Why Us

Clients span industry sectors: 

• Hedge Fund
• Private Equity
• Venture Capital 
• Spectrum of strategies: equities (long-short), futures, fixed income, reinsurance, quantitative, fundamental, loan origination, CAT bonds, Closed End Funds, E-Minis, to name a few.
• Major registered advisory firms to smaller exempt advisers
• Top tier (in the trenches) proactive support across the interconnected framework of building, managing and projecting safety of assets at every phase of a private fund manager’s growth-cycle.
• Increase likely-hood of business success with target investors.1
• Deep counter-party expertise and relationships. 
• Each AFPLLC professional has two decades of combined in-house and external advisory experience from working within or advising on an executive level at cutting edge securities law firms, emerging hedge funds or complex global institutional alternative asset management organizations (domestic and global). 
• Expertise and solutions from partners not junior associates to share knowledge acquired from relationships and resources not otherwise available to a client organization.
• Think out of the box solutions to meet the need of target investors across high net worth, family offices, fund of funds and spectrum of complex institutions.

What we do

• We help private fund managers to manage business and legal risks, 
• Boutique firm with sole focus and expertise across the interconnected skill sets of executing, managing and augmenting an asset management, hedge or private equity fund organization.
• Across the entire forest not just the trees, partners (not junior associates) offer viable executive level strategic, relationship and execution gap support at a high level across the General Counsel, Chief Operation Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Compliance Officer function(s).
• Complex “real world” experience under one firm means cross function, cost-efficient and proactive advisory support to increase the likely-hood of success.

General Counsel to Private Fund Managers and Registered Investment Adviser from small, emerging to well established alternative asset management firms: 

• private fund manager without in-house counsel
• for seasoned general counsel with an in-house legal team
• solo in-house counsel seeking trusted legal counsel
• our team brings experience serving as in-house for some of the world’s leading alternative asset management firms and leading emerging managers 
• Interdisciplinary team with practical business perspectives. Former in-house counsel, general counsel, and company compliance and executive officers Corporate board member perspectives
• Bespoke GC co-source or outsource for registered or exempt investment or commodity advisers, hedge or private equity funds

Chief Compliance Officer Asset Manager Support 

• Bespoke CCO co-source or outsource support for registered or exempt investment or commodity advisers, hedge or private equity funds
• Implement or augment benchmark to best practices compliance framework
• Implement benchmark to best practices compliance manual, policies and procedures, processes and controls
• Enterprise wide or focused diagnostic review,  analysis, recommendations and implementation for SEC or investor due diligence readiness
• Collaborative administration and support with your team across SEC readiness, investor readiness, marketing, asset gathering and trading  

Chief Operating Officer Asset Manager Support 

• Offer bespoke COO co-source or outsource for registered or exempt investment or commodity advisers, hedge or private equity funds
• Implement benchmark to best practices operational framework, policies, procedures, policies and controls
• Enterprise wide or focused diagnostic review, analysis, recommendations or implementation, gap analysis of enterprise risk, trading relationships across counter-parties, fund administrator, brokers, prime or mini prime brokers
• Reduce operational costs to create alpha
• Counter-party set-up expertise, risk management, select best fit and cost-effective to firm strategy, AUM across prime (mini prime) brokers, custodians, administrators, auditors, etc. 

Benefit of an optimal business operation for both exempt and registered investment firms

• Augment productivity and cost-efficiency no matter the scope of work; 
• Offer benefit of increasing efficiency with multi-faceted skills sets under one firm;
• Help avoid pitfalls to increase likely-hood of business success; 
• Readiness for institutional investors or the SEC inspection;
• Curb compliance, legal, trading and counter-party risk; and
• Avoid reputational risk or rejection by peer selection.

Counter-parties

• Analysis of existing counter-parties and service providers relative to existing and future infrastructure such as fund administrators, accountants, custodians, prime brokers, law firms, to name a few;
• Established relationships and know-how of counter-parties to increase operational efficiencies, reduce fixed costs and better manage risk. 

Strategic Business Support across  

• Business Marketing strategy –  help identify target investors and ideal offering structures
• Strategic advice or support – do’s and don’ts to both communicate and raise assets
• Marketing guidance on solicitation and establishing pre-existing relationships
• Investor material guidance and review across pitch book, fact card, etc.
• Advise on preparation of a robust AIMA or benchmark due diligence questionnaire tailored to firm to proactively manage potential due diligence red flags
• Marketing processes & controls covering investor solicitation prior and post sale
• Negotiating and entering into agreements with third-party marketers
• Periodic review, marketing, legal, operational and compliance gap analysis of above
• Advocate for your company− before regulators, investors
• Anticipate legal needs− and develop and implement policies, practices and strategies aligned with business objectives
• Benchmark and leverage good practices − implemented by other general counsel or companies and grow your professional networks
• Conduct internal investigations on sensitive matters −guided by legal counsel who understand the need for an integrated approach to manage potential litigation, regulatory and reputational risks
• Create and assess compliance programs −aligned with your business and designed to meet company business expectations and legal requirements
• Make informed decisions based on trusted legal advice− on a wide range of topics working with legal counsel who understand your business and industry
• Protect your business interests− including guiding on risk assessment and management relating to your business
• Serve the Board − including developing Board charters, providing guidance and support on corporate secretary and Board minutes matters, guiding on Board education and reporting

1. Outsourcing non investment key functions is common for the hedge fund industry generally, but even more so for emerging managers as they grow their business.  See also, SEC -Acceptance and Growing Trend Toward Outsourcing  CCO and why it is not enough to simply have check the box support ,2015.

2. Red flags: top reasons an investor will veto an investment, unwillingness to provide adequate transparency, inadequate or inappropriate compliance  policies and procedures, poor separation of duties, inadequate personnel or lack or relevant experience in critical roles.

3. The majority of studies show the higher failure for [newer Firms] compared to established Firms is often due to business mistakes rather than investment issues.