R164-4-9. Exemptions From Licensing Requirements for Investment Advisers Providing Advice to Certain Institutional Investors

(A) Authority and Purpose

(1) The Division enacts this rule under authority granted by Sections 61-1-3 and 61-1-24.

(2) This rule provides exemptions from the licensing requirements of the Act for investment advisers and investment adviser representatives who meet specified criteria.

(B) Definitions

(1) "Act" means the Utah Uniform Securities Act, Utah Code Ann. Section 61-1-1 et seq.

(2) "Control" means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.

(3)(a) "High net worth family entity" means a corporation, limited partnership, limited liability company, or other entity, with all of its owners, partners, or members belonging to a single family who are all related by blood, adoption or marriage; with a combined net worth of not less than $10 million; and with ownership by an individual family member being direct or indirect pursuant to a trust or other similar arrangement where the investment is made by or on behalf of, or for the benefit of, the individual.

(3)(b) An individual does not constitute a "high net worth family entity" for purposes of this rule regardless of the net worth of the individual.

(4) "Private fund" means an entity that:

(4)(a) would be subject to regulation under the federal Investment Company Act of 1940 but for the exceptions from the definition of "investment company" provided for:

(4)(a)(i) a fund that has no more than 100 beneficial owners and which is not making and does not presently propose to make a public offering of its securities, or

(4)(a)(ii) a fund that is owned exclusively by qualified purchasers, as defined in subsection (5) below, and which is not making and does not presently propose to make a public offering of its securities; and

(4)(b) offers interests in the entity based on the investment advisory skills, ability or expertise of the investment adviser.

(5) "Qualified purchaser" has the same meaning as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940 Sec. 2(a)(51).

(C) Exemption for Investment Advice to Certain Institutional Investors

(1) For purposes of Subsection 61-1-3(3)(b)(ii), an investment adviser or investment adviser representative is exempt from the licensing requirements of the Act if the investment adviser or investment adviser representative renders investment advisory services only to the following institutional investors:

(1)(a) a non-individual "accredited investor" (as that term is defined in Rule 501(a)(1)-(3), (7), and any entity in which all of the equity owners are persons defined in Rule 501(a)(1)-(3) and (7), promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under the Securities Act of 1933 (1933 Act), as amended;

(1)(b) a "qualified institutional buyer" (as that term is defined in Rule 144A(a)(1) promulgated by the SEC under the 1933 Act, as amended; or

(1)(c) a corporation, partnership, trust, estate, or other entity (excluding individuals) having net worth of not less than $10 million, or a wholly-owned subsidiary of such entity.

(2) The exemption from investment adviser and investment adviser representative licensing provided by this Subsection (C) is not available if the institutional investor is in fact acting only as agent for another purchaser that is not an institutional investor listed in Subsection 61-1-3(3)(b) or Subsection (C)(1) of this rule. The exemption from licensure is available only if the institutional investor is acting for its own account or as a bona fide trustee of a trust organized and existing other than for the purpose of acquiring the investment advisory services for which the investment adviser or investment adviser representative is claiming the exemption.

(D) Exemption for Investment Advice to Certain Private Funds

(1) For purposes of Subsection 61-1-3(3)(b)(ii), an investment adviser or investment adviser representative is exempt from the licensing requirements of the Act if the investment adviser or investment adviser representative renders investment advisory services only to a private fund that regularly makes equity investments in companies, if:

(1)(a) the private fund does not grant investors the right or power to redeem their interests in the fund within two years of purchase;

(1)(b) at the time of investment, at least 80% of the fair market value of the investments made by the private fund possess all of the following characteristics:

(1)(b)(i) the private fund, either alone or with other similarly situated private funds, has control of the target company;

(1)(b)(ii) the private fund, either alone or with other similarly situated private funds, has access to material business, financial and other corporate records of the target company without being required to resort to statutory stockholder or other equity owner records access provisions;

(1)(b)(iii) the private fund, either alone or with other similarly situated private funds, has the right to elect one or more directors to the target company's board of directors or equivalent governing management body, either at the outset or on the occurrence or non-occurrence of specified events; and

