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Contents
1 How not to start a hedge fund
with a long and expensive journey
2 Domestic and offshore hedge
funds: Single structures
4 Domestic and offshore hedge
funds: Combined structures
5 Domestic and offshore hedge
funds: Other structures
6 Other hedge fund features:
Side pockets and multiple
share classes
7 The GP and legal liabilities
8 Historical costs and timelines for
starting a hedge fund
1 Hedge Fund In A BoxSM and the
1
Hedge Fund Wrap AccountSM:
More streamlined, less costly
12 Five things that startup hedge
funds need to know
16 About the authors
18 About Stonegate Capital
Partners
19 About Grant Thornton LLP
Until recently, starting or launching a hedge fund was a very expensive and overwhelming
task requiring six months or longer to complete, while startup, infrastructure and
operational costs ran well into the six-figure range.
How do you start a hedge fund? The new era of hedge fund creation and operational management 1
2 How do you start a hedge fund? The new era of hedge fund creation and operational management
Incubation funds
How do you start a hedge fund? The new era of hedge fund creation and operational management 3
4 How do you start a hedge fund? The new era of hedge fund creation and operational management
How do you start a hedge fund? The new era of hedge fund creation and operational management 5
In addition to side pockets, some managers employ separate share classes for
deviations in their trading strategy.
6 How do you start a hedge fund? The new era of hedge fund creation and operational management
How do you start a hedge fund? The new era of hedge fund creation and operational management 7
8 How do you start a hedge fund? The new era of hedge fund creation and operational management
Fund administration
Just as they would with any other business, managers will need
to build a corporate brand identity for their hedge fund. This
identity should be supported by a logo and accompanying
graphics, a website, business cards and stationery, and printed
marketing materials (typically a pitch book and a one-page
summary).
How do you start a hedge fund? The new era of hedge fund creation and operational management 9
Additional services
Regulatory compliance
10 How do you start a hedge fund? The new era of hedge fund creation and operational management
How do you start a hedge fund? The new era of hedge fund creation and operational management 11
Depending on the dollar amount of assets managed, funds might also need an internal
administrative group, but even if they do not need internal assistance, they will need
external assistance.
12 How do you start a hedge fund? The new era of hedge fund creation and operational management
How do you start a hedge fund? The new era of hedge fund creation and operational management 13
Funds should choose a cost structure that is not only costeffective but also most beneficial to existing or prospective
investors. By understanding the fund managers investment
strategy, including the nature of its targeted investors, your
service providers can help select the right structure. For example,
if you expect to target a large percentage of offshore investors,
you might be well-advised to set up an offshore feeder fund that
would house all the contributions from tax-exempt and foreign
investors. This would help avoid issues your offshore investors
might encounter with unrelated business taxable income (UBTI)
and manage dividend withholding issues for the fund and
its investors. But there are costs associated with establishing
an offshore fund; therefore, careful consideration is needed.
Deciding which cost structure is right for your fund will depend
on the needs of your investors and will always require thought
and planning beforehand.
14 How do you start a hedge fund? The new era of hedge fund creation and operational management
How do you start a hedge fund? The new era of hedge fund creation and operational management 15
Yossi Jayinski
Financial Services Audit Partner, Grant Thornton LLP
John is a principal and managing director for Stonegate Capital Partners, which is
an offshore and domestic hedge fund consulting firm specializing in the creation
and operational management of offshore and domestic hedge funds. McCorvey
created the firms industry-leading and patent-pending Hedge Fund In A Box SM and
PrimeOneSM solutions, as well as its Hedge Fund Wrap AccountSM structure.
Yossi is a Financial Services Audit partner and is based in Grant Thornton LLPs
New York-Downtown office. He has more than 14 years of public accounting
experience serving a variety of industries, including the financial services industry.
Yossi has performed audits of private and public companies, as well as various
IPOs, and has served as an adviser for U.S. and international businesses. He has
worked within various functional areas such as risk management, operations,
finance, accounting and compliance. Other areas of concentration include
internal audit co-sourcing/outsourcing, Sarbanes-Oxley 404 process and control
assessment, project definition, scope and planning, project management, and
resource planning.
Prior to joining Grant Thornton, Yossi was a senior manager at a Big Four
accounting firm. His broad range of experience spans startups to established
companies in the biotechnology, software, Internet, alternative energy, financial
services and not-for-profit industries.
Yossi is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
and is a member of the budget and finance committee for the Jewish Community
Center (JCC) of Central New Jersey.
Yossi has a BS in accounting from Yeshiva University. You can reach him at
212.624.5548 and at yossi.jayinski@us.gt.com.
