Anthony Drenzek
Special Regulatory Counsel
Tony is special regulatory counsel in the Corporate Department and a member of the Private Investment Funds Group and the Private Equity & Hedge Fund Litigation team. His practice focuses on advising U.S. and offshore private fund managers on all aspects of federal, state and SRO organizational and operational compliance, with a specific emphasis on the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
Tony assists U.S. and offshore private fund clients in registering with the SEC as investment advisers, or reporting as exempt reporting advisers, and complying with CFTC and various U.S. state registration and notice-filing requirements. He also assists on structuring fundraising transactions to comply with the U.S. offering exemptions available under Regulation D and Regulation S.
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Last week, former CFTC Chairman Gary Gensler explained in remarks at M.I.T. that he believes the second and third most widely used virtual currencies—Ether and Ripple—may have been issued and traded in violation of securities regulations. This comes on the heels of a crackdown on cryptocurrency-related securities by the SEC, which is particularly focused on … Continue Reading
As a sign that the SEC is continuing to actively pursue private equity fund advisers, on April 24, 2018, the SEC announced a settlement with private equity fund adviser WCAS Management Corporation (WCAS) related to allegations of undisclosed conflicts of interest. The specific conflicts resulted from an allegedly undisclosed contractual arrangement whereby a portion of … Continue Reading
On April 12, 2018, the SEC’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations issued a risk alert listing the most common compliance issues concerning fees and expenses charged by SEC-registered investment advisers. Advisers should review their practices, policies and procedures to ensure compliance with their advisory agreements and representations to clients in light of the fee … Continue Reading
On Tuesday, February 13th, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced the opening of registration for its 2018 national compliance outreach seminar for investment companies and investment advisers. The event is intended to help Chief Compliance Officers (CCOs) and other senior personnel at investment companies and investment advisory firms to enhance their compliance programs. … Continue Reading
With the public equity markets at an all-time high and private equity fund raising setting new records, it might seem counterintuitive to forecast litigation and regulatory risks. The opposite is true. Disputes typically follow capital, and the steeper the growth curve, the greater the risk of litigation and regulatory scrutiny. With that backdrop, we are … Continue Reading
Proskauer’s Private Investment Funds Group recently released its 2017 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 … Continue Reading
Last night, the SEC announced its enforcement results for the Fiscal Year 2017, accompanied by a report from the Co-Directors of its Division of Enforcement. While the total number of actions was down slightly from 2016, the percentage of those cases involving investment advisers or investment companies – 18% – remained consistent, and amounted to … Continue Reading
On October 4, 2017, U.S. Representative Sean P. Duffy [R-WI-7] introduced U.S. House of Representatives Bill H.R.3948 entitled the “Protection of Source Code Act.” If enacted, the Bill would amend the Securities Act, the Securities Exchange Act, the Investment Company Act and the Investment Advisers Act to prohibit the SEC staff from obtaining algorithmic trading … Continue Reading
The SEC’s pay-to-play rule has given advisers reason to worry about potential foot faults since its adoption. As we have noted in prior posts, the rule is filled with landmines and is therefore difficult to navigate. As was evident from the SEC’s announcement of a series of settlements of alleged pay-to-play violations in early 2017, even … Continue Reading
The SEC staff recently published an alert highlighting the most common deficiencies seen in investment advisers’ marketing materials. Based on its recent examinations and initiatives, the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) issued its risk alert to highlight compliance issues relating to Rule 206(4)-1 (the “Advertising Rule”). Here are the top six: Misleading Performance … Continue Reading
On July 12, 2017, newly appointed SEC Chairman Jay Clayton delivered a speech at the non-partisan Economic Club of New York wherein he set forth several high-level guiding principles for the agency. In general, these remarks focused on (i) ensuring protections for retail investors, (ii) positioning the SEC as a regulator which is able to … Continue Reading
For private fund managers, the valuation of privately-held securities has been subject to heightened regulatory scrutiny. As the IPO on-ramp for private “unicorn” investments has lengthened, fund managers may hold illiquid investments for longer-than-expected time periods—and valuation-related risks increase as the time lengthens between purchase and exit. This is the second of two blog posts … Continue Reading
According to recent news reports, the DOJ and the SEC are investigating the possible improper use of third-party broker quotes by hedge fund managers to value illiquid debt securities in their portfolios. Prosecutors are reportedly focused on possible instances where fund managers allegedly solicited predetermined or improper quotes from brokers, and used those estimates to … Continue Reading
On Thursday, March 23rd, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced the opening of registration for its compliance outreach program seminars for investment companies and investment advisers. The seminars will be offered in four U.S. cities and are intended to help Chief Compliance Officers (CCOs) and other senior personnel enhance compliance programs at investment companies and … Continue Reading
