On July 7, the State of California Department of Corporations issued an emergency regulatory action amending Section 206.204.9 of the California Code of Regulations to extend the exemption from adviser licensing requirements under Section 25230(a) of the California Corporate Securities Law of 1968. This exemption was available to advisers that were able to rely on Section 203(b)(3) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Private Adviser Exemption”). With the repeal of the Private Adviser Exemption by the Dodd-Frank Act on July 21, the action amends Section 206.204.9 by replacing references to Section 203(b)(3) with the substantive conditions of the Private Adviser Exemption. The action is effective as of July 21 and will expire on January 17, 2012. Emergency Regulatory Action.
Section 203(b)(3)
Final Rules Affecting Private Fund Advisers Adopted Under the Dodd-Frank Act
On June 22, 2011, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) adopted final rules and rule amendments implementing the provisions of Title IV of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) through the issuance of two Releases. Release IA-3222 (the “Exemptions Release”) defines terms and addresses certain issues with respect to the new exemptions from registration provided to investment advisers. Release IA-3221 (the “Implementing Release” and, together with the Exemptions Release, the “Releases”) implements companion amendments to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”).
The exemption provided by Section 203(b)(3) of the Advisers Act (the “Private Adviser Exemption”), on which many advisers to “Private Funds” have relied, was repealed by the Dodd-Frank Act, effective July 21, 2011. As anticipated, the SEC granted relief to such advisers by providing, pursuant to new subsection (e) of Rule 203-1, that such an adviser is “exempt from registration with the [SEC] as an investment adviser until March 30, 2012,” provided that such adviser satisfies conditions which closely follow the requirements of the Private Adviser Exemption. This Alert provides an overview of how the new exemptions will be interpreted under the Exemptions Release and implemented under the Implementing Release.
SEC Final Rules for Private Fund Adviser Registration
On June 22, the SEC adopted final rules and rule amendments under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 implementing provisions of Title IV of the Dodd-Frank Act. As anticipated, the SEC announced that it will extend the deadline for advisers that had been relying upon the “private adviser exemption” under Section 203(b)(3) of the Advisers Act to register with the SEC until March 30, 2012. (The private adviser exemption was rescinded by the Dodd-Frank Act, effective July 21.) We will provide an analysis of the final rules adopted and other actions taken upon reviewing them in their final form. SEC Release. Implementing Release Final Rules. Exemptions Release Final Rules.