The SEC’s new and proposed rules on cybersecurity and cyber-incident reporting will have a dual impact on private investment advisers and funds.
First, the proposal by the SEC will impose cybersecurity related...more
4/18/2024
/ Cyber Incident Reporting ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Collection ,
Enforcement ,
Governance Standards ,
Investment Adviser ,
New Rules ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Risk Management ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Technology Sector
In its final Private Fund Adviser Rules adopted last year, the SEC dropped one of the more controversial proposed rules—the proposal to prohibit contractual exculpation or indemnification provisions that would shield or...more
4/16/2024
/ Anti-Fraud Provisions ,
Compliance ,
Enforcement ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Indemnification ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ,
Negligence ,
Private Funds ,
Releases ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Adviser-led secondary transactions have seen explosive growth over the last five years. That growth has brought increased regulatory concerns over the conflicts of interests inherent in these transactions and a perceived...more
On November 4, 2022, compliance with amended Rule 206(4)-1 (the “Marketing Rule”) became mandatory for all investment advisers registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Seven months since the...more
As IPOs and other traditional paths to liquidity for private assets have become more challenging, GP-led secondary transactions have emerged as a powerful and popular tool across closed-end private funds, leading to explosive...more
The SEC’s Enforcement Division is conducting a sweep investigation of large investment advisers regarding their employees’ use of “off-channel” communications. The sweep, which has been widely reported in the press, focuses...more
4/25/2023
/ Asset Management ,
Breach of Duty ,
Compliance ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Investigations ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ,
Private Funds ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
The SEC last month proposed rules under the Advisers Act indicating a dramatic shift in how the SEC intends to reduce conflicts of interest involving private fund managers and their investors. As we previously noted in the...more
5/3/2022
/ Anti-Fraud Provisions ,
Clawbacks ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Fund Managers ,
Investment ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ,
Investment Management ,
Investors ,
Private Funds ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation
Last month, the SEC proposed new rules under the Advisers Act that, if implemented, would be the most significant enhancement of disclosure obligations for private fund managers since the Dodd-Frank Act.Citing investor...more
The SEC has been active in the private equity space recently after being relatively quiet for some time. A recent enforcement action serves as a reminder for fund sponsors that regulators are continuing to look at fund...more
On January 13, 2020, the United States Supreme Court denied certiorari to an appeal of a June 2019 order from the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit that dismissed an action seeking to invalidate certain...more
2/27/2020
/ Broker-Dealer ,
Compelling Governmental Interest ,
Denial of Certiorari ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
First Amendment ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ,
MSRB ,
Pay-To-Play ,
Political Contributions ,
Quid Pro Quo ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Rule G-37 ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Time-Barred Claims
As a further indication of the SEC’s focus on the asset management industry, on November 1, 2019 the Commission formally established an Asset Management Advisory Committee. This follows the SEC’s recent announcement of its...more
An increasingly sophisticated and active OCIE division, innovative market disruptors, a maturing credit cycle, and a philosophical change in how the private fund industry views and utilizes litigation are likely to lead to...more
2/21/2019
/ Cryptocurrency ,
Cybersecurity ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fund Managers ,
Initial Coin Offering (ICOs) ,
Investment Adviser ,
Litigation Funding ,
OCIE ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Token Sales
As a sign that the SEC is continuing to actively pursue private equity fund advisers, on April 24, 2018, the SEC announced a settlement with private equity fund adviser WCAS Management Corporation (WCAS) related to...more
With the public equity markets at an all-time high and private equity fund raising setting new records, it might seem counter-intuitive to forecast litigation and regulatory risks. The opposite is true. Disputes typically...more
2/13/2018
/ Broker-Dealer ,
Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) ,
Cryptocurrency ,
CTFC ,
Cybersecurity ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Initial Coin Offering (ICOs) ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ,
Litigation Fees & Costs ,
Popular ,
Private Equity Funds ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Unicorns
Last night, the SEC announced its enforcement results for the Fiscal Year 2017, accompanied by a report from the Co-Directors of its Division of Enforcement. While the total number of actions was down slightly from 2016, the...more
On January 12, 2017, the staff of the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released its annual announcement on examination priorities in the coming calendar...more
1/19/2017
/ Cybersecurity ,
Elder Issues ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Markets ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Funds ,
OCIE ,
Pensions ,
Professional Misconduct ,
Retail Investors ,
Retirement ,
SEC Examination Priorities ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Whistleblowers
The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced its enforcement results for fiscal year 2016, reaching new highs in the number of actions filed and money ordered forfeited through disgorgement and penalties. The SEC...more
10/12/2016
/ Administrative Proceedings ,
Disgorgement ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Markets ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
Investment Adviser ,
Penalties ,
Private Equity ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Violations ,
Whistleblower Awards ,
Whistleblowers ,
White Collar Crimes
Valuation is typically near the top of the list when the SEC’s enforcement division and exam staff disclose their priority topics for private funds. We expect that trend to continue and, if anything, the focus on valuation...more