The Alliance of Alternative Asset Professionals (TAAAPs), a non-profit organisation that provides education and up-to-date market information to professionals in the alternative asset industry, has launched a new website featuring informative articles written by industry experts, a calendar of educational and networking events, and information on the numerous charities supported by TAAAPs. "The goal of TAAAPs is to provide our growing member base with information, resources, and contacts to help them prosper in the alternative asset industry,” says TAAAPs co-founder and president Paul Marino and a partner at the law firm Marino +Associates. “We are excited our new site will

Ernst & Young has re-established an office in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), after a multi-year absence. The global accounting and consulting firm, which has 152,000 employees in 140 jurisdictions globally, has a staff of six in the BVI and hopes that will expand to double figures by mid-summer. According to Dan Scott, managing partner for Ernst & Young’s Bermuda, Bahamas, BVI and Cayman Islands region the firm was attracted by the BVI’s international reputation for financial services, particularly the strength of the financial services legislation, the regulatory regime and the Commercial Court: “When I look at the BVI, it

The Dow Jones Credit Suisse Hedge Fund Index finished up 1.61% for the month of February. Emerging markets (+2.92%) and Long/Short Equity (+2.64%) were the best performing sub-strategies while the worst performer – and the only sub-strategy in negative territory for the month, was Dedicated Short Bias (-4.66%). The following funds are no longer reporting to the Dow Jones Credit Suisse Hedge Fund Index: Asuka Japanese Equity Long Short Master Trust, Basso Multi-Strategy Holding Fund Ltd, Canyon Capital Arbitrage Master Fund Ltd, GAM Japan Equity Hedge, and LYZ Global Fund. There have not been any funds added to the Dow

By Olivier Sciales – Luxembourg’s Parliament has adopted on 6 March legislation amending the February 2007 law on Specialised Investment Funds, adapting the highly successful SIF regime to European and international developments regarding regulation and transparency of alternative investments. The revised legislation reflects in particular the requirements of the European Union’s Directive on Alternative Investment Fund Managers, which will take effect on July 22, 2013. It also follows some aspects of Luxembourg’s funds legislation of December 17, 2010, which transposed into national law the Ucits IV Directive governing cross-border distribution of retail funds within the EU and introduced other changes