, and who:

(1) Makes any recommendations or otherwise renders advice regarding securities,
(2) Manages accounts or portfolios of clients,
(3) Determines which recommendations or advice regarding securities should be given,
(4) Solicits, offers, or negotiates for the sale or sells investment advisory services, or
(5) Supervises employees who perform any of the foregoing.

Important: Each officer, director or partner exercising executive responsibility (or persons occupying a similar status or performing similar functions) or each person who owns 25% or more is presumed to be acting as an IAR or associated person.

6) I have an investment adviser representative who performs advisory services on behalf of my firm and is under my supervision. Does the investment adviser representative need to be registered with the Department?

Yes, investment adviser representatives must be registered with the Department if they have a place of business in California.

Important: This applies to both state (California and other states) and SEC registered investment advisers. Investment adviser representatives located in California or who have clients who are residents of California (whether they work for SEC, other states, or California’s registered investment adviser firms), must be registered with the Department.

7) How does my firm register individuals and what are the employment requirements?

Firms register individuals by completing Form U-4 through the electronic Central Registration Depository (“CRD”). Upon employment of an individual as an IAR, the investment adviser must obtain a properly executed Form U-4, evidence that the IAR meets the qualification requirements of CCR §260.236, and have the responsibility and duty to ascertain by reasonable investigation the good character, business reputation, qualifications, and experience of an individual upon employment or engagement as an IAR.

8) What are the qualification requirements for investment adviser representatives?

Each IAR, except those employed or engaged by an investment adviser solely to offer or negotiate for the sale of investment adviser services, must qualify by passing the examination(s) as specified in CCR §260.236(a). The examination requirements are the Uniform Investment Adviser Law Examination (“2000 Series 65”) passed on or after January 1, 2000; or the General Securities Representative Examination (“Series 7”) and Uniform Combined State Law Examination (“2000 Series 66”). Waivers and exemptions to the examination requirements may be found in subsection (b) and (c) of CCR §260.236, respectively. Individuals who hold in good standing an approved professional designation meet the exemption found in (c)(3) of CCR §260.236.

When a U-4 is filed to register someone as an IAR, the CRD will automatically open a Series 65 exam window if the individual is not shown as already having passed the exam, is not already licensed by another jurisdiction, or does not qualify for an automatic exam waiver.

9) What are the filing requirements for a firm who has an investment adviser representative?

(1) Employment –

Upon employment of an IAR, Form U-4, including any Disclosure Reporting Page(s), should be completed in accordance with the form instructions. The form is to be filed with, and the reporting fee paid to, CRD in accordance with its procedures. The filing of Form U- 4 with CRD does not constitute an automatic approval of the filing by the Commissioner. The investment adviser should not consider an IAR “registration” approved until approved by the Commissioner and notification of the approval has been received through CRD.

(2) Changes – Within 30 days of any changes to Form U-4, an amendment to Form U-4 is to be filed. The amendment is to be filed directly with CRD in accordance with its procedures.

(3)Termination – Within 30 days of termination of an IAR, Form U-5 is to be filed in accordance with the form instructions. Form U-5 is to clearly state the reason(s) for termination. This form is to be filed directly with CRD in accordance with its procedures.

10) What are the fees associated with registering an investment adviser representative?

The registration fee for each IAR is $25. This fee is paid to the Department through the IARD system. There is no annual renewal fee for an IAR.

There is also an annual filing fee of $30 for 2008 (subject to change for future years) that is paid to FINRA for the processing of forms for each IAR. FINRA charges this fee and the Department does not receive any portion of this.

11) Are owners and executive officers considered investment adviser representatives (IAR)? If so, how should I report owners and executive officers of my advisory firm to the Department?

All direct owners and executive officers should be reported on Schedule A of Form ADV and indirect owners should be reported on Schedule B of Form ADV.

Since officers, directors or partners who exercise executive responsibilities (or persons who occupy similar status or perform similar functions), or persons who own 25% or more are presumed to be IARs, a Form U-4 and a $25 reporting fee should be filed for each such individual through the Central Registration Depository (“CRD”).

