The Jersey Financial Services Commission (the JFSC) has announced a number of updates to its Jersey Private Fund Guide (the JPF Guide).

A copy of the updated JPF Guide together with a consolidated redline is available on the JFSC website: https://www.jerseyfsc.org/jersey-private-fund-guide/.

The updates are the product of significant collaboration between the JFSC and the Jersey Funds Association (JFA), the Jersey Association of Trust Companies, Government and Jersey Finance Limited. The JFA was represented by Joel Hernandez, Vice Chair and Chair of the JFA's Legal & Technical Sub-Committee and Jon Stevens, Chair of the JFA's Regulatory & Compliance Sub-Committee.

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Updates to the Jersey Private Fund Guide

The Jersey Private Fund regime provides fund promoters with a cost effective, fast-track (48 hour) regulatory approval process for their Jersey private fund (a JPF) which can be offered to up to 50 investors that meet certain eligibility requirements.

The updates are designed to further improve the JPF Guide and the JPF regime. They include:

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1. Carry and/or co-investment vehicles

A recognition that co-investment can, in some cases, form part of a fund's carry/incentive arrangement. Previously, carried interest vehicles were not counted as an investor, however the amendments extend this principle to co-investment arrangements that meet the requirements in the JPF Guide.
 

2. Investor eligibility

General: clarification that investor eligibility is satisfied upon admission. That eligibility can continue to be relied upon despite a status change, for example a departing 'employee, director, partner or expert consultant’.

Transfers (for example death or bankruptcy):for any involuntary transfer, such as on death or bankruptcy, there is no requirement for the transferee to qualify through the same criteria as the transferor, but the transferee will (itself) need to meet the investor eligibility requirements as defined in the JPF Guide.

Service providers: an expansion of the categories of ‘professional investor’ for the benefit of the JPF's service providers, by:

1. replacing 'senior employee' with 'financially sophisticated employee' to take a more inclusive approach to the changing demographics within JPF fund management and/or advisory teams,
 
2. including a reference to     'expert consultant' for added flexibility.

3. Governing Body

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The JFSC has clarified its expectation that there should be at least one or more Jersey resident directors appointed to a JPF board or to its governing body. The JPF annual compliance return will request additional data by asking how many Jersey resident or non-Jersey resident directors are on the board of the JPF or its governing body and how many of those directors are employees of the Jersey based designated service provider (DSP) or a group entity of the DSP.

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4. Arrangements that fall outside of JPF

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Changes have been made to the section that deals with arrangements that are not to be treated as JPFs. These include certain family (including family office) arrangements as well as some incentive arrangements (for example carry and/or co-investment vehicles).

The definitions of employees and family connections (including the term 'relative') have been widened and now include trusts established for a person satisfying the wider definition of 'family connection' (not just for a specific person or their dependents).

The JFSC has also clarified its expectation that JPFs should be:

1. established in Jersey and/or,
 
2. to have its governing body and management and control in Jersey.

Where a JPF is established in a country or territory outside of Jersey, having its governing body and management and control outside of Jersey, post authorisation the JFSC will request additional data on the JPF from the DSP, to establish the JPF’s indirect but relevant nexus to Jersey.

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5. Additional key changes

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Certain consequential changes/references to the Money Laundering (Jersey) Order2008 and the JFSC's Outsourcing Policy have been added to the JPF Guide.

Vice-Chair of the JFA, and Chair of the JFA's Legal & Technical Sub-Committee, Joel Hernandez, said:

'We're pleased to see the JFSC's commitment to work with the funds industry to refine the JPF regime. The JPF regime continues to provide an excellent solution for the global market through its effective, streamlined and proportionate regulation for a private investment fund. The speed and ease with which a JPF can be launched underlines the effectiveness of the regime.'

Chair of the JFA, Michael Johnson, added:

'The Jersey Private Funds regime has been an enormous success for our funds industry. Since its introduction in 2017, over 700 private funds have been launched, further reinforcing Jersey's reputation as a funds domicile. The latest updates mark another positive step forward for our industry.'

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