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ERISA Benefit Plan Investment Management Agreements: Selecting 3(38) Investment Managers, Structuring the IMA

Documenting the Relationship to Minimize Risks for Plan Sponsors and Investment Advisers

A live 90-minute premium CLE video webinar with interactive Q&A

This program is included with the Strafford CLE Pass. Click for more information.
This program is included with the Strafford All-Access Pass. Click for more information.

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

1:00pm-2:30pm EST, 10:00am-11:30am PST

Early Registration Discount Deadline, Friday, November 8, 2024

or call 1-800-926-7926

This CLE course will discuss legal best practices for selecting a 3(38) investment manager and outline key steps in structuring and documenting the investment manager relationship. Our panel will review the recent regulations that significantly impact the QPAM exemption, how best to negotiate and draft investment management agreements (IMAs), and what terms to look for when a plan invests in a pooled investment vehicle subject to ERISA.

Description

ERISA requires that plan fiduciaries act with prudence and care; breaching these fiduciary duties subjects plan fiduciaries to personal liability. ERISA Section 3(38) defines an investment manager to whom investment responsibility can be delegated. A named fiduciary who has delegated investment decisions to a 3(38) investment manager is not responsible or liable for the 3(38) investment manager's investment decisions but remains accountable for hiring and monitoring the 3(38) investment manager.

ERISA also imposes the duty to avoid "prohibited transactions" with "parties in interest" to the ERISA plan unless an exemption from the prohibited transaction rules applies. Because ERISA defines both prohibited transactions and parties in interest broadly, all transactions are potentially prohibited, requiring an applicable exemption. However, the exemptions are nuanced and fiduciaries appointing 3(38) investment managers, as well as the 3(38) investment manager taking advantage of the exemptions, must understand the conditions of the exemptions upon which they are relying.

Listen as our panel will discuss legal best practices for selecting a 3(38) investment manager and outline key steps in structuring and documenting the investment manager relationship. Our panel will review the recent changes to the QPAM exemption, how best to negotiate and draft investment management agreements (IMAs), and what terms to look for when a plan invests in a pooled investment vehicle subject to ERISA.

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Outline

  1. Negotiating IMAs
  2. Drafting IMAs
  3. Documenting the investment management partnership

Benefits

The panel will review these and other key issues:

  • What standard of care should plans expect from an investment manager?
  • What representations and warranties should an IMA include?
  • What protections can side letters offer?
  • What types of investment strategies may warrant the use of an exemption other than QPAM?
  • What issues arise in light of the changes to the QPAM exemption?

Faculty

Eicher, Timothy
Timothy K. Eicher

Principal
Slevin & Hart

Mr. Eicher's practice focuses on all aspects of the firm’s representation of employee benefit plans under...  |  Read More

Fay, Bradley
Bradley C. Fay

Attorney
Seward & Kissel

Mr. Fay routinely counsels clients regarding the investment of plan assets and related issues including ERISA fiduciary...  |  Read More

Attend on December 3

Early Discount (through 11/08/24)

Cannot Attend December 3?

Early Discount (through 11/08/24)

You may pre-order a recording to listen at your convenience. Recordings are available 48 hours after the webinar. Strafford will process CLE credit for one person on each recording. All formats include course handouts.

To find out which recorded format will provide the best CLE option, select your state:

CLE On-Demand Video

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