Subscription Facilities Provide Funds With Needed Liquidity But Require Advance Planning by Managers (Part One of Three)

In order to quickly act on investments, instead of waiting for investors to fund capital calls, private equity and other private funds are turning to subscription credit facilities for necessary liquidity. Along with other types of fund financing facilities, subscription credit facilities are becoming more prevalent in the asset management industry. However, to facilitate the execution of a subscription facility, a manager must make certain preparations, particularly at the outset of the fund. In a recent interview with the Hedge Fund Law Report, Zac Barnett and Liz Soutter, partners at Mayer Brown, discussed subscription and other financing facilities used by funds. In this first article of a three-part series, Barnett and Soutter examine the prevalence of subscription facilities in the asset management industry, investor response to these structures and primary considerations for managers anticipating entering into such a facility. The second article will review the evolution of other types of financing facilities in the current market, including fund-of-fund facilities, portfolio acquisition facilities and general partner support facilities. The third article will focus on market, structuring and operational considerations for managers when establishing financing facilities. For more on subscription financing, see “How Can Private Fund Managers Use Subscription Credit Facilities to Enhance Fund Liquidity?” (Apr. 4, 2013). 

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