Jennifer Harris
Cutting a special deal with one of your LPs can create conflict with the rest of your investors. Know what you're getting into before giving anyone preference
Fair value standards are loosened, but not suspended, in Europe
Boston-based asset manager HarbourVest listed its first public vehicle, HarbourVest Global Private Equity Limited (HVPE), on Euronext Amsterdam in December 2007. This September, the firm appointed Steve Belgrad of Affiliated Managers Group as HVPE's chief financial officer. Jennifer Harris spoke with Steve about the challenges of running a listed vehicle in today's turbulent markets.
After the tech bubble burst in 2000, venture funds shrank dramatically, and so did their management companies. Buyout firms may now have to take a page out of the VC playbook as many follow-on funds shrink in size. One move - reducing the partner roster
Vector Capital's fourth and latest fund closed on $1.2 billion last year, more than three times the size of its 2005 predecessor. With such a dramatic increase in capital, the firm has begun to ramp up its back office and infrastructure accordingly. In March, Vector hired David Baylor from Thomas Weisel Partners to take on the newly created role of chief operating officer. Now that he's had a few months to settle in, Baylor spoke with Jennifer Harris about the challenges of taking Vector Capital to a more institutional level.
With a downturn in the financial markets, limited partners may now find themselves holding more chips at the bargaining table with regard to terms and conditions.
In a campaign that's been part street theater and part critical analysis, the Service Employees International Union has been confronting private equity on issues like the taxation of carried interest and the management of PE-backed companies. The SEIU is the largest union in the US, and also one of the most politically active. John Adler, director of the union's private equity program, spoke with Jennifer Harris about the tactics the SEIU uses to convey its key messages.
For the first time, the UK Pensions Regulator has forced a private equity firm to top up the pension scheme of a company it no longer owns
Institutional Venture Partners has a storied past, but is focusing on the future under a new generation of leadership.
When do the benefits of registering as an investment advisor outweigh the costs?