The Capital Commitment

Proskauer on Private Equity Litigation

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By: Proskauer Rose LLP

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Alexandra V. Bargoot
Anthony Drenzek
Brian Hooven
Colleen Hart
Christopher Wells
Howard J. Beber
Ira G. Bogner
Justin Alex
Julia M. Ansanelli
Joel Cavanaugh
Jeffrey Neuburger
Joshua M. Newville
Jonathan Richman
Kristen J. Mathews
Lee Popkin
Laura Stafford
Lucy Wolf
Manuel F Cachán
Michael R. Hackett
Michael Mavrides
Michael Suppappola
Robert Leonard
Robert E. Plaze
Sean J. Hill
Sigal Mandelker
Stephen T. Mears
Samuel J. Waldon
Timothy W. Mungovan
William Dalsen

Latest from The Capital Commitment

While the SEC consistently announces that valuation is a “key area of focus,” it is uncommon for regulators to “second guess” valuation determinations in the absence of other potential violations. However, recent actions would suggest that the SEC is particularly interested in the valuations and methodologies behind illiquid securities. As we have noted here before, although valuation can be more art than science, there are heightened regulatory risks in the following areas around valuation:…
In our recently released 2018 Annual Review and 2019 Outlook for Hedge Funds, Private Equity Funds and Other Private Funds, we note that innovative market disruptors, a maturing credit cycle, and a philosophical change in how the industry views and utilizes litigation are likely to lead to increased litigation risk for advisers (and their funds) in 2019. Below we have excerpted the areas that should be on the top of every adviser’s list as…
Proskauer’s Private Investment Funds Group today released its 2018 Annual Review and Outlook for Hedge Funds, Private Equity Funds and Other Private Funds.  This yearly publication provides a summary of some of the significant changes and developments that occurred in the past year in the private equity and hedge funds space, as well as certain recommended practices that advisers should consider when preparing for 2019. Highlights from the annual review include: A summary of…
On Friday, the WSJ published an article detailing how companies are monetizing smartphone location data by selling it to hedge fund clients.  The data vendor featured in the WSJ article obtains geolocation data from about 1,000 apps that fund managers use to predict trends involving public companies.  However, as we’ve noted, the use of alternative data collection for investment research purposes may give rise to a host of potential issues under relevant laws.…
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Former SDNY U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara and SEC Commissioner Jackson recently announced, via NY Times op-ed, the creation of the Bharara Task Force on Insider Trading.  Based on the premise that U.S. insider trading laws are unclear and hopelessly out of date, the task force intends to propose new insider trading reforms to help clarify the laws and protect American investors. Jackson and Bharara recognize that individuals facing liability should have more clarity about…
Fund managers take note – after over a year of warning, this month the SEC announced a pair of settlement orders with respect to registration requirements for a fund and broker dealer operating in the crypto and digital assets space. It was the agency’s first ever enforcement actions applying the investment company and broker-dealer registration provisions of the securities laws to businesses involved in digital securities. As we’ve written on Proskauer’s Blockchain and the …
The theft of millions of bitcoins and related failure of cryptocurrency exchange Mt. Gox—recently written about in the Wall Street Journal—provides a perfect example of how cryptocurrency-related issues can blossom into one of our Top Ten Regulatory and Litigation Risks.  The WSJ article chronicles the journey of Kim Nilsson—one of the victims of the $400 million bitcoin theft from Mt. Gox in 2014—as he investigates and eventually uncovers the identity of the…
On June 4, we posted a summary of SEC Enforcement Co-Director Steven Peikin observations during his recent keynote address at the New York City Bar Association’s 7th Annual White Collar Crime Institute.  Co-Director Peikin imparted a few suggested “do’s and don’ts” for effective communication with the SEC during the Wells process.  Although Co-Director Peikin’s suggestions should serve as helpful guides to defense counsel, we believe a few of the observations bear further consideration. Read …
During his recent keynote address at the New York City Bar Association’s 7th Annual White Collar Crime Institute, SEC Enforcement Co-Director Steven Peikin imparted a few suggested “do’s and don’ts” for effective communication with the SEC during the Wells process—typically the last opportunity to address potential charges prior to the authorization of a SEC enforcement proceeding. Read our full summary of his observations on our Corporate Defense and Disputes blog.…
Potential disputes involving unicorns have been a hot topic for the last several years.  We predicted that would continue this year in in our webinar and related blog post: The Top Ten Regulatory and Litigation Risks for Private Funds in 2018.  In April, the Regional Director of the SEC’s San Francisco office, Jina Choi, confirmed this in her comments during a San Francisco Federal Bar Association panel.  Specifically, Ms. Choi discussed the SEC’s…