September 25, 2017
Investment advisers that file Form ADV with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") either as registered investment advisers ("RIAs") or as exempt reporting advisers ("ERAs")[1] are reminded that significant amendments to Part 1A of Form ADV ("Part 1A") go into effect on October 1, 2017. For most investment advisers having a fiscal year end of December 31st, the amendments will first impact their annual updating filings that will be due on April 2, 2018.
The following Client Alert provides a brief summary of the changes that have been made to Part 1A. Investment advisers would be well-advised to begin considering how these changes will impact their Form ADV filing requirements for 2018 and how they will capture the additional data they will need to complete amended Part 1A.[2]
One of the most significant changes to Part 1A is the addition of new reporting requirements for RIAs[3] with respect to their separately managed accounts ("SMAs").[4] Specifically, new Item 5.K has been added to Part 1A that will require an RIA to identify (i) whether it has any regulatory assets under management ("RAUM") attributable to SMAs ("SMA Assets"), (ii) whether it engages in borrowing transactions on behalf of SMAs, (iii) whether it engages in derivatives transactions on behalf of SMAs, and (iv) whether any single custodian holds more than 10% of the RIA’s SMA Assets. A "yes" answer to any of these questions will trigger a requirement to complete the applicable parts of new Section 5.K of Schedule D to Form ADV.
New Section 5.K of Schedule D requires an RIA to report certain data on an aggregated basis with respect to its SMA Assets.[5] In particular:
A number of amendments have been made to Part 1A that will increase the level of detail an investment adviser is required to provide relating to itself and the nature of its business. In particular:
The amendments to Part 1A also codify certain no-action relief granted by the SEC in 2012[13] permitting certain registered private fund advisers ("Filing Advisers") to register multiple entities ("Relying Advisers") under the Advisers Act using a single Form ADV filing ("Umbrella Registration"). For the most part, these amendments to Part 1A follow the already existing no-action letter precedent and do not impose significant additional reporting or other compliance burdens on a Filing Adviser that is already using Umbrella Registration. However, as discussed below, in adopting the amendments the SEC has clarified certain interpretations of its requirements pertaining to Umbrella Registration that may result in some unexpected results for private fund advisers.
Despite numerous requests in comment letters to do so, the SEC declined to expand the availability of Umbrella Registration beyond U.S. based RIAs whose business is limited exclusively to managing private funds. In particular, Umbrella Registration is still not available to non-U.S. based advisers or to ERAs. The SEC did state in the Adopting Release, however, that certain no-action relief permitting ERAs to rely on a somewhat different form of Umbrella Registration will still be available.[15]
In addition to the changes summarized above, the SEC adopted two amendments to Rule 204-2 under the Advisers Act (the "Books and Records Rule") that expand an RIA’s record-keeping obligations with respect to written communications containing performance data.[16] In particular:
Both of these amendments go into effect on October 1, 2017.
Clients are urged to speak to their Gibson Dunn contacts if they have any questions or concerns regarding these or any other regulatory requirements.
[1] RIAs and ERAs are referred to collectively herein as investment advisers.
[2] Complete copies of the revised instructions to Form ADV and amended Part 1A can be found on the SEC’s website using the following links:
General Instructions: https://www.sec.gov/rules/final/2016/ia-4509-appendix-a.pdf
Instructions for Part 1A: https://www.sec.gov/rules/final/2016/ia-4509-appendix-b.pdf
Glossary of Terms: https://www.sec.gov/rules/final/2016/ia-4509-appendix-c.pdf
Part 1A: https://www.sec.gov/rules/final/2016/ia-4509-appendix-d.pdf
In addition, a copy of amended Part 1A, marked to show changes against the current version, can also be found on the SEC’s website at https://www.sec.gov/rules/final/2016/ia-4509-form-adv-summary-of-changes.pdf.
[3] ERAs will not be subject to these new reporting requirements.
[4] An SMA is defined for this purpose as any client account other than a registered investment company, business development company or other pooled investment vehicle (including private funds).
[5] The reporting requirements are somewhat akin to reporting obligations under Form PF that apply to an RIA with respect to any private funds it manages. Unlike the data provided under Form PF, however, the data provided in response to Schedule D, Section 5.K, will be publicly available on the SEC’s website.
