Hedge Funds

US Hedge Fund Industry is Worried About Tax Implications Under EU Directive

Published on: November 27, 2013 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

The hedge fund industry in the United States is worried about how managers will be treated under the proposed compensation guidance issued by the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority about the implementation of the E.U. Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive. The Managed Funds Association is primarily concerned with how tax is dealt with as it pertains to compensation paid to American and other non-EU hedge fund managers.

The Managed Funds Association wrote a letter to the FCA asking that the agency make sure that deferral requirements factor in tax implications for fund manager employees in the jurisdiction of covered employees. The MFA wants remuneration provisions to EU fund managers restricted and not extended to their delegates.

The MFA is worried about practical issues and costs that can occur when the hedge fund regulatory regime and the taxation regime for LLPs and Partnerships in the UK interact. In that country LLPs and Partnerships are treated as tax-transparent, with the result being that partners of partnerships and partnerships of LLPs are taxed to the degree where profits are distributed to them regardless of which one did the distributing. MFA is concerned that because of the deferred remuneration provisions, LLP members and partners could end up with tax liabilities on income that is deferred without corresponding incomes to cover the liabilities.

Hedge Funds Are Moving in on Municipal Debt, Including Puerto Rico Debt

Published on: November 15, 2013 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

According to The Wall Street Journal, hedge funds are starting to bet big on municipal debt by demanding high interest rates in exchange for financing local governments, purchasing troubled municipalities’ debt at cheap prices, and attempting to profit on the growing volatility (in the wake of so many small investors trying to get out because of the threat of defaults). These funds typically invest trillions of dollars for pension plans, rich investors, and college endowments. Now, they are investing in numerous muni bond opportunities, including Puerto Rico debt, Stanford University bond, the sewer debt from Jefferson County, Alabama, and others.

Currently, hedge funds are holding billions of dollars in troubled muni debt. The municipal bond market includes debt put out by charities, colleges, airports, and other entities. (Also, Detroit, Michigan’s current debt problems, which forced the city into bankruptcy, caused prices in the municipal bond market to go down to levels that appealed to hedge funds.)

Hedge fund managers believe their efforts will allow for more frequent trading, greater government disclosures, and transparent bond pricing and that this will only benefit municipal bond investors. That said, hedge fund investors can be problematic for municipalities because not only do they want greater interest rates than did individual investors, but also they are less hesitant to ask for financial discipline and better disclosure.

SAC Capital Advisors LP Expected to Plead Guilty to Insider Trading Criminal Charges

Published on: October 31, 2013 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

According to The Wall Street Journal, hedge fund SAC Capital Advisors is expected to plead guilty to criminal charges involving securities fraud allegations as early as next week. The multibillion-dollar hedge fund is owned by billionaire Stephen Cohen.

Sources told the WSJ that SAC will plead guilty as part of a settlement to resolve insider trading allegations made by federal prosecutors. Also, Cohen is expected to agree to stop managing money outside the fund and pay about $1.2 billion in government penalties—the largest penalty ever for insider trading.

Meantime, SAC and Cohen are still in the middle of hashing out the securities case filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission. That civil lawsuit also seeks a ban against Cohen from managing outside funds because he allegedly disregarded signs that insider trading was taking place at his firm. They say he inadequately supervised employees, allowing the fraud to happen.

Harbinger Capital and Hedge Fund Adviser Philip Falcone To Settle SEC Fraud Charges by Paying Over $18M and Admitting Wrongdoing

Published on: August 20, 2013 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

The SEC says that Philip A. Falcone and his Harbinger Capital Partners will pay over $18 million and admit wrongdoing related to its securities fraud case alleging the improper use of $113 million in fund assets to cover the hedge fund advisor’s personal taxes. The Commission also is accusing them of secretly placing a preference over specific customer redemption requests at cost to other investors and performing an improper “short squeeze” involving bonds that were put out by a Canadian manufacturer.

Not only are Harbinger and Falcone admitting wrongdoing but also they are acknowledging that they committed numerous acts of misconduct that hurt investors and got in the way of the securities market’s proper functioning.

