Becoming a Plan Assets Fund May Limit Hedge and Other Private Funds’ Abilities to Charge Fees

One of the decisions faced by hedge funds and other private funds that accept “plan assets” subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) is whether to cross the 25% threshold and become subject to ERISA. But taking that step is fraught with complex obligations and may significantly impact management and deferred performance fees. A recent segment of the “Pension Plan Investments 2016: Current Perspectives” seminar hosted by the Practising Law Institute (PLI) addressed issues for funds crossing the 25% threshold, including compensation practices for fiduciaries as well as management and performance fee structures of plan assets funds. The program, “Current Topics in Private Equity and Alternative Investments,” was moderated by Arthur H. Kohn, a partner at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton; and featured Jeanie Cogill, a partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius; David M. Cohen, a partner at Schulte Roth & Zabel; and Steven W. Rabitz, a partner at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan. This article summarizes the key takeaways from the seminar with respect to the above matters. For additional commentary from this PLI program, see “Recent Developments Affect Classifications of Control Groups and Fiduciaries Under ERISA” (Apr. 14, 2016). For more on ERISA, see our two-part series on “Structuring Hedge Funds to Avoid ERISA While Accommodating Benefit Plan Investors”: Part One (Feb. 5, 2015); and Part Two (Feb. 12, 2015).

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