A paper filing of Form U-4 should be filed directly with the Department for all other officers, directors or partners, or persons who own 10% or more who are not reported as IARs through the CRD.

12) I solicit clients for an investment adviser and receive referral fees for business I send to an investment adviser. Must I register?

Solicitors must be registered either as an investment adviser representative under a registered investment advisory firm or obtain their own independent registered investment adviser certificate.

13) I solely refer clients to registered investment advisers, what qualification requirements are there for solicitors?

Individuals who are reported as an IAR under an investment adviser solely to offer or negotiate for the sale of investment adviser services are exempted from the qualification requirements. However, solicitors seeking their independent registered investment advisory license must be qualified.

14) I’m a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and refer my clients to third-party investment advisers for referral fees, what qualifications and requirements must I follow?

A special case arises when a CPA acts as referring agent. Like a solicitor, the CPA must be registered either as an investment adviser representative under a registered investment advisory firm or obtain their own independent registered investment adviser certificate. The difference is that the CPA must be qualified by passing the examinations, unless waived or exempted, even if the CPA is to be reported as an investment adviser representative under a registered investment advisory firm. This is because, according to the California Business and Profession Code and the Board of Accountancy, in order for a CPA to receive compensation from a referral, the CPA must provide a professional service related to the product or services that will be provided to the client by the third-party service provider. In addition, the CPA must maintain independence and provide full disclosure of its referral arrangement to the clients.

Please refer to California Business and Profession Code, Section 5061 and California Board of Accountancy, Article 9, Section 56 for more information.

15) Must I have a written contract with my clients? If yes, what information should my advisory contracts contain?

Yes. Advisers providing services pursuant to advisory contracts that are written are considered to promote fair, equitable, and ethical principles. Advisory contracts with clients must be in writing and, at a minimum, must disclose:

(1) The services to be provided;
(2) The term of the contract;
(3) The advisory fee or the formula for computing the fee amount or the manner of calculation of the amount of the prepaid fee to be returned in the event of contract termination or nonperformance;
(4) Whether the contract grants discretionary power to the adviser or its representatives; and
(5) That the contract will not be assigned without the consent of the client.

Please refer to CCC Section 25234 and CCR Section 260.238 for more information.

Important: The Form ADV may not specifically request certain information, however; it is the adviser’s fiduciary duty to disclose all material information in order not to mislead clients, so that the client can make informed decisions about entering into or continuing the advisory relationship.

During the Department examination, examiner will view perceived conflicts from the point of view of the customer: Was the disclosure or lack of disclosure a factor in the client’s decision to use an adviser’s services or ratify an adviser’s recommendations? Was the customer misled? Was the customer placed at a disadvantage or taken unfair advantage of as a result of the conflict and the adviser’s lack of disclosure? The burden of proof lies with the adviser.

16) I provide financial planning services to my clients. What disclosure information must I provide in my advisory contracts for my clients?

Financial planners should provide proper disclosures relating to any inherent conflict of interest that may result from any compensation arrangements connected with the financial planning services that are in addition to the financial planning fees and other financial industry activities or affiliations.

Advisers who provide financial planning services and receive compensation (e.g. commissions, fees) from the sale of securities, insurance, real estate or other product or services recommended in the financial plan, or otherwise has a conflict of interest, must deliver to the financial planning clients a notice in writing containing at least the information found below (in addition to the disclosure items in Question 15 at the time of entering into a contract for, or otherwise arranging for the provision of, the delivery of a financial plan:

(1) A conflict exists between the interests of the investment adviser or associated person and the interests of the client, and
(2) The client is under no obligation to act on the investment adviser’s or associated person’s recommendation. Moreover, if the client elects to act on any of the recommendations, the client is under no obligation to effect the transaction through the investment adviser or the associated person when such person is employed as an agent with a licensed broker-dealer or is licensed as a broker-dealer or through any associate or affiliate of such person.

This statement may be included in the advisory contract or Schedule F of Form ADV, which for the latter, the client must acknowledge receipt of the disclosure.

Please refer to CCR Section 260.235.2 for more information.

