Alstra Capital Management, LLC - s. 80 of the CFA

Order

Headnote

Section 80 of the Commodity Futures Act (Ontario) -- relief from the adviser registration requirements of subsection 22(1)(b) of the CFA in respect of advising certain mutual funds, non-redeemable investment funds and similar investment vehicles established outside of Canada in respect of trades in commodity futures contracts and commodity futures options traded on commodity futures exchanges primarily outside of Canada and cleared through clearing corporations primarily outside of Canada, subject to certain terms and conditions.

Statutes Cited:

Commodity Futures Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.20, as am., ss. 22(1)(b), 80.

Securities Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. S.5, as am. -- Rule 35-502 -- Non Resident Advisers.

IN THE MATTER OF

THE COMMODITY FUTURES ACT,

R.S.O. 1990, CHAPTER C.20,

AS AMENDED (the CFA)

AND

IN THE MATTER OF

ALSTRA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC

 

ORDER

(Section 80 of the CFA)

UPON the application (the Application) of Alstra Capital Management, LLC (the Applicant) to the Ontario Securities Commission (the Commission or OSC) for an order pursuant to section 80 of the CFA that the Applicant and its directors, officers, partners, members and employees acting on its behalf as advisers (collectively, the Representatives), be exempt, for a period of three years, from the registration requirements of section 22(1)(b) of the CFA in respect of advising certain mutual funds, non-redeemable investment funds and/or similar investment vehicles established outside of Canada in respect of trades in commodity futures contracts and commodity futures options traded on commodity futures exchanges primarily outside of Canada and cleared through clearing corporations primarily outside of Canada;

AND UPON considering the Application and the recommendation of staff of the Commission;

AND UPON the Applicant having represented to the Commission that:

1. The Applicant is a limited liability company organized under the laws of the State of Delaware. The Applicant may also include affiliates of, or entities organized by, the Applicant which may subsequently execute and submit to the Commission a verification certificate confirming the truth and accuracy of the information set out in this Application with respect to that particular Applicant.

2. The Applicant serves as investment adviser for Absolute Return Strategies (I.P.) Plus, Ltd. (the Fund), and may, in the future, provide advice to certain other mutual funds, non-redeemable investment funds and/or similar investment vehicles (together with the Fund, the Funds) which are or will be established outside of Canada in respect of trades in commodity futures contracts and commodity futures options traded on commodity futures exchanges located primarily outside of Canada and cleared through clearing corporations located primarily outside of Canada.

3. The Applicant is not registered in any capacity under the CFA or the Securities Act (Ontario) (the OSA).

4. The Applicant is registered with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the CFTC) and the U.S. National Futures Association as a commodity pool operator (CPO), but intends to manage the Funds as if it were exempt from registration as a CPO pursuant to criteria set forth under CFTC Rule 4.13(a)(4).

5. The Applicant is, or in the future may be, the investment adviser for the Funds. As the investment adviser for the Funds, the Applicant is or may be responsible for providing certain administrative services, investment advice and other investment management services to the Funds.

6. The Applicant and the Representatives, where required, are or will be registered or licensed or are or will be entitled to rely on appropriate exemptions from such registrations or licences to provide advice to the Funds pursuant to the applicable legislation of the Applicant's principal jurisdiction.

7. Securities of the Funds will be offered only to a small number of Ontario residents who qualify as an "accredited investor" under National Instrument 45-106 -- Prospectus and Registration Exemptions.

8. There is presently no rule under the CFA that provides an exemption from the adviser registration requirement in paragraph 22(1)(b) of the CFA for a person or company acting as an adviser in respect of commodity futures options and commodity futures contracts that is similar to the exemption from the adviser registration requirement in clause 25(1)(c) of the OSA for acting as an adviser (as defined in the OSA) in respect of securities that is provided under section 7.10 (Privately Placed Funds Offered Primarily Abroad) of Rule 35-502 -- Privately Placed Funds Offered Primarily Abroad (Rule 35-502).

9. As would be required under section 7.10 of Rule 35-502, the securities of the Funds are, or will be:

(i) primarily offered outside of Canada;

(ii) only distributed in Ontario through one or more registrants under the OSA; and

(iii) distributed in Ontario in reliance upon an exemption from the prospectus requirements of the OSA.

10. Prospective investors in the Funds who are Ontario residents will receive disclosure that includes:

(i) a statement that there may be difficulty in enforcing any legal rights against the Funds and or the Applicant which advises the relevant Funds, because such entities are resident outside of Canada and all or substantially all of their assets are situated outside of Canada; and

(ii) a statement that the Applicant advising the applicable Funds is not, or will not be, registered with the Commission under the CFA and, accordingly, the protections available to clients of a registered adviser under the CFA will not be available to purchasers of securities of the Funds.

11. The Funds do not have any current intention of becoming reporting issuers in Ontario or any in any other Canadian jurisdiction.

AND UPON being satisfied that it would not be prejudicial to the public interest for the Commission to grant the exemption requested on the basis of the terms and conditions proposed;

IT IS ORDERED pursuant to section 80 of the CFA that the Applicant and the Representatives are not subject to the requirements of section 22(1)(b) of the CFA in respect of their advisory activities in connection with the Funds, for a period of three years, provided that:

(a) the Applicant, where required, is or will be registered or licensed, or is or will be entitled to rely on appropriate exemptions from such registrations or licences to provide advice to the Funds pursuant to the applicable legislation of their principal jurisdiction;

(b) the Funds invest, or may in the future invest, in commodity futures contracts and commodity futures options principally traded on commodity futures exchanges outside of Canada and cleared through clearing corporations located outside of Canada;

(c) securities of the Funds are or will be:

(i) offered primarily outside of Canada;

(ii) only be distributed in Ontario through one or more registrants under the OSA; and

(iii) distributed in Ontario in reliance on an exemption from the prospectus requirements of the OSA and upon an exemption from the adviser registration requirement of the OSA under section 7.10 of Rule 35-502;

(d) prospective investors in the Funds who are Ontario residents will receive disclosure that includes:

(i) a statement that there may be difficulty enforcing legal rights against the Funds or the Applicant advising the Funds because they are resident outside of Canada and all or substantially all of their assets are situated outside of Canada; and

(ii) a statement that the Applicant advising the Funds is not registered with or licensed by any securities regulatory authority in Canada and, accordingly, the protections available to clients of a registered adviser will not be available to purchasers of securities of the Funds.

(e) any Applicant whose name does not specifically appear in this Order and who proposes to rely on the exemption granted under this Order, shall, as a condition to relying on such exemption, have executed and filed with the Commission a verification certificate referencing this Order and confirming the truth and accuracy of the Application with respect to that particular Applicant.

January 31, 2006

"Paul M. Moore"

"Carol S. Perry"