Late last month, the U.S. SEC adopted a new rule to require registered investment advisers with at least $150 million in private fund assets under management to periodically file the new Form PF. The amount of information to be reported will depend on whether an adviser belongs to the "large adviser" or "small adviser" cateogry. The latter group, under which the SEC anticipates most advisers will fall, will have to file Form PF once per year. Only basic information regarding such things as size, leverage, investor types and concentration will be required. Large advisers will potentially report on a more frequent basis depending on whether they are a hedge fund, private equity fund or liquidity fund adviser, and will have to include more detailed information.
Meanwhile, commodity pool operators and commodity trading advisers that are dually registered with the CFTC will be able to satisfy certain CFTC filing requirements with respect to private funds, should the CFTC adopt such requirements, by filing the new reporting form with the SEC.
The new requirements represent another step in the implementation of Dodd-Frank. Most private fund advisers will be required to begin reporting following the end of their first fiscal year or quarter to end on or after December 15, 2012. However, certain advisers with at least $5 billion of assets under management will have to begin reporting following the end of their first fiscal year or quarter ending on or after June 15, 2012. Rules requiring the registration of private fund advisers were adopted by the SEC this past June.
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