(1)(b)(iv) at the time of the investment, the securities representing the private fund's equity stake or into which such securities may be converted have not been listed on an exchange and are of a highly illiquid nature such that no significant secondary market exists for the securities; and

(1)(c) at the time of investment, at least 80% of the fair market value of the investments made by the private fund possess at least two of the following four characteristics:

(1)(c)(i) the private fund's interest in the target company includes a common, preferred, convertible or other direct or indirect equity stake;

(1)(c)(ii) the private fund, either alone or with other similarly situated private funds, has the right, at the target company's expense, to have its equity interest in the target registered for sale in a future public offering or otherwise redeemed upon the occurrence of given event or contingency or to otherwise obtain liquidity for the private fund's investment;

(1)(c)(iii) the private fund, either alone or with other similarly situated private funds, has:

(1)(c)(iii)(A) co-sale rights that allow the private fund to sell its equity in the target company on the same terms as holders of a majority of the equity interests of such target;

(1)(c)(iii)(B) liquidation preferences with priority to holders of common equity; or

(1)(c)(iii)(C) redemption rights to require the target company to repurchase or redeem the private fund's equity interest at a price constituting a preference to that of the common equity holders; and

(1)(c)(iv) the private fund, either alone or with other similarly situated private funds, has:

(1)(c)(iv)(A) anti-dilution rights materially limiting the power of the target company to issue new equity securities on terms that dilute the equity interest of the private fund without adjusting the investment rights of the private equity fund;

(1)(c)(iv)(B) rights of first offer or participation enabling the private fund to acquire its pro rata share of any newly issued equity securities;

(1)(c)(iv)(C) rights to materially preclude the target company from issuing equity without first obtaining consent of the private fund either as an equity holder or through the private fund's designee(s) on the target company's board of directors or equivalent governing management body; or

(1)(c)(iv)(D) other rights superior to the rights of holders of common equity relating to cause or block an event or transaction that would provide full or partial liquidity to the private fund.

(E) Exemptions for Investment Advice to Certain High Net Worth Family Entities

(1) For purposes of Subsection 61-1-3(3)(b)(ii), an investment adviser or investment adviser representative is exempt from the licensing requirements of the Act if the investment adviser or investment adviser representative:

(1)(a) renders investment advisory services to a high net worth family entity or related family entities, and

(1)(b) does not render investment advisory services to any other entities or individuals, other than those described in Subsections (C) and (D) above.

(F) Determination of Net Worth

(1) For purposes of determining the net worth of an institutional investor or high net worth family entity under this rule, an investment adviser or investment adviser representative may rely upon the entity's most recent annual balance sheet or other financial statement which shall have been audited by an independent accountant or which shall have been verified by a principal of the entity.

(G) Prohibition on Advertising and Touting

(1) The exemptions from the licensing requirements of the Act provided by this rule are not applicable if the investment adviser or investment adviser representative advertises its services or holds itself out to the public as a provider of investment advice, including:

(1)(a) advertising, touting, or providing testimonials of the performance, experience or expertise of the investment adviser or investment adviser representative;

(1)(b) making general solicitations for investment; or

(1)(c) paying a fee to any person for referrals or solicitations unless that person is a licensed investment adviser representative, issuer agent or broker-dealer agent in the jurisdiction in which such activities occur.

(H) Advisory Services to Entity versus Owners of the Entity

(1) For purposes of this rule only, an investment adviser or investment adviser representative that is providing investment advisory services to a corporation, general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, trust or other legal entity, other than a private fund, is not providing investment advisory services to a shareholder, general partner, member, other security holder, beneficiary or other beneficial owner of the legal entity unless the investment adviser provides investment advisory services to such owner separate and apart from the investment advisory services provided to the legal entity.

(I) No Licensing Exemption for Advisory Services to Natural Persons

(1) There is no licensing exemption under this rule for an investment adviser or investment adviser representative providing investment advisory services to a natural person.

(2) Except as provided in Subsections (D) and (E), there is no licensing exemption under this rule for an investment adviser or investment adviser representative providing investment advisory services to a private fund, such as a hedge fund, that is composed partially or entirely of natural persons.