17) When am I required to update my Form ADV?

Form ADV should always contain current and accurate information. Please note that Part 1A and Part 2 contain some similar questions and must be answered consistently. Therefore, both parts must be updated. In addition to your annual updating amendment, you must amend your Form ADV by filing additional amendments, referred to as “other-than-annual amendments,” during the year. If there are material changes to the Form ADV, an “other-than-annual amendment” should be filed within 30 days of the change.

Important: Advisers are recommended to utilize the tables found at the end of this packet to determine if a change to certain items in Form ADV requires prompt amendments. Because questions asked in Part 1 and 2 are similar, a table is also provided that references these questions. Advisers should make sure that the answers to cross-referenced items are answered the same.

Important: Any amendments to Parts 1 and 2 of Form ADV should be electronically filed through the IARD system.

REMEMBER: You must also amend your Form ADV each year by filing an “annual updating amendment” within 90 days after the end of your fiscal year. When you submit your annual updating amendment, you must update your responses to all items in Parts 1 and 2 of Form ADV.

18) Can Part 2 of Form ADV be filed electronically through the IARD system?

Yes, Form ADV Part 2 along with Schedule F must be filed through the IARD system. However, unlike Form ADV Part 1, Part 2 must be completed offline and uploaded to the IARD system. The form must be submitted in a text searchable pdf format in order to be accepted by the IARD system.

IARD system instructions for filing Part 2 of Form ADV can be found on the IARD web site at http://www.iard.com/part2instructions.asp .

An editable PDF version of Form ADV Part 2 with Schedule F can be obtained from the following website:

http://www.nasaa.org/Industry_Regulatory_Resources/Uniform_Forms.

19) Do I need to file an annual updating amendment for Part 2 of Form ADV when there are no changes with the information provided?

Yes, an annual updating amendment of Form ADV Parts 1 and 2 through the IARD system is required regardless of any changes in the business or with the information provided. When filing an annual updating amendment, the IARD system allows advisers to utilize the “Confirm” brochure option to confirm that brochures on file are still current, without having to upload a new version of the PDF file.

Specific instructions for filing Part 2 of Form ADV can be obtained from the IARD website at: http://www.iard.com/pdf/ADV_Part_II_Firm_User_90.pdf .

20) Should I file a new application with the Department if I change my sole proprietorship to a corporation?

No, if there is no practical change in control or management only an amendment to the application is necessary. Successors may file an amendment only if the succession results from a change: 1) in form of organization; 2) in legal status; or 3) in the composition of a partnership.

Change in Form of Organization:

This in an internal reorganization or restructuring. For example, a corporation has two affiliated entities, A and B. A is registered as an IA and provides advisory services. B does bookkeeping and does not perform advisory functions. Now, the corporation decides that B should now be performing advisory services and A should provide bookkeeping. In this situation, B may file an amendment of its predecessor’s application because there is no change in control, since the corporation hasn’t change and the beneficial owners remain the same.

Change in Legal Status:

This is a result of a change in the state of incorporation or a change in the form of the business. For example, a sole proprietorship converts it business to a corporation. This also does not involve a change of control.

Change in Composition of a Partnership:

This involves the death, withdrawal, or addition of a partner in the partnership and is not considered a change in control of the partnership.

To file the Amendment: Successors should check “Yes” to Part 1A, Item 4A; enter the date of succession in Part 1A, Item 4B; and complete Schedule D, Section 4 about the acquired firm information. The successor will keep the same CRD number and the predecessor should NOT file Form ADV-W.

21) Should I file a new application if I am an unregistered person acquiring an existing registered investment adviser?

Yes, successors must file a new application for registration when the succession involves a change in control or management. The following types of successions require the filing of a new application:

Acquisitions:

Acquiring a preexisting investment adviser business by an unregistered person involving a change of control or management.

Consolidations:

When two or more registered investment advisers combine their businesses and decide to conduct their new business through a new unregistered entity.

Division of Dual Registrants:

An entity registered as both an IA and BD that decides to separate one of its functions to an unregistered entity.

