Under a compromise struck between the United States Senate and House of Representatives, many advisers to private equity funds will be required to register with the SEC.
On June 15, 2010, the conference committee seeking to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the financial reform bill struck the Senate exemption from registration for investment advisers to private equity funds. As noted in our June 14, 2010 alert, the Senate bill, unlike the House bill, contained an exemption for advisers to private equity funds. Many private equity fund advisers will become subject to the registration and regulatory requirements of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
The exemptions from registration for advisers to “venture capital funds,” as that term may be defined by the SEC, and advisers to small business investment companies remain in the bill. The exemption for foreign private advisers also remains in the bill, and the conferees have agreed to the definition of “foreign private adviser” as contained in the Senate bill. Please see our June 14, 2010 alert for a discussion of this definition.
The committee also agreed on a provision of the House bill to require the SEC to issue a rule exempting from registration any investment adviser that acts solely as an adviser to private funds and has cumulative assets under management in the U.S. of less than $150 million. Given the $150 million threshold, this provision is likely to provide exemption from registration for advisers of smaller hedge and private equity funds. Such advisers will be subject to certain recordkeeping and reporting requirements as determined by the SEC, and will need to consider whether they are required to register under applicable state laws.
These provisions of the bill are subject to further modifications and amendments before the bill is finalized. We will continue to monitor the committee's activities closely.
This article was originally published by Bingham McCutchen LLP.