Admissions by Falcone and Harbinger, as set out by papers submitted to the court:

SEC Charges SAC Capital Hedge Fund Adviser Stephen Cohen With Failure to Stop Insider Trading

Published on: July 20, 2013 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

The Securities and Exchange Commission is charging Stephen A. Cohen with failure to supervise two portfolio managers and stop them from insider trading. Cohen is the SAC Capital. The SEC wants to ban the hedge fund mogul from supervising investor funds. A spokesperson for SAC says the securities case is meritless and Cohen always behaved appropriately.

According to SEC Division of Enforcement Co-Director Andrew Ceresny, even though it is the job of a hedge fund manager to properly supervise his/her employees and make sure that everyone is in compliance with securities laws, Cohen failed to act after finding out about red flags indicating that portfolio managers Michael Steinberg and Mathew Martoma may have been engaged in insider trading. The agency says that Cohen received “highly suspicious information” that should have compelled any reasonable hedge fund manager to look into the basis for trades made by Steinberg and Martoma. Instead, he purportedly let them execute the trades and even gave Martoma a $9 million bonus. Because of the illegal trades, the SEC contends, Cohen’s hedge funds made profits while avoiding $275 million in losses.

Already, SAC Capital affiliates have agreed to pay the SEC more than $615 million over the insider trading charges. The Commission says that, Martoma, affiliate CR Intrinsic Investors’ portfolio manager, received confidential data about an Alzheimer’s drug from a doctor who told him about clinical test results before they became public. Martoma and the affiliate then sold over $960 million in securities of Wyeth and Elan Corp., the two pharmaceutical companies that developed the drug, in the span of the week.

To settle the SEC’s case, CR Intrisinc said it would pay $275 million penalty, $275 million in disgorgement, and $52 million in prejudgment interest. Another SAC Affiliate, Sigma Capital, said it would pay $14 million over insider trading allegations to the SEC.

As for Steinberg, he is accused of insider trading in Dell securities. The SEC says that rather than find out whether Steinberg had material non-public information and was insider trading, Cohen followed Steinberg’s recommendation and sold his own shares in Dell. Meantime, Steinberg allegedly used that insider information as the basis for short-selling of Dell shares in his portfolio with Sigma Capital. Shortly after. Dell made its earnings announcement on August 28, 2008, its stock prices dropped. Funds overseen by Cohen’s firms, however, either made money or avoided losing at least $1.7 million.

The SEC is accusing Cohen of violating the Exchange Act’s Section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. He could be ordered to pay financial penalties and be barred from the industry.

SEC Charges Steven A. Cohen With Failing to Supervise Portfolio Managers and Prevent Insider Trading, SEC, July 19, 2013

CR Intrinsic Agrees to Pay More than $600 Million in Largest-Ever Settlement for Insider Trading Case, SEC, March 15, 2013

More Blog Posts:
New Stream Capital LLC Hedge Fund Executives Face Criminal Securities Fraud Charges, Stockbroker Fraud Blog, February 28, 2013

Hedge Fund Manager Philip Falcone Consents to $18M Securities Fraud Settlement, Institutional Investor Securities Blog, May 16, 2013

Investment Advisors Report: SEC Division Reviews Application of Investment Advisers Act, New Commission Unit Will Watch For Adviser Risk, & Just 1 in 10 SEC Exams Leads to Enforcement Action, Stockbroker Fraud Blog, March 26, 2013

Hedge Fund Manager Philip Falcone Consents to $18M Securities Fraud Settlement

Published on: May 16, 2013 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Hedge fund billionaire Philip Falcone and his Harbinger Group (HRG) have reached an $18 million securities fraud settlement, an agreement in principle, with the SEC over allegations that he fraudulently took a $113 million loan from one of his funds to cover his taxes, manipulated the market, and gave preference to certain clients, including Goldman Sachs (GS). Falcone, who will personally pay $4 million, is settling the financial fraud case without admitting or denying wrongdoing. Although he can remain has CEO of his group and stay associated with Harbinger Capital Partners, he is barred from raise new money or using his hedge funds to make investments for two years.

The ban, however, doesn’t apply to the nine investment advisers that Falcone runs through the company. (This, some say, is so that Falcone can unwind the hedge fund without hurting investors.) The pending deal is once again raising questions about whether the SEC is doing enough to take action against wrongdoers in the industry.

For instance, Harbinger Group’s business that involves Falcone acting as a private equity investor in different companies is not really impacted by the SEC settlement. Also, the independent monitor selected by the SEC to watch the firm is one who was on a list that Falcone recommended.

