Federal Court Decision Holds That a Fund of Funds Investor May Sue a Fund of Funds Manager That Fails to Perform Specific Due Diligence Actions Promised in Writing and Orally

A recent federal district court order (Order) described the range of legal claims available to an investor in a hedge fund of funds for alleged inconsistencies between the fund of funds manager’s representations and actions regarding due diligence and monitoring.  Read narrowly, the Order may merely stand for the proposition that a fund of funds manager may not promise to undertake specific actions in the course of due diligence and monitoring, accept investor money based on those representations then fail to take those actions.  Read more broadly, the Order may foreshadow a heightening of the legal standard to which hedge fund of funds managers are held when conducting due diligence and monitoring.  That is, the Order may presage a decision on the merits to the effect that fund of funds managers have a legal duty more or less consonant with industry best practices regarding due diligence.  That would constitute a significant increase in the level of legal obligations applicable to fund of funds managers, but would not enhance the commercial standard of care, which already demands best practices.

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