Insights

This newsletter is a brief follow-up to our recent year-end tax newsletter. Click here for our year-end newsletter. Since our 2018 year-end newsletter was distributed, the stock market has been very volatile and decreased significantly (although the market was up a lot today, December 26th, fortunately). Many funds may have significant unrealized losses. This newsletter…

Client Alerts | December 26, 2018 | Hedge Funds

On October 31, 2018, the staff in the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (the “Staff”) of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) issued a risk alert (the “Risk Alert”)[1] describing some of the most common deficiencies the Staff has cited relating to Rule 206(4)-3 (the “Cash Solicitation Rule”) under the Investment Advisers…

Client Alerts | December 18, 2018 | Hedge Funds

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the “SEC“) Division of Investment Management has announced the withdrawal of two no-action letters[1] that provided guidance to registered investment advisers regarding their use of proxy advisory firms consistent with Rule 206(4)-6 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Proxy Rule“). [2] Under the Proxy Rule, registered…

Client Alerts | October 24, 2018 | Investor Activism | Hedge Funds

Following tax reform, there is a restriction on the deductibility of business expenses. Under the new “excess business loss” rules, trade or business expenses are not deductible to the extent they exceed trade or business income. (Provided that taxpayers filing joint returns are allowed to deduct up to $500,000 of such excess expenses, and other…

Client Alerts | October 18, 2018 | Hedge Funds

On July 20, 2018, the National Futures Association (“NFA”) issued an interpretive notice (the “Interpretive Notice”) detailing new disclosure requirements for registered commodity pool operators (“CPOs”) and commodity trading advisors (“CTAs”) to address certain risks stemming from the recent growth of the virtual currency and virtual currency derivatives markets.[1] On August 9, 2018, the NFA issued…

Client Alerts | August 16, 2018 | Hedge Funds

On July 20, 2018, the National Futures Association (“NFA”) issued new disclosure requirements for registered commodity pool operators (“CPOs”) and commodity trading advisors (“CTAs”) to address certain risks stemming from the recent growth of the virtual currency and virtual currency derivatives markets. The new requirements will require, among other things, CPOs and CTAs trading in…

Client Alerts | August 7, 2018 | Hedge Funds

On July 11, 2018, the staff in the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (the “Staff“) of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC“) issued a risk alert (the “Risk Alert”)[1] describing many of the most common best execution-related deficiencies cited by the Staff in recent examinations of investment advisers. In addition, on July…

Client Alerts | August 7, 2018 | Hedge Funds

On June 21, 2018, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a mandate that officially vacated the Department of Labor’s advice fiduciary rule, which generally had gone into effect for investments made on or after June 9, 2017. For discussion of the Fifth Circuit’s March 15th, 2018, decision to vacate the…

Client Alerts | July 27, 2018 | Hedge Funds

On June 21, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its decision in Lucia v. Securities and Exchange Commission, finding that the SEC’s system of appointing administrative law judges (ALJs) by the SEC staff, rather than by the SEC commissioners themselves, is unconstitutional.   The case resolved a split between the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the…

Client Alerts | June 27, 2018 | Hedge Funds