John has been cited in various publications, including Global Custodian, Securities
Technology Monitor, Institutional Investor and Clearing Quarterly, and is a speaker
at hedge fund and family office conferences. He began his institutional investment
career in 1994 as a financial analyst for the Florida State Board of Administration,
the $130 billion pension fund for the state of Florida, performing analysis for
multiple portfolios for the funds internal assets of approximately $30 billion. John
studied investment management at the Harvard Business School, successfully
completing the Private Equity and Venture Capital program. He holds a BS in
finance with a minor in economics from Florida State University.
He can be reached at 212.810.9024 or JMcCorvey@StoneGateCapitalPartners.com.
16 How do you start a hedge fund? The new era of hedge fund creation and operational management
Brian Moore
Financial Services Tax Partner, Grant Thornton LLP
Kunjan Mehta
Financial Services Audit Manager, Grant Thornton LLP
Brian is a Financial Services Tax partner based in Grant Thornton LLPs New
York-Downtown office. He has more than 16 years of professional tax experience
serving the financial services industry.
Kunjan is a Financial Services Audit manager based in Grant Thornton LLPs New
York-Downtown office. He has more than 10 years of public accounting experience.
He has directed and managed the performance of financial statement audits, due
diligence, internal control reviews and internal audits. In addition, he is responsible
for internal staff training on various audit methodologies and new regulations.
Kunjan has served clients in an array of industries including hedge funds, private
equity, broker-dealers, manufacturing, pension plans and retail. He is involved in of
numerous professional and industry associations, including the American Institute
of Certified Public Accountants (member), the New York State Society of Certified
Public Accountants (past editor of the Nassau Chapter newsletter), the Institute of
Chartered Accountants of India (member), and the New York Hedge Fund Roundtable
(officer). Kunjan has contributed to articles published in the NYSSCPA Nassau
Chapter newsletter and written thought leadership pieces for Grant Thornton.
Kunjan holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting from India (equivalent to a BS
in accounting in the United States). You can reach him at 212.624.5259 or
kunjan.mehta@us.gt.com.
Brian has been a frequent speaker for industry groups such as the Financial
Research Associates (FRA) and the Institute for Management Accountants (IMA),
as well as various industry conferences.
Brian has an MBA in finance from Emory University and a BS in accountancy from
the University of Alabama. You can reach him at 212.624.5546 or
brian.moore@us.gt.com.
How do you start a hedge fund? The new era of hedge fund creation and operational management 17
18 How do you start a hedge fund? The new era of hedge fund creation and operational management
Winston Wilson
National Asset Management Industry Leader
Grant Thornton LLP
T 212.624.5363
E winston.wilson@us.gt.com
Jack Katz
National Managing Partner
Financial Services
Grant Thornton LLP
T 212.542.9660
E jack.katz@us.gt.com
How do you start a hedge fund? The new era of hedge fund creation and operational management 19
Georgia
Atlanta 404.330.2000
New Jersey
Edison 732.516.5500
Rhode Island
Providence 401.274.1200
Illinois
Chicago 312.856.0200
Oakbrook Terrace
630.873.2500
Schaumburg
847.884.0123
New York
Albany
518.427.5197
Long Island
631.249.6001
Downtown 212.422.1000
Midtown 212.599.0100
South Carolina
Columbia 803.231.3100
Kansas
Wichita 316.265.3231
Maryland
Baltimore 410.685.4000
Massachusetts
Boston N Station
617.723.7900
Boston Fin Distr.
617.226.7000
Westborough 508.926.2200
Michigan
Detroit 248.262.1950
Colorado
Denver 303.813.4000
Minnesota
Minneapolis 612.332.0001
Connecticut
Glastonbury
Missouri
Kansas City
St. Louis
860.781.6700
Florida
Fort Lauderdale
954.768.9900
Miami 305.341.8040
Orlando 407.481.5100
Tampa 813.229.7201
816.412.2400
314.735.2200
North Carolina
Charlotte 704.632.3500
Raleigh 919.881.2700
Ohio
Cincinnati 513.762.5000
Cleveland 216.771.1400
Oklahoma
Oklahoma City
405.218.2800
Tulsa 918.877.0800
Oregon
Portland 503.222.3562
Pennsylvania
Harrisburg 717.265.8600
Philadelphia 215.561.4200
Nevada
Reno 775.786.1520
20 How do you start a hedge fund? The new era of hedge fund creation and operational management
Texas
Austin 512.391.6821
Dallas 214.561.2300
Houston 832.476.3600
San Antonio
210.881.1800
Utah
Salt Lake City
801.415.1000
Virginia
Alexandria 703.837.4400
McLean 703.847.7500
Washington
Seattle 206.623.1121
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
202.296.7800
Wisconsin
Appleton 920.968.6700
Madison 608.257.6761
Milwaukee 414.289.8200
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