scholarly journals Professional Investment Standards in the Private Equity Sector: Selected Aspects

Author(s):  
Olga Mikołajczyk

Investments made by private equity funds must abide by the highest ethical standards as the framework within which their stakeholders operate is very much based on broadly understood trust. The paper discusses selected professional standards especially important for private equity transactions. It is based on the Professional Standards Handbook, a set of principles focusing on integrity and acting with fairness, keeping one’s promises, disclosing conflicts of interest, maintaining confidentiality, and promoting best practices for the benefit of sustainable investment and value creation. We also address the ESG issues which – besides financial aspects – exert substantial impact upon sustainable development of the private equity market. Ethical standards have gained in importance especially with the adoption of the AIFM Directive designed to regulate the operations of alternativeinvestment funds.

Author(s):  
Olga Mikołajczyk ◽  
Bartosz Owedyk

The influence of the private equity sector on the contemporary economy is quite significant. This is why the present paper attempts to examine mechanisms private equity investors apply in order to increase the value of their investments. The literature review has identified the most fundamen- tal elements of creating value on the basis of empirical, academic studies that verified hypotheses regarding the influence of particular mechanisms on the process of value creation in private equity investments. This paper is divided into five parts that describe the elements of the investment pro- cess, research into value creation, financial arbitration, as well as direct and indirect mechanisms of creating investment value. The paper is mainly based on the review of foreign-language literature.


Author(s):  
Spangler Timothy

This chapter examines the governance challenge in private investment funds arising from investor protection failures. It begins with a discussion of the Madoff affair, which brought to the fore alleged failures in reporting, oversight and governance mechanisms regarding private investment funds, whether hedge funds, private equity funds, real estate opportunities funds or other more esoteric investment pools. It then considers some issues which the Madoff debacle drew attention to, including the presence of multiple fund vehicles in the same structure or in interconnected structures such as parallel funds, master-feeder, and fund of funds. It also analyses the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) concerns about hedge fund fraud and conflicts of interest that may arise in the business models of any of the participants in the private equity market. Finally, it describes ongoing diligence and oversight regarding private investment funds and the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) concerns over due diligence involving private funds.


2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 22-25
Author(s):  
Perrie Michael Weiner ◽  
Patrick Hunnius ◽  
Sean R. Crain

Purpose – To address “Conflicts, Conflicts Everywhere,” a speech at the recent IA Watch 17th Annual Compliance Conference by Julie M. Riewe, co-chief of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Enforcement Division’s Asset Management Unit (AMU). Design/methodology/approach – Provide information on the AMU’s creation, the AMU’s 2015 priorities for each of the primary investment vehicles it polices –registered investment companies; private funds (both hedge funds and private equity funds); and other client accounts, such as separately managed accounts/retail accounts – and the AMU’s central concern across all of the investment vehicles it polices: conflicts of interest. Findings – Conflicts of interest will be receiving much attention from the Commission in the coming months. In order to help avoid an SEC inquiry or, worse yet, an enforcement action, corporations and individuals should seek counsel. Originality/value – Practical explanation and guidance from experienced securities and financial services lawyers.


2013 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 1545-1572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Humphery-Jenner

AbstractThis paper examines diversification as a source of value creation and destruction in private equity (PE) funds. Previous literature has focused on the “diversification discount” in corporations. However, in PE funds, diversification might increase returns by ameliorating managerial risk aversion and facilitating knowledge sharing. I examine a sample of 1,505 PE funds and show that industry and geographic diversification can increasePE fund returns. This is likely due to knowledge sharing and learning, not merely risk reduction. Diversification can reduce returns if it spreads staff too thinly across industries or is motivated by risk aversion rather than performance bonuses.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document