Private investment funds and advisers are likely to face new regulatory challenges and increased litigation risks in 2017, not only because of a change in the administration, but also because many advisers have not corrected...more
2/10/2017
/ Acquisition Agreements ,
Advertising ,
Business Development ,
Business Litigation ,
Capital Raising ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Markets ,
Hedge Funds ,
Industry Examinations ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Internal Controls ,
Investment ,
Marketing ,
Merger Agreements ,
OCIE ,
Pay-To-Play ,
Portfolio Companies ,
Private Equity ,
Private Funds ,
Public Offerings ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Restructuring ,
Securities ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Snapchat ,
Unicorns ,
Valuation ,
Venture Capital ,
Whistleblowers
On November 18, 2016, outgoing SEC Chair Mary Jo White delivered a speech at New York University School of Law entitled “A New Model for SEC Enforcement: Producing Bold and Unrelenting Results.” Chair White’s remarks covered...more
11/29/2016
/ Dodd-Frank ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Institutions ,
Private Funds ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Repeal ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Violations ,
Senior Management Regime (SMR) ,
Trump Administration ,
Whistleblower Awards ,
Whistleblowers
In the wake of the election of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States, Mary Jo White has announced her intent to step down from her role as Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Chair White, the...more
11/16/2016
/ Administrative Appointments ,
Administrative Resignation ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Markets ,
Presidential Elections ,
Securities ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Violations ,
Trump Administration
The number of private equity fund restructurings is likely to rise in the coming years. The current economic expansion will inevitably come to an end (at 87 months and counting, this expansion is already the third longest...more
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
A recent SEC settlement of whistleblower charges should serve as a useful reminder for private fund sponsors to conduct a comprehensive review of their policies and procedures.
On August 10, 2016, the SEC announced that...more
8/15/2016
/ Code of Conduct ,
Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA) ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Employment Contract ,
Immunity ,
OSHA ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Private Funds ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Severance Agreements ,
Whistleblower Awards ,
Whistleblowers
As we have previously observed, private fund advisers face a difficult challenge when SEC guidance (in the form of a speech or a public enforcement order) indicates that certain long-standing practices may be contrary to the...more
6/28/2016
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Fund Managers ,
Internal Investigations ,
Internal Reporting ,
Investment Adviser ,
Private Funds ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Violations ,
Whistleblower Awards ,
Whistleblowers
The SEC is continuing its pattern of establishing “standards of conduct” for the private equity industry through speeches, enforcement actions, and public settlements. After foreshadowing its concerns in various speeches over...more
On June 1, 2016, the SEC announced a settlement with Blackstreet Capital Management, LLC and Murry N. Gunty, Blackstreet's managing member and principal owner. As a registered investment adviser based in Chevy Chase,...more
For trial lawyers, hostile adversaries are par for the course. But judges are supposed to be irreproachably impartial, right? That is, after all, the very cornerstone of our judicial system. So when you find yourself trying...more
Individuals affiliated with private fund managers are increasingly being named as defendants in lawsuits involving fund portfolio companies, particularly where the fund controls one or more seats on the portfolio company’s...more
As we previously discussed, SEC Chair Mary Jo White recently delivered the keynote address at the Silicon Valley Initiative hosted by the SEC-Rock Center for Corporate Governance at Stanford University. While the speech and...more
The SEC’s regulation of the private investment funds industry has generated significant attention and commentary, as well as a fair amount of hand-wringing. From our perspective as lawyers, however, there is a relatively...more
5/9/2016
/ Breach of Duty ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Duty to Disclose ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Fund Managers ,
Limited Partnership Agreements ,
Offering Documents ,
Private Equity ,
Private Investment Funds ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Private investment funds are likely to face increased regulatory scrutiny and litigation risk in 2016, not only based on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s focus on the industry but also due to transparency and...more
Regulators were busy at the end of 2015, especially in the United States, perhaps being motivated to push forward new rule proposals in anticipation of a change in administration after the presidential elections later this...more
On January 11, 2016, 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
Private equity fund sponsors are facing increased litigation risk from regulators and private parties, including limited partners and stakeholders in portfolio companies. As a result, private equity firms should re-examine...more
12/10/2015
/ Cyber Insurance ,
Data Security ,
Derivative Suit ,
Indemnification Clauses ,
Liability Insurance ,
Policy Exclusions ,
Portfolio Companies ,
Private Equity Funds ,
Professional Liability ,
Risk Management ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Settlement
Proskauer has released the 2015 Proskauer Annual Review and Outlook for Hedge, Private Equity and Other Private Funds. The 88-page report is a summary of significant legal changes and developments in the private funds space...more
11/25/2015
/ China ,
Cybersecurity ,
EU ,
Gift Tax ,
Hedge Funds ,
Hong Kong ,
Internships ,
Popular ,
Private Equity ,
Private Funds ,
Registered Investment Advisors ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
UK ,
Volcker Rule ,
Whistleblowers
Private equity fund sponsors are facing increased litigation risk from regulators and private parties, including limited partners and stakeholders in portfolio companies. As a result, private equity firms should re-examine...more
On November 5, 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that it had reached a settlement with Cherokee Investment Partners, LLC (CIP) and Cherokee Advisers, LLC (CA), affiliated private equity fund...more
The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, signed into law on November 2, 2015, has significantly changed the partnership tax audit rules, effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017.
Under the current partnership...more
11/6/2015
/ Audits ,
Bipartisan Budget ,
Burden-Shifting ,
Federal Budget ,
IRS ,
Joint and Several Liability ,
New Legislation ,
New Regulations ,
Partnership Agreements ,
Partnerships ,
Registered Representatives ,
Tax Liability
On November 3, 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that it had reached a settlement with Fenway Partners, LLC, a New York-based private equity firm, and several of the firm's executives (the...more
11/5/2015
/ Advisory Board ,
Affiliated-Business Arrangements ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Corporate Executives ,
Disgorgement ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Failure To Disclose ,
Investors ,
Portfolio Companies ,
Private Equity ,
Private Equity Funds ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
The U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis (the "BEA") recently released the final version of the BE-180 report, a five-year benchmark survey that collects data on transactions between U.S. persons that are...more
9/1/2015
/ Benchmarks ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Bureau of Economic Analysis ,
Filing Deadlines ,
Financial Institutions ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Hedge Funds ,
Investors ,
Private Equity Funds ,
Private Funds ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Surveys ,
Threshold Requirements ,
Time Extensions ,
U.S. Commerce Department
On July 22, 2015, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and U.S. Internal Revenue Service issued proposed Treasury Regulations under Section 707(a)(2)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, addressing management...more
7/27/2015
/ Capital Gains ,
Deferred Compensation ,
Enterprise Risks ,
Fee Waivers ,
Fund Managers ,
Income Taxes ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
IRS ,
Management Fees ,
Private Investment Funds ,
Proposed Regulation ,
U.S. Treasury