SEC seeks to strengthen investment adviser oversight
On November 19, the SEC announced new rules to give effect to provisions of Dodd-Frank that amend the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. Specifically, the provisions include increasing the asset threshold for advisers to register with the SEC and repealing the private adviser registration exemption. Private advisers able to rely on one of the new exemptions from registration under Dodd-Frank, however, would still be required to satisfy certain reporting requirements.
The SEC also proposed rules to implement the new exemptions under Dodd-Frank, including one available to investment advisers that solely advise private funds if the adviser has assets under management in the United States of less than $150 million. A further exemption would be available to foreign private advisers that: (i) have no place of business the United States; (ii) have fewer than 15 U.S. clients and private fund investors; (iii) have less than $25 million in aggregate assets under management from U.S. clients and private fund investors; and (iv) do not hold themselves out generally to the public in the U.S. as an investment adviser. The SEC's proposals would also clarify the application of this exemption by defining a number of terms in the statutory definition of foreign private adviser.
