Expanded “Gatekeeper” Responsibilities May Impact Relationship Between Hedge Funds and Service Providers

The Dodd-Frank Act expanded the SEC’s authority and oversight of the fund industry, in part by subjecting previously unregistered advisers to registration requirements. Two recent SEC enforcement actions have further increased this authority, finding that a service provider to hedge funds – not itself subject to fiduciary or other obligations under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (Advisers Act) – was responsible for Advisers Act violations by two of its clients. On June 16, 2016, the SEC announced the resolution of two enforcement actions against a private fund administrator that, by missing various red flags raised by activities of its private fund clients, allegedly caused those clients to violate antifraud provisions of the Advisers Act. This article analyzes the facts that led up the SEC’s allegations, resolution of the enforcement actions and potential industry implications. For more on the SEC’s focus on gatekeepers, see “How Can Hedge Fund Managers Update Their Insider Trading Compliance Programs to Reflect the SEC’s Focus on Systemic Violators, Gatekeepers, Trading Patterns, Profitable Trades and Expert Networks?” (Aug. 19, 2011).

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