Getting a Head Start on the SEC Derivatives Rule 18f-4
In this episode, CSS’s Director of Registered Investment Company Services Allison Fraser sits down with Partner at Morgan Lewis, Laura Flores to discuss the SEC regulatory framework for derivatives use with the new 18f-4 Rule. Even though compliance plans do not have to be fully implemented until August 2022, fund managers need to start preparing now for a compliant derivatives risk management program, calculating daily value-at-risk (VaR) measurements and performing stress tests.
About Our Guest Speakers:
Allison Fraser provides compliance consulting services to investment advisers, registered investment companies and private investment funds, including conducting annual compliance program reviews and testing, developing risk assessments and preparing for SEC examinations. She also assists clients with drafting policies and procedures and preparing regulatory filings. On behalf of, the Compliance Services division of CSS, Allison served as the Chief Compliance Officer for a family of alternative funds registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Prior to joining CSS, Allison served as a Senior Vice President of Compliance at Northern Trust Investments, Inc. (“NTI”), the asset management subsidiary of The Northern Trust Company. In this capacity, she managed and administered the compliance due diligence program for NTI’s Multi-Manager Solutions and Outsourced Chief Investment Officer businesses. Allison also was the Chief Compliance Officer of two registered funds of hedge funds advised by NTI as well as a member of the funds’ Pricing and Disclosure Committees. Before joining NTI, Allison served as the Compliance Director for General Motors Asset Management, where she assisted with the administration of the compliance program for this registered investment adviser.
Laura E. Flores is a Partner at Morgan Lewis with a practice that focuses on the regulation of investment companies and investment advisers. Laura regularly represents exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds, and variable insurance-dedicated products, as well as their sponsors and boards of directors, and investment advisers. She counsels both well-established clients and clients that are new to the industry on a variety of regulatory, transactional, compliance and operational issues, including the development of new financial products and services, federal and state registration issues, the preparation and implementation of compliance programs, business combinations involving investment companies and investment advisers, interpretive and “no-action” letter requests, requests for Securities and Exchange Commission exemptive relief, and regulatory examinations. Laura also counsels investment advisory clients on matters, including advertising and communications with the public, investment adviser registration, and separately managed account (or wrap fee) programs. Laura also has significant experience representing “liquid alt” funds, funds that invest through offshore subsidiaries, and funds that utilize QFII/RQFII quotas to invest directly in securities issued and traded in China.