These types of successions must be filed by a new application for registration. Setting up an IARD account is the first step in the registration process. Once an adviser establishes an IARD account, the adviser can access Form ADV on IARD and submit it electronically through IARD to the Department. On Form ADV, the successor should check “Yes” to Part 1A, Item 4A; enter the date of the succession in Part 1A, Item 4B; and complete Schedule D, Section 4 about the acquired firm information. A new CRD number will be issued upon approval. Once approved, the predecessor files Form ADV-W to withdraw its license from the Department.

22) What are my minimum financial requirements?

Investment advisers who:

(1) Have custody of client funds or securities must maintain at all times a minimum net worth of $35,000.
(2) Have discretionary authority over client funds or securities but do not have custody of client funds or securities must maintain at all times a minimum net worth of $10,000.
(3) Accept prepayment of fees more than $500 per month and six or more months in advance must maintain at all times a positive net worth.

23) If I am an investment adviser and also a broker-dealer, do I need to meet the minimum net worth requirements for investment advisers?

No, the minimum financial requirements do not apply if the investment adviser is also licensed as a broker-dealer under Code Section 25210, or is registered with the SEC.

24) How is financial net worth determined?

“Net worth” should be calculated as the excess of assets over liabilities, as determined by generally accepted accounting principles. The following items should not be included in the calculation of assets: prepaid expenses (except as to items properly classified as current assets under generally accepted accounting principles), deferred charges, goodwill, franchise rights, organizational expenses, patents, copyrights, marketing rights, unamortized debt discount and expense, and all other assets of intangible nature; home, home furnishings, automobiles, and any other personal items not readily marketable in the case of an individual; advances or loans to stockholders and officers in the case of a corporation, and advances or loans to partners in the case of a partnership.

The Department has created a Minimum Financial Requirement Worksheet which advisers may utilize when computing their net worth, which can be obtained from the Department’s website at: http://www.corp.ca.gov/forms/pdf/2602372.pdf .

25) What happens if I do not meet the net worth requirement?

As a condition of the right to continue to transact business in this state, advisers must notify the Department of any net worth deficiency by the close of the next business day following the discovery that the net worth is less than the minimum required.
After transmitting such notice, advisers must file by the close of the next business day a report of financial condition, including the following:

(1)A trial balance of all ledger accounts;
(2) A statement of all client funds or securities which are not segregated;
(3) A computation of the aggregate amount of client ledger debit balance; and
(4) A statement as to the number of client accounts.

26) When computing my financial net worth on the Minimum Financial Requirement Worksheet provided by the Department, I notice that there is a “120% Test”. What is this 120% of minimum net worth requirement test?

An adviser who is subject to the minimum financial requirement must file interim financial reports with the Department within 15 days after its net worth is reduced to less than 120% of its net worth requirement. The first interim report shall be filed within 15 days after its net worth is reduced to less than 120% of its required minimum net worth, and should be as of a date within the 15-day period. Additional reports should be filed within 15 days after each subsequent monthly accounting period until three successive months’ reports have been filed that show a net worth of more than 120% of the firm’s required minimum net worth.

The submitted interim financial reports should contain:

(1) A Statement of Financial Condition (Balance Sheet);
(2) Minimum Financial Requirement Worksheet; and
(3) A verification form.

27) Do I need to file financial reports to the Department?

An adviser who is subject to the minimum financial requirements must file annual financial reports with the Department within 90 days after its fiscal year-end. The submitted annual financial reports should contain:

(1) A Statement of Financial Condition (Balance Sheet & Income Statement) that must be prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(2) Supporting schedule containing the computations of the minimum financial requirement. The Department has supplied a Minimum Financial Requirement Worksheet which advisers may utilize, and which may be obtained from the Department’s website:
http://www.corp.ca.gov/forms/pdf/2602372.pdf ; and
(3) A verification form must accompany the financial statements. The verification form must: (a) affirmatively state, to the best knowledge and belief of the person making the verification, that the financial statements and supporting schedules are true and correct; and (b) be signed under penalty of perjury. The verification form can be obtained from the Department’s website at:
http://www.corp.ca.gov/forms/pdf/2602412b.pdf

Important: Advisers who have custody of client funds or securities must file audited financial statements prepared by an independent certified public accountant along with the supporting schedule of the net worth computation and the verification form. Please refer to Question # 30 for other requirements pertaining to investment advisers with custody of client funds or securities.