Institutional Investment Fraud and The Courts: District Court Won’t Stay Derivatives Case Alleging FCPA Violations, Control Person Claims Against Over Revenue Bond Purchases Can Proceed, Ex-Hedge Fund Manager Gets Enhanced Securities Fraud Sentence

Published on: March 27, 2013 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

District Court Won’t Stay Derivatives Case Alleging FCPA Violations

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana decided not to stay a shareholder derivative lawsuit accusing Tidewater Inc. of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Judge Jane Triche Milazzo believes that a stay would burden not just the court but also the defendants. The court threw out the case last year, concluding that shareholder plaintiff Jonathan Strong, who did not make a presuit demand on the Tidewater board, failed to plead with particularity why such a demand was futile.

Per Strong, the offshore energy services provider violated the act when it ignored payments of about $1.76M that a subsidiary made to government officials in Nigeria, allegedly to get around custom regulation to be able to import vessels into that nation’s waters, and Azerbaijan, allegedly as bribes over tax audits. The derivatives lawsuit was filed after the Tidewater and the subsidiary agreed to pay about $15.5 million in a related settlement with the US Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

New Stream Capital LLC Hedge Fund Executives Face Criminal Securities Fraud Charges

Published on: February 28, 2013 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

The United States has charged Bart Gutekunst, Richard Pereira, and David Bryson, all New Stream Capital LLC hedge fund executives, with securities fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy. Pereira is New Stream’s former CFO. According to US Attorney David Fein, the defendants ran a securities scam to fool investors so they could get and keep up investments partially because they were afraid they would lose their largest fun investor.

New Stream unveiled new feeder funds in November 2007. It told investors they would have to transfer their investments from a Bermuda-based fund that they were closing to these new ones. However, contend prosecutors, when New Stream’s biggest investor, Gottex Fund Management, intended to redeem its investment in the fund in Bermuda rather than transfer its money to the newer funds, the New Stream executives allegedly came up with a scam to keep the fund going so that the redemption would be reversed.

They are accused of restructuring New Stream’s structure to make sure Gottex Fund Management was prioritized. 2011, the fund and its affiliates petitioned for bankruptcy protection when their multiple restructuring efforts failed. After the US Bankruptcy Court in Delaware approved the firm’s liquidation plan last year, the funds’ investors were able to recover 7 to 19% of their monies.

Securities Fraud Litigation Roundup: Former Hedge Fund Exec Admits to $1M Investment Fraud, SEC Files Penny Stock Scam Case& Class Action Claims Against Contact Lens Maker are Dismissed

Published on: February 12, 2013 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Ex-Hedge Fund Exec Pleads Guilty to $1M Investment Fraud

In the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, ex-hedge fund principal Berton Hochfeld pleaded guilty to wire fraud and securities charges over his alleged role in an investment scam that bilked investors of over $1M. He had been the organizer of limited liability Hochfield Capital, the general partner of Heppelwhite Fund LLP, which was set up to invest in publicly traded securities.

According to prosecutors, Hochfeld issued false representations to investors about the investments they made while misappropriating their money. He also is accused of taking money from Heppelwhite. Hochfeld will pay restitution and forfeit illegal profits. He will be sentenced this summer.

Criminal Securities Fraud News: Hedge Fund Founder Gets 12 Years for Fraud, Research Firm Executive Goes to Prison for Insider Trading, and Holding Firm CEO Enters Guilty Plea to Conspiring to Bribe Brokers

Published on: January 19, 2013 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Hedge Fund Founder Gets 12 Years for Investment Fraud

Albert Ke-Jeng Hu, the hedge fund founder of Fireside LS and Asenqua Beta Fund, is to serve 12 years behind bars for running an investment fraud scam. Prosecutors say that he lied to clients and told them his funds contained over $200 million while promising they would get returns of up to 30%.

The US government, however, says none of this was true and that Hu placed “virtually none” of investors’ money into the funds and instead, used the cash to pay off earlier investors and cover his personal spending. Last year, Ke-Jeng Hu, who was extradited from Hong Kong in 2009, was convicted of seven counts of wire fraud. The Securities and Exchange Commission’s related securities case against him has not yet been resolved.