Kevin Ley

A recent case in Delaware highlights the need for private equity and venture capital firms to go over the indemnification provisions in their partnership agreements in order to avoid getting hit with a costly judgment.

The US tax agency has extended a deadline to file a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) form and will seek comments before offering further guidance. This will give relief to investors in private equity and hedge funds who were rushing to meet the original September deadline in the face of potential civil and criminal penalties.

With Africa’s largest private equity market adjusting to the current downturn, the new South African president seeks to reassure businesses.

European private equity groups lobbying against recent proposed regulations should take aim at three particularly harmful measures, writes Kevin Ley.

Investment firms with assets over a ‘modest threshold’ will need to register with the SEC, according to a proposal released last night by the White House. The plan comes a day after a Senate bill set $30m as the line above which all firms would need to register.

As LPs request more detailed information, firms should know when the investor relations pro or the GP should be the ones fielding the calls.

April Evans, CFO, Monitor Clipper Partners, Boston, Massachusetts

New technologies have improved convenience and security in the secondaries market. In these deals, GPs do themselves and their LPs no favours by hiding important fund information.

A variety of proposals are wending their way through all levels of US government that could impact private equity funds, including treating carry as ordinary income and requiring registration with the SEC and possibly state authorities.

Candover's suspension of investment from its 2008 buyout fund highlights the growing pains of publicly listed private equity firms.