CFTC Adopts Final Rules That Are Likely to Require Many Hedge Fund Managers to Register as Commodity Pool Operators

On February 9, 2012, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) adopted final rules (Final Rules) amending Part 4 of its regulations promulgated under the Commodity Exchange Act governing commodity pool operators (CPOs) and commodity trading advisers (CTAs).  Notably for hedge funds, the Final Rules, among other things, rescind the exemption from CPO registration contained in Rule 4.13(a)(4), which is relied on substantially in the hedge fund industry.  Notably for hedge funds, the Final Rules differ from the rule amendments proposed by the CFTC (Proposed Rules) on January 26, 2011, in that the Final Rules do not rescind the exemption from CPO registration under Rule 4.13(a)(3) for hedge funds that conduct a de minimis amount of trading in futures, commodity options and other commodity interests.  For an in-depth discussion of the Proposed Rules, see “CFTC Proposes New Reporting and Compliance Obligations for Commodity Pool Operators and Commodity Trading Advisers and Jointly Proposes with the SEC Reporting Requirements for Dually-Registered CPO and CTA Investment Advisers to Private Funds,” Hedge Fund Law Report, Vol. 4, No. 5 (Feb. 10, 2011).  As a result, unless an exemption is otherwise available, the Final Rules will require a CPO to register with the National Futures Association if the managed commodity pool (i.e., hedge fund) conducts more than a de minimis amount of speculative trading in futures, commodity options and other commodity interests; and CPO registration imposes significant obligations on registrants.  This article provides a detailed summary of the CFTC’s Final Rules and highlights relevant changes from the Proposed Rules.  The article focuses on the provisions of the Final Rules with most direct application to hedge fund managers following commodities-focused investment strategies.

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