Impact of the Foreign Private Adviser Exemption and the Private Fund Adviser Exemption on the U.S. Activities of Non-U.S. Hedge Fund Managers

Passage of the Dodd-Frank Act and relevant SEC rulemaking has changed the regulatory landscape for non-U.S. hedge fund managers that have or plan to establish an advisory presence in the U.S. or that have or plan to target U.S. investors.  Generally – and despite references to “international comity” in one of the relevant proposed rule releases – the Dodd-Frank Act has increased the regulatory burden on non-U.S. hedge fund managers wishing to access the U.S. market.  Or, put another way, Dodd-Frank has narrowed considerably the range of conduct in which non-U.S. managers may engage without getting caught in the purview of U.S. investment adviser registration, or many of its substantive burdens.  This article provides detailed synopses of the relevant provisions of the foreign private adviser exemption and the private fund adviser exemption, focusing in particular on: rules relating to counting clients and investors; measuring “regulatory assets under management”; definitions of “place of business,” “in the United States” and other relevant terms; and recordkeeping and reporting obligations and examination exposure of “exempt reporting advisers.”  This article concludes by discussing how the exemptions may impact U.S. activities typically engaged in by non-U.S. hedge fund managers, such as marketing to U.S. tax-exempt entities and sourcing U.S. investment opportunities.

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