Increased reporting/disclosure to investors; new compliance documentation requirements for all registered advisers
乐鱼(Leyu)体育官网 Regulatory Insight
August 2023
The Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) has adopted听听under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (Advisers Act) that enhance regulation of private fund advisers with the goal of protecting investors. The SEC states the rules are designed to address three factors for risks and harms in an adviser鈥檚 relationship with private funds and their investors: 鈥渓ack of transparency, conflicts of interest, and lack of effective governance mechanisms for client disclosure, consent, and oversight.鈥� 听
The SEC highlights several 鈥渒ey changes鈥� from the proposal (see 乐鱼(Leyu)体育官网 Regulatory Alert,听) including:
The final rules and amendments are highlighted below. Changes from the proposal are denoted in italics.
Quarterly Statements, Independent Audits, and Fairness Opinions.听The rules will require registered private fund advisers (or advisers required to be registered) to:
Quarterly Statement Rule | Prepare and distribute quarterly statements for each private fund that they advise to the fund鈥檚 investors covering fund-level information, including fees, expenses, performance, and adviser compensation within forty-five (45) days after the first three fiscal quarter ends,听and ninety (90) days after the fiscal year end (for a private fund that is a fund of funds, the quarterly statement must be distributed within seventy-five (75) days after the first three fiscal quarter ends, and one hundred twenty (120) days after the fiscal year end). As part of the quarterly statement:
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Private Fund Audit Rule | Obtain an annual independent financial statement audit of each private fund they advise that听meets the requirements of the audit provision in the Advisers Act Custody Rule (Rule 206(4)-2)), including:
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Adviser-Led Secondaries Rule | Obtain and distribute a fairness听or valuation opinion听from an independent opinion provider (prior to due date of the election form) in connection with certain adviser-led secondary transactions where an adviser offers fund investors the option to sell their interests in the private fund, or to exchange them for new interests in another vehicle advised by the adviser. Prepare and distribute to private fund investors a written summary of any material business relationships the adviser or any of its related persons has, or has had within the past two years, with the independent opinion provider. |
Restricted Activities and Preferential Treatment.听Additionally, the final rules adopt provisions for all private fund advisers (regardless of registration status) that may restrict certain activities and practices the SEC states have the potential to lead to investor harms:
Restricted Activities Rule听 | In a change from the proposal, the final rule restricts private fund advisers from engaging in the following activities听unless they satisfy certain disclosure and, in some cases, consent requirements:
The SEC did not adopt the proposed provisions related to fees for unperformed services or indemnification. |
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Preferential Treatment Rule | Under the final rule, advisers may not provide preferential treatment to an investor if the adviser reasonably expects the preferential terms would have a material, negative effect on other investors, specifically with respect to:
In addition, an adviser may not provide any preferential treatment for any investor unless the adviser provides written notices disclosing i)听certain preferential terms to prospective investors听prior to the investor鈥檚 investment in the private fund, and ii) at least annually, all preferential terms provided to investors in the same private fund, regardless of whether the fund is liquid or illiquid.听 |
Adviser Misconduct | SEC did not adopt provisions from the proposal related to adviser misconduct regarding:
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Books and Records Rule Amendments.听The SEC also adopted amendments to the Advisers Act 鈥渂ooks and records rule鈥� that require advisers to private funds that are registered or required to be registered to retain books and records related to the requirements for the Quarterly Statement Rule, Annual Audit Rule, Adviser-Led Secondaries Rule, the Preferential Treatment Rule and the Restricted Activities Rule.
Compliance Rule Amendments.听For all registered advisers, including those that do not advise private funds, the final rule amends the Adviser Act 鈥渃ompliance rule鈥� to require the advisers to document in writing the required annual review of the adequacy of compliance policies and procedures and the effectiveness of their implementation.
Compliance Dates.听The final rules and amendments provide for the following compliance dates:
Legacy Status.听The SEC will provide a 鈥渓egacy鈥� status for aspects of the Preferential Treatment Rule (which restricts advisers鈥� ability to provide certain preferential redemption rights and information about portfolio holdings) and the aspects of the Restricted Activities Rule that require investor consent (which restrict an adviser from borrowing from a private fund and from charging for certain investigation fees and expenses). The legacy status applies to governing agreements that were entered into prior to the compliance date if compliance with the rules would require parties to amend the agreement by private funds that had commenced operations as of the compliance date.听听
SEC Private Fund Adviser Reforms: Final Rules
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