The SEC has issued a series of FAQs on its final rule implementing section 13 of the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (“BHC Act”), commonly referred to as the “Volcker Rule.”

One FAQ covers the topic of “What does it mean for a covered fund to share the same name or a variation of the same name with a banking entity?”  Among other things, the staff of the SEC notes in order to comply with § 255.11(a)(6) of the final rule and not be considered to share the same name or variation of the same name with a banking entity, the name of a covered fund must be sufficiently distinct from the name of the banking entity that the covered fund’s use of the name would not likely lead to customer confusion regarding the relationship between the banking entity and the covered fund. For instance, a covered fund would generally be considered to share the same name or a variation of the same name with a banking entity if the name of the fund features the same root word, initials or a logo, trademark, or other corporate symbol that is also used by, or that clearly references a connection with, the banking entity, including any affiliate of the banking entity.