[6] The asset categories are (i) exchange-traded equity securities, (ii) non exchange-traded equity securities, (iii) U.S. government/agency bonds, (iv) U.S. state and local government bonds, (v) sovereign bonds, (vi) investment grade corporate bonds, (vii) non-investment grade corporate bonds, (viii) derivatives, (ix) securities issued by registered investment companies or business development companies, (x) securities issued by other pooled investment vehicles, (xi) cash and cash equivalents, and (xii) other.
[7] The six categories of derivative instruments are (i) interest rate derivatives, (ii) foreign derivatives, (iii) credit derivatives, (iv) equity derivatives, (v) commodities derivatives and (vi) other derivatives.
[8] Unlike most of the information provided in Item 1 (which must be promptly updated on an other-than-annual basis if the information provided becomes inaccurate in any respect), the information with respect to an investment adviser’s branch offices will only need to be updated once a year as part of the investment adviser’s annual updating amendment to its Form ADV.
[9] The ranges are (i) from $1 billion to $10 billion, (ii) from $10 billion to $50 billion, and (iii) more than $50 billion.
[10] ERAs, which are not required to complete Item 5 of Part 1A, will not be subject to these requirements.
[11] The enumerated classes of clients are (i) individuals (other than high net worth individuals), (ii) high net worth individuals, (iii) banking or thrift institutions, (iv) business development companies, (v) registered investment companies, (vi) other pooled investment vehicles, (vii) pension and profit sharing plans (other than government pension plans), (viii) state and municipal government entities (including government pension plans), (ix) other investment advisers, (x) insurance companies, (xi) sovereign wealth funds and foreign government institutions, (xii) corporations and other businesses, and (xiii) other clients.
[12] In the Adopting Release, the SEC cites nondiscretionary accounts or one-time financial plans as examples of situations where, depending on the facts and circumstances, an adviser may provide investment advice but does not have RAUM. See SEC Adopting Release, Form ADV and Investment Advisers Act Rule, Release No. IA-4509, File No. S7-09-15 (Aug. 25. 2016), https://www.sec.gov/rules/final/2016/ia-4509.pdf, at footnote 144.
[13] See SEC No-Action Letter, Investment Advisers Act of 1940 – Sections 203(a) and 208(d) American Bar Association, Business Law Section (Pub. avail. Jan. 18, 2012), https://www.sec.gov/divisions/investment/noaction/2012/aba011812.htm.
[14] This will not be a problem for any Relying Adviser that has the same principal place of business with the Filing Adviser. However, Relying Advisers whose principal place of business is not the same as the Filing Adviser will need to identify a separate grounds for claiming SEC jurisdiction under the Advisers Act, such as by having $100 million or more in RAUM or by having its principal place of business located outside of the U.S.
[15] See SEC Staff Interpretive Guidance, Frequently Asked Questions on Form ADV and IARD (June 12, 2017), https://www.sec.gov/divisions/investment/iard/iardfaq.shtml at "Reporting to the SEC as anExempt Reporting Adviser."
[16] ERAs are not subject to these record-keeping requirements.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s lawyers are available to assist in addressing any questions you may have regarding these developments. Please contact any member of the Gibson Dunn team, the Gibson Dunn lawyer with whom you usually work, or any of the following leaders and members of the firm’s Investment Funds practice group:
Chézard F. Ameer – Dubai (+971 (0)4 318 4614, cameer@gibsondunn.com)
Jennifer Bellah Maguire – Los Angeles (+1 213-229-7986, jbellah@gibsondunn.com)
Edward D. Sopher – New York (+1 212-351-3918, esopher@gibsondunn.com)
Y. Shukie Grossman – New York (+1 212-351-2369, sgrossman@gibsondunn.com)
Mark K. Schonfeld (+1 212-351-2433, mschonfeld@gibsondunn.com)
Edward D. Nelson – New York (+1 212-351-2666, enelson@gibsondunn.com)
Marc J. Fagel (+1 415-393-8332, mfagel@gibsondunn.com)
C. William Thomas, Jr. – Washington, D.C. (+1 202-887-3735, wthomas@gibsondunn.com)
Gregory Merz – Washington, D.C. (+1 202-887-3637, gmerz@gibsondunn.com)
© 2017 Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Attorney Advertising: The enclosed materials have been prepared for general informational purposes only and are not intended as legal advice.