Kenneth J. Berman | Legal Perspectives on Current Regulatory Developments for BDs and IAs

All posts by Kenneth J. Berman

Kenneth J. Berman, is a member of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP's Investment Management Group, His practice focuses on providing regulatory and compliance advice to financial services firms, particularly investment advisers and sponsors of mutual funds, private equity funds and other pooled investment vehicles. Mr. Berman's full bio can be found here.

In a recent Risk Alert, the staff of the Office of Compliance Examinations and Inspections (“OCIE”) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) observed that one of the most frequent deficiencies identified in OCIE examinations was the failure of investment advisers to recognize that they might be deemed to have custody of client assets for purposes of Rule 206(4)-2
(“Custody Rule”) under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Advisers Act”). On February 21, the staff of the SEC’s Division of Investment Management provided additional guidance under the Custody Rule that addressed three situations where there have been significant questions as to whether an investment adviser has custody of client assets:

when the adviser has limited authority to transfer client assets pursuant to a standing letter of instruction or other similar asset transfer authorization arrangement (“SLOA”) established by a client with a qualified custodian;
when an agreement between the client and its custodian appears to provide the adviser with access to client assets—even if the investment adviser is not a party to such agreement; and
when the adviser has the authority to move money between the client’s own accounts (“first-person transfers”).

Read More Here.

Additional contributor to this post:

Gregory T. Larkin, gtlarkin@debevoise.com

Kenneth Berman, a member of the Investment Management Group, focuses his practice on providing regulatory and compliance advice to financial services firms, particularly investment advisers and sponsors of mutual funds, private equity funds and other pooled investment vehicles. Mr. Berman also counsels mutual fund independent directors and advises operating companies concerning status issues they may face under the Investment Company Act of 1940. He is recognized as a leading lawyer by Chambers USA (2009-2016), where clients note that he is an “impressive” and “great” lawyer who offers “invaluable support throughout the decision-making process.” Mr. Berman is also recommended by The Legal 500 US (2012-2016).

Prior to joining Debevoise, Mr. Berman was Associate Director of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Investment Management, where he oversaw the division offices responsible for processing applications for exemptive relief under the Investment Company Act and administering the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935. He joined the SEC staff in 1988 after several years of private practice. Before becoming Associate Director in 1997, Mr. Berman was Assistant Director of the Division’s Office of Regulatory Policy.

Mr Berman is the co-author of numerous articles, including “What Will The “Eyes And Ears” Of The SEC Choose To See And Hear This Year? OCIE Announces Examination Priorities For 2015,” Vol. 16 No.2, Journal of Investment Compliance, (July, 2015); “Expense Allocation: The SEC Brings Down The Hammer,” Vol. 16 No. 1, Journal of Investment Compliance(May, 2015); “SEC Settles First “Pay-To-Play” Enforcement Action,” Financial Fraud Law Report (October, 2014); “Debevoise & Plimpton Discusses JOBS Act General Solicitations,” The CLS Blue Sky Blog (September, 2014); “Debevoise & Plimpton Discusses Treatment of Special Purposes Vehicles under the Advisers Act,” The CLS Blue Sky Blog (August, 2014); “Good News on ‘Bad Actors’,” PE Manager (March, 2014); “A Touch of Solace for Broker-Dealer Compliance Personnel,” Law360 (November, 2013); “Debevoise & Plimpton Discusses SEC’s Guidance on Supervisory Liability for a Broker-Dealer’s Compliance and Legal Personnel,” The CLS Blue Sky Blog (November, 2013); “Time For Private Equity To Focus On Form PF,” The Deal (June, 2012); “International Survey of Investment Adviser Regulation,” Wolters Kluwer(June, 2012) and “SEC Risk Alert Discusses When Social Media Interactions May Constitute Prohibited Hedge Fund Client Testimonials,” The Hedge Fund Law Report (April, 2012).

Mr. Berman is a frequent speaker at conferences relating to investment company and investment adviser issues. He is a member of the Committee on Investment Management Regulation of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and served as Chair of that Committee from 2009 to 2012. Mr. Berman is also a member of the American Bar Association (Subcommittee on Investment Companies and Investment Advisers, Subcommittee on Private Investment Entities) and the District of Columbia Bar. Mr. Berman is also an adjunct professor of law in Georgetown University’s LLM program.

Mr. Berman received his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School, where he was a member of the Law Review, and his B.A. from Dickinson College, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.