Practical Operational Due Diligence on Hedge Funds

Hedge funds promise much, but also present considerable investment and operational risks especially if the due diligence performed is inadequate. Although many claim to do detailed due diligence it can potentially be flawed, look at the wrong information and evidence, be deficient in some respects or, in some cases, be entirely absent. Operational risk on hedge funds is considered by many to be a major factor in assessing their viability and success and that is why operational due diligence is an important process in the selection and monitoring of hedge fund investments by investors. Whether the issues to consider are operational problems, inadequate infrastructure, documentation, poor service providers, inexperienced staff, remuneration issues, or simply denial, an investment decision with inadequate operational due diligence can potentially go very quickly from being unremarkable to catastrophic. Practical Operational Due Diligence on Hedge Funds by Rajiv Jaitly is a comprehensive guide on how to perform operational due diligence on fund structures and their investment managers, helping to make better investment choices and decisions and avoid potential disaster. Throughout, the author explains what to focus on and why, what red flags to watch, and what lessons might be drawn from the experiences of investors in hedge funds and points to negotiate on. This book includes a library of 300+ detailed case studies of issues on hedge funds going back to situations with the earliest hedge funds in the 1970's right up to 2012. Nothing is more enlightening and valuable than these actual case studies making up more than half of the book. Each case study walks the reader through the financial and other predicaments faced by investors and investment managers, the decisions that were made and the outcomes that resulted. Each case is then analysed in depth, demarcating key issues and highlighting key lessons to be taken away in order to avoid repeating the mistakes of others. Although the book is written with the due diligence professional in mind, it will be of interest to anyone making investment decisions that involve hedge funds or any other type of fund. It will also be of interest to investment managers and service providers in providing an insight into how they can improve their investment offerings to investors. It offers a wealth of tools and techniques that aid the practitioner in performing due diligence with the level of care that is required given the amounts often at stake. Critical issues covered include: Establishing the existence of adequate controls in the operations of an investment manager Understanding the operation of leverage and related risks Scoring risks on a hedge fund Managing risks of conducting due diligence Negotiating terms of investment Checklists Guidelines for non-executive boards to review risk Rational for different fund structures Regulatory enforcement actions If you are performing due diligence or making investment decisions involving hedge funds this is a book that you cannot afford to be without.