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Analysis

State of substance

How are GPs giving their firms the necessary mass to operate in Luxembourg?

What the AI?! Canoe Intelligence

Our new AI series kicks off by exploring the burning questions with Aman Soni, VP of data strategy at Canoe Intelligence

Deep dive on Alpha’s fund finance solution

Following the recent announcement of Alpha Group’s new fund finance solution, we sit down with Sam Marsh, MD institutional, and Adam Heaysman, who is heading up the new offering, to find out more

Comment: Does SFDR encourage greenwashing?

Pinsent Masons financial services partner Mark Shaw asks the awkward question

In-house rules: legal versus compliance

As more lawyers move into in-house roles within private equity, they can take up the mantle of either legal or compliance – but how do these functions cross and diverge?

In the name of science: how to set your emissions targets

Questions are arising about the various methodologies used to create net-zero targets

Double standards?

We get to grips with what the International Valuations Standards Council has to offer the PE industry, and how it interacts with industry body IPEV

Comment: Private markets boom sparks uptick in demand for asset servicing

Claudia Bertolino, head of private equity and private credit at Citco Fund Services, says managers are placing higher expectations on their third-party providers

The challengers

Charting the rise of the new fund admin kids on the block, looking to break the mould

Who watches the watchdogs?

Macfarlanes calls for new independent body to increase democratic accountability and expertise of the UK’s financial services regulator

Jersey widens AML/CFT scope

Jersey private entities with a local administrator no longer exempt from regime

Up close and personal

FCA and HM Treasury take a deep dive into the effectiveness of SMCR so far; we explore what’s included in the consultation papers and what might be up for reform

Growing pains

The fund administration sector is in a state of flux as it journeys towards professionalisation. Key challenges around consolidation, integration, talent and tech all need to be addressed to find a level of sustainability

Advice: Cash issue

Significant tax changes will affect how partners in the UK are taxed, including members of LLPs, warns CM Murray partner Corinne Staves

No (private) client left behind

Fuel Venture Capital aims to make VC accessible to private clients with its new fund structure

European Commission provides SFDR closure

The latest SFDR update elicits a sigh of relief from GPs as responses to ESAs’ questions are published

Not on the guestlist

A connection to public entities could see the EU's new Foreign Subsidies Regulation crash the dealmaking party

Is retailisation a misnomer?

Many hurdles remain around expanding private funds to the retail investor. We unpicked the main concerns raised by GPs and what the current definition of ‘retailisation’ actually means

Critical about clouds

The UK's bill on operational resilience could empower GPs vis-à-vis cloud service providers, but concerns about regulatory fragmentation leave a bitter aftertaste

Cutting edge through technology

Majority of LPs want their GPs to invest more in technology to cut costs

ESMA publishes product governance guidelines

The requirements are akin to the FCA’s Consumer Duty but are not legally binding

Techwork 2023

Meet the PE professionals engineering the new age of tech culture

Climate vs competition: A balancing act

In relatively new territory, GPs must juggle climate-based agreements with competition law risks

In defence of ESG disclosures

ESG disclosures correlate to better fund performance, study finds

Low carb diet

How can GPs shed the weight of their greenhouse gas emissions within their own organisations

Mean green litigation machine

ESG jurisprudence continues to develop as BNP Paribas first private player to be hit with lawsuit

The real retail deal?

We speak to Michel Degosciu, managing director and co-founder of LPX AG, to understand the index he has created, which enables everyday individuals to invest in private markets

Role call: head of talent

More importance is being placed on the role of chief talent officer and the value it can bring. What competitive edge does it provide?

Less black and white

GP/LP relationships are becoming increasingly nuanced, with management fee rates more dependent on strategy, increased organisational expenses and a decline in no-cause removal clauses

Onwards and upwards

We spoke to John Stake, managing director at Hamilton Lane, to discuss the latest findings and predictions in the firm’s 2023 Market Overview

ESLitiGation

As regulators gear up for ESG enforcement action, private litigation is revving its engines, ready to hit the streets

Column: In defence of SFDR

Dörte Höppner, chief sustainability officer at The Riverside Company, urges the industry to embrace rules designed to combat greenwashing and encourage ESG investment

Embrace (private) equity

This International Women’s Day, the theme is ‘embrace equity’. We spoke to Jacqueline Taiwo, co-founder of Black Women in Asset Management, to understand her firm’s impact

LPs recalibrating risk appetite

Adams Street Partners’ 2023 Global Investor Survey highlights increasing LP scrutiny and an increased demand for private credit opportunities

PE playing catchup when streamlining operational processes

Intertrust’s new research highlights GPs’ desire to combat operational weaknesses amid changing LP demands

Déja vu?

Collateralised fund obligations (CFOs) have been lauded as a vital route for insurance firms to play in the fund finance space - but their future, especially in Europe, is uncertain

Next level

As the game gets harder, fund finance needs to level up

Intern-al culture

Adam Black, partner and head of ESG and sustainability at Coller Capital, details the importance of ESG interns in creating a good culture

ELTIF: second time’s the charm

Possibility to set up master feeders and fund-of-funds structures could open up retail investment for small and mid-cap firms

Comment: Climate-related risks and opportunities – what does PE need to know?

Simon Weaver, partner and co-lead, climate risk and strategy at KPMG in the UK, offers industry-specific guidance to private equity firms following the recommendations of the Taskforce on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures

Housing in-house counsel

More and more GPs are adding legal counsel to their teams - but how are they faring with the integration process?

Green regulation proliferation

The Green Technical Advisory group has outlined 10 ways to support international regulatory alignment

FCA addresses sustainability regulations ‘alphabet soup’

Regulator requests feedback on sustainability-related governance to help reform industry obligations

VC cap table complexity

For late-stage venture investors, creating and maintaining cap tables to ascertain a true understanding of what the fund ownership is, is a major challenge

Key ESG partners with EDCI

Software provider launches API integration with benchmark initiative

AIFMD II: Electric Boogaloo

Regulator expands the scope of delegation and adds new rules for loan-origination funds

AMF calls for more stringent SFDR regulations

French financial watchdog proposes the introduction of minimal environmental requirements

Taking stock: The quest for fair value

As high inflation and interest rates jostle the economy, the fundamentals of fair value in a volatile market need readjusting for accurate valuations

UK - Same same but different

The UK's similarly named SDR is akin to the EU's SFDR, but it's best to contrast rather than compare

Germany - Wait and see

The regulator’s focus on Article 8 funds and failure to address real concerns leaves the industry frozen

France - Layers and labels

The regulator requires additional disclosures not required by other Member States

Ireland - Our survey says…

The regulator has taken a pragmatic, survey-informed approach

SFDRRRGGHHH!!!

European member states are interpreting and applying incoming esg disclosure rules differently, creating even more confusion and frustration for managers

Sun, sea and… startups!

The Spanish Startup Act aims to boost growth in the startup ecosystem with enticing tax relief for GPs

New risks, new insurance

PE is increasingly recognising the need for directors and officers insurance, while ESG is adding a new dimension to mismanagement claims

Hamilton Lane tokenises another fund

The firm has partnered once again with Securitize to offer another tokenised fund

The conversation: True outsourcing?

At a recent Breakfast Briefing event held in London, a panel of experts discussed the realities of co-sourcing, and asked if the approach really can allow CFOs to control their data

Top of the chain

With the Consumer Duty expected to come into effect on 31 July 2023, the responsibility to comply will apply to the entire supply chain, including fund managers

G for granularity

KEY ESG’s latest report suggests ESG reporting requires collection of more granular data

Core opens for business

The company offers a range of fund administration services for GPs based in Guernsey