28) I obtain the client’s permission before executing trades, but the brokerage firm will accept my instructions when trading on client accounts. Would I be considered to have discretionary authority?

An investment adviser will not be deemed to have discretionary authority over client accounts when it places trade orders with a broker-dealer pursuant to a third party trading agreement if all the following are met:

(1) The investment adviser has executed a separate investment adviser contract exclusively with its client which acknowledges that the investment adviser must secure client permission prior to effecting securities transactions for the client in the client’s brokerage account(s), and
(2) The investment adviser in fact does not exercise discretion with respect to the account, maintains a log (date and time) or other documents each time client permission is obtained for transaction, and
(3) A third party trading agreement is executed between the client and a broker-dealer which specifically limits the investment adviser’s authority in the client’s broker-dealer account to the placement of trade orders and deduction of investment adviser fees.

29) How is custody of client funds or securities determined?

A person will be deemed to have custody if said person directly or indirectly holds client funds or securities, has any authority to obtain possession of them, or has the ability to appropriate them. Also see Questions 30 through 33, below, for additional information on making custody determinations.

30) What are the requirements for advisers who have custody of client funds and/or securities?

Advisers deemed to have custody of client funds and securities are subject to the following custodial requirements:
(1) $35,000 minimum net worth requirement of CCR Rule 260.237.2,
(2) Surprise verification requirement of CCR Rule 260.237(e), and
(3) Audited financial statements requirement of CCR Rule 260.241.2.

31) I deduct advisory fees directly from the clients’ custodial accounts. Do I have custody of client funds and securities? If yes, are there any procedures I may follow to be exempted from the financial requirements and surprise verification?

Yes and Yes. The Department takes the position that any arrangement under which the adviser is authorized or permitted to withdraw client funds or securities maintained with a custodian upon the adviser’s instruction to the custodian is deemed to have custody of client funds and securities.

Safeguarding Procedures: The Department allows advisers who have this type of payment arrangement to be exempted from the requirements of: (1) $35,000 minimum net worth; (2) audited financial statements; and (3) surprise verification if all of the following procedures are administered:

(1) The client must provide written authorization permitting direct payment from an account maintained by a custodian who is independent of the adviser;
(2) The adviser must send a statement to the client showing the amount of the fee, the value of the client’s assets upon which the fee was based, and the specific manner in which the fee was calculated;
(3) The Adviser must disclose to clients that it is the client’s responsibility to verify the accuracy of the fee calculation, and that the custodian will not determine whether the fee is properly calculated; and
(4) The custodian must agree to send the client a statement, at least quarterly, showing all disbursements from the account, including advisory fees.

Form ADV Disclosure: Advisers who follow the safeguarding procedures for direct fee deduction should respond accordingly on the following sections of their Form ADV:

Form ADV: Part 1A, Item 9 (A) – Yes
Part 1A, Item 9 (B) – Yes
Part 1B, Item 2 I (1) – Yes
Part 1B, Item 2 I (1) (a) – Yes
Part 1B, Item 2 I (1) (b) Yes
Part 1B, Item 2 I (1) (c) – Yes
Part 2, Item 14 – No

Important: This exemption does not relieve the advisers from the net worth requirements, which may be lowered to $10,000, or the filing of unaudited financial statements.

32) I manage a limited partnership (LP) and am the general partner of the LP. Am I considered to have custody? If yes, are there any procedures I may follow to receive an exemption from the financial requirements and surprise verification?

Yes and Yes. The Department takes the position that an adviser with any capacity (such as a general partner of a limited partnership, managing member of a limited liability company or a comparable position for another type of pooled investment vehicle) that gives the adviser legal ownership of or access to client funds or securities is deemed to have custody of client funds and securities.

