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Hedge Funds, Private Equity & Investment Advisors

Hedge Funds, Private Equity Funds and the Investment Advisor Act

The hedge fund industry is well over $2 trillion of the world market. Its size and influence cannot be ignored by the economy or the markets. Watch Ms. Malecki talk about it on Fox Business News.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, Title IV, requires advisors who manage hedge funds and private equity funds to report more information than had been previously required, particularly relating to their systems for monitoring financial risk and fiduciary duty to investors. Hedge funds also now have the risk of an SEC investigation or complaint and bases for investor claims.

In most cases, advisors to Hedge Funds and Private Equity Funds must now register with the SEC under the Investment Advisors Act of 1940, making them fiduciaries. This adds transparency for investors and investors may also gain leverage from the new status of hedge funds.

There will be certain required disclosures by “gatekeepers” too, i.e., lawyers, custodians, auditors, administrators, prime brokers, and marketers. Background information on people working at the fund will be increased, as well as of affiliated brokerage firms. The purpose is to be able to transparently look at compensation for referrals and soft dollar commissions.

The goal of the new regulations is to stop conduct that may harm investors, deter fraud, and enable earlier discovery of potential misconduct.

Hedge funds tend to be highly specialized, relying on expertise of specific managers or a management team. Investment strategies which use leverage and derivatives are more speculative while others are more conservative and employ little or no leverage.

Hedge funds have different investment returns, volatility and risk. Some strategies can deliver consistent returns with low risk of loss, but others are more volatile than mutual funds. The due diligence a brokerage firm must do before recommending a hedge fund should be extensive and is essential, and should include asking probative questions, reviewing pertinent documents and making sure that representations made to customers are accurate with the funds risk style, track record, investment and management philosophy, all of which need to be continuously reviewed by a broker/brokerage firm to monitor and make sure the hedge funds they recommend stay on track.

High incentive fees, split by the broker selling a fund and the hedge fund manager is often a reason for the failure of hedge funds. Often, incentive fees cannot be collected if the investor is losing, not re-starting until the assets lost are regained and surpasses its high point from the prior year. This sometimes causes high turnover at the fund and extraordinary risk-taking to get back to incentive fee status.

The Private Equity market has grown considerably in the last 25 years, with a record 2,000-plus private equity funds seeking to raise in excess of $700 billion in 2015. The broad category of private equity can be divided into three subcategories: venture capital (VC), leveraged buyouts (LBOs), and mezzanine financing. Private Equity is exciting for investors because it offers the promise of spectacular returns assuming that investing in high-risk, illiquid investment in starter companies can yield higher returns than publicly traded securities of public companies. But investors need to carefully question the risk-reward tradeoff and brokers and brokerage firms need to accurately represent to the investor that the investor is trading in benefits like transparency, liquidity, diversification, and daily stock price knowledge for anticipated incremental returns. Private equity investments are like “lottery tickets” they provide a small chance for a huge payout but a much larger chance of a below-average return.

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Testimonials From Former Clients
★★★★★
I highly recommend Jenice and her team at Malecki Law. I had a challenging, and lengthly case. Jenice was professional, very knowledgeable, and a pleasure to work with. She managed to make the process far less stressful during a very difficult time. They care about their clients, and it definitely shows. Mario
★★★★★
Jenice is truly a miracle worker and one of the top securities lawyers. She handled a very difficult case for us, displaying her legal knowledge, intelligence, and savviness throughout the process. I cannot recommend her enough. The quality of work from her team rivals that of corporate law firms. She was always available, extremely professional, and made sure to know all the details of the case. We were very fortunate to have been referred to Jenice and highly recommend her for any securities related legal issues. Nathan A.
★★★★★
An excellent professional who represented us in trial regarding a bank fraud, an unexpected and difficult time. A professional that worked hard, persevering and who stood toe to toe against firms that had a team of excellent lawyers backing them up. Her unflinching determination really stands out, it makes you feel you have someone who really cares about trying to recover what you lost from the people that wronged you. Salomon Levi
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It is difficult to thank you in words when gratitude comes from the heart, so I will try to link feelings with writing. It is essential for us to mention your excellence as a professional, your aptitude on legal fields, and your unavoidable persistence. All of these virtues that elevate the profession you exercise in such an admirable way, go hand in hand with your sense of ethics, your human warmth and the transparency in your actions. To sum up, thank you for being a listening ear and for having the right word while transmitting information about the legal process. Having you as our representative during such an adverse situation was a privilege and enough reason for our eternal gratitude. Angeles Aparain
★★★★★
To say that my securities litigation was complex would be a severe understatement. With multiple parties involved and spanning many years, trying to understand the issues was daunting to say the least. Jenice and her team broke down the transactions by segment and by party uncovering every hidden expense. In the end, I was more than happy and could not thank Jenice and her team enough. I would not hesitate to recommend Jenice to anyone. She is highly professional, incredibly knowledgeable, well connected to industry experts, has a tireless work ethic and is so pleasant and easy to communicate with. Five stars for sure! Andrew Loughrane
★★★★★
Jenice was also special in giving us all the personal attention we needed, plus the tireless support of her crack team, over the course of ~18 mos. She talked us through every step of the way, and was open to discussing specific negotiation tactics, not glossing over anything. Dave Bliss
★★★★★
I recently worked with Jenice to negotiate a business buyout, and I couldn't be more pleased with the experience. From the start, Jenice was incredibly helpful and deeply invested in achieving the best possible outcome for me. Her expertise and dedication were evident in every step of the process. David
★★★★★
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My experience with jenice was incredible. You want a lawyer who is advocate for you and fights for you with passion. She came along a time in my life that I needed an advocate who truly cared about me and my case. Highly recommend. Pat Brown
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★★★★★
Jenice Malecki, is one of the most helpful individuals Ive had the pleasure of speaking with. She is super knowledgeable. She helped me navigate the ever changing world of securities law. You will find her understanding of complex matters helpful and insightful. She is straightforward and candid. She makes your options easy to understand. I would recommend her without any hesitation. 10/5 stars! Enrique Tiburcio