At the recent SEC Speaks program, sponsored by PLI, senior SEC staff members provided valuable insight into the SEC’s 2017 priorities for private funds. While the tenor of this year’s discussion seemed to focus more on retail investors, the staff discussed several topics that private fund advisers should keep in mind from both an enforcement … Continue Reading
Private investment funds and advisers are likely to face new regulatory challenges and increased litigation risks in 2017, not only because of a change in the administration, but also because many advisers have not corrected and aligned past practices with current regulatory guidance. In this post, we have highlighted ten areas that should be on … Continue Reading
On January 12, 2017, the staff of the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released its annual announcement on examination priorities in the coming calendar year. The 2017 examination priorities are organized around three thematic areas: (i) examining matters of importance to retail investors; (ii) focusing on risks … Continue Reading
In the days following the November elections, U.S. President-elect Donald J. Trump promised that his Financial Services Policy Implementation team would be working to “dismantle” the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank”). However, a more recent account in the Wall Street Journal reported Mr. Trump’s transition team as tempering his promise in … Continue Reading
On November 18, 2016, outgoing SEC Chair Mary Jo White delivered a speech at New York University School of Law entitled “A New Model for SEC Enforcement: Producing Bold and Unrelenting Results.” Chair White’s remarks covered a broad range of enforcement initiatives and outcomes from her tenure as SEC Chair. This post summarizes the aspects … Continue Reading
In the wake of the election of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States, Mary Jo White has announced her intent to step down from her role as Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Chair White, the 31st and one of the longest-serving Chairs of the SEC, will be leaving her … Continue Reading
The SEC’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) recently published a risk alert noting that the SEC exam staff intends to examine registrants’ compliance with the Dodd-Frank Act’s whistleblower provisions. OCIE intends to examine registered advisers for compliance, in light of recent enforcement cases the SEC has filed based on violations of the Dodd-Frank … Continue Reading
On October 17, 2016, Marc Wyatt, the Director of the SEC’s Office of Compliance, Inspection and Examinations, gave a keynote address to the National Society of Compliance Professionals titled: Inside the National Exam Program in 2016. In addition to discussing his general perspective concerning the program, he provided some key statistics that help put OCIE’s … Continue Reading
The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced its enforcement results for fiscal year 2016, reaching new highs in the number of actions filed and money ordered forfeited through disgorgement and penalties. The SEC noted that it brought the most ever cases involving investment advisers or investment companies, including 8 enforcement actions related to private equity advisers, an area … Continue Reading
As the elections approach nationwide, advisers to private investment funds with current or prospective state or local government entity investors should be mindful of political activities by their personnel which could raise concerns under existing pay-to-play regulations. While seemingly straightforward in application, the SEC’s pay-to-play regulations have the potential to present a number of complex … Continue Reading
Regulatory Scrutiny of the ICO Market – What Fund Managers Should Know
SEC Settles with Private Equity Fund Adviser over Alleged Conflicts of Interest
SEC Staff Issues Risk Alert on the Six Most Frequent Fee and Expense Compliance Issues
SEC Announces 2018 Compliance Outreach Program Seminar for Investment Advisers and Investment Companies
By Anthony Drenzek on Posted in Compliance, OCIE, Private Equity Litigation, Regulation, SEC, Securities Law
The Top Ten Regulatory and Litigation Risks for Private Funds in 2018
By Timothy W. Mungovan, Joshua M. Newville, Michael R. Hackett, Anthony Drenzek, William Dalsen, Alexandra V. Bargoot, Brian Hooven and Lucy Wolf on Posted in Business Development Companies, Compliance, Disputes, Examinations, Hedge Funds, Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Credit, Private Equity, Private Equity Litigation, Regulation, SEC, Securities Law, Venture Capital
Proskauer Private Investment Funds Group Releases Annual Review and Outlook
SEC Releases FY 2017 Enforcement Results: Maintaining Focus on Individual Accountability and Investment Advisers
U.S. House Bill Aims to Curtail SEC Staff’s Ability to Obtain Algorithmic Trading Source Code
Pay-to-Play – SEC Expands Scope of Rule to CABs
SEC Flags the Top Six Advertising Rule Deficiencies for Investment Advisers
SEC Chairman Identifies Guiding Principles
Valuation of Illiquid Portfolio Investments – Avoiding Regulatory Risks with Form and Substance
Reported Criminal Probes Regarding Bond Valuations Highlight the Importance of Valuation Procedures
SEC Announces 2017 Compliance Outreach Program Seminars for Investment Companies and Investment Advisers
SEC Speaks: 2017 Enforcement and Exam Trends for Private Funds
The Top Ten Regulatory and Litigation Risks for Private Funds in 2017
By Timothy W. Mungovan, Joshua M. Newville, Michael R. Hackett, Anthony Drenzek and William Dalsen on Posted in Business Development Companies, Compliance, Disputes, Examinations, Fund Restructurings, Hedge Funds, Mergers & Acquisitions, OCIE, Private Equity, Private Equity Litigation, Regulation, SEC, Securities Law, Venture Capital, Whistleblower