Safeguarding Procedures: An investment adviser acting as a general partner of a limited partnership (or a comparable position for another type of pooled investment vehicle) may receive partnership funds or securities directly from the partnership’s account held by an independent custodian without complying with the surprise audit requirement of CCR Rule 260.237(e), audited financial statements requirement of CCR Rule 260.241.2, and higher net worth requirement of CCR Rule 260.237.2 if all the partnership assets are administered as follows:

(1) One or more independent banks or brokerage firms must hold the partnership’s funds and securities in the name of the partnership.
(2) Funds received by the partnership for subscriptions must be deposited by the subscriber directly with the custodian.
(3) The partnership must engage an independent party to approve all fees, expenses, and capital withdrawals from the pooled accounts.
(4) Each time the general partner makes a payment or withdrawal request, it must simultaneously send to the independent party and the custodian a statement showing: (a) the amount of the payment or withdrawal; (b) the value of the partnership’s assets on which the fee or withdrawal is based; (c) the manner in which the payment or withdrawal is calculated; and (d) the amount in the general partner’s capital account before and after the withdrawal.
(5) The general partner must also give the independent party sufficient information to allow the representative to determine that the payments comply with the partnership agreement. The custodian may transfer funds from the partnership account to the general partner only with the written authorization of the independent party, and only if the custodian receives a copy of the written request from the general partner.
(6) The custodian must provide quarterly statements to the partnership and the independent party.

Form ADV Disclosure: Advisers who follow the safeguarding procedures for pooled investment vehicles should respond accordingly on the following sections of their Form ADV:

Form ADV:

Part 1A, Item 9 (A)
Part 1A, Item 9 (B)
Part 1B, Item 2 I (2)
Part 1B, Item 2 I (2) (a)
Part 2, Item 14

Important: This exemption does not relieve advisers from the net worth requirement, which may be lowered to $10,000, or from the requirement to file unaudited financial statements.

33) I inadvertently received securities or checks from my advisory clients. Do I have custody?

Yes. To avoid having custody, you must return the securities to the sender promptly within two business days of receiving them. In the case of checks received inadvertently, the adviser must forward the checks to the third party within two business days of receipt.

Important: You are also required to keep accurate records of the securities and funds you received and returned. Such records should contain the description of the checks/securities, when and from whom they were received, where they were sent, and a record of how they were returned.

34) Who can be an independent party?

For purposes of the safeguarding procedures for pooled investment vehicles, an independent party must:

(1) Be a certified public accountant (CPA) or an attorney in good standing with the California State Bar;
(2)Act as a gatekeeper for the payment of fees, expenses, and capital withdrawals from the pooled investment;
(3) Not control, and is not controlled by or under common control with the adviser; and
(4) Not have, and have had within the past two years, a material business relationship with the investment adviser.

35) An accounting firm acts as the independent CPA that audits annually my pooled investment vehicle. May the accounting firm also act as the independent representative for the investors in the pooled investment vehicle?

No, this accounting firm is not acceptable as an independent representative. The independent representative may not have, or have had within the past two years, a material business relationship with the adviser. Also, the purpose for this safeguard is for the independent representative to act as the agent for an advisory client and is thus obliged to act in the best interest of the advisory client, limited partner, member or other beneficial owner. When the CPA sent audited financial statements of the pooled investment vehicle, it would be, in essence, sending itself its own audit results. This is not in the best interest of the investors in the pooled investment vehicle and is not allowed.

Important: Alternatively, if the accounting firm audits the investment adviser’s financial statements or prepares tax filings for the pooled investment vehicle and its investors, the result would be the same. That is, the accounting firm would not satisfy the independence criteria since it has a material business relationship with the adviser

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Bart Mallon, Esq. runs hedge fund law blog and has written most all of the articles which appear on this website. Mr. Mallon’s legal practice is devoted to helping emerging and start up hedge fund managers successfully launch a hedge fund. Mallon P.C. will also help California based Investment Advisors to register with the California Securities Regulation Division. If you are a hedge fund manager who is looking to start a hedge fund or an investmen advisor looking to register, please call Mr. Mallon directly at 415-296-8510.