Millennium International Management, LLC and Millennium Management, LLC - s. 80 of the CFA
Headnote
Subsection 80 of the Commodity Futures Act (Ontario) -- relief from the requirements of subsection 22(1)(b) of the CFA in respect of advising certain non-Canadian mutual funds or non-redeemable investment funds related to commodity futures contracts traded on commodity futures exchanges outside Canada and cleared through clearing corporations outside Canada subject to certain terms and conditions.
October 21, 2005
IN THE MATTER OF
THE COMMODITY FUTURES ACT,
R.S.O. 1990, CHAPTER C.20, AS AMENDED (the CFA)
AND
IN THE MATTER OF
MILLENNIUM INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT, L.L.C.
AND
MILLENNIUM MANAGEMENT, L.L.C.
ORDER
(Section 80 of the CFA)
UPON the application (the Application) of Millennium International Management, L.L.C. and Millennium Management, L.L.C. (the Applicants) to the Ontario Securities Commission (the Commission or OSC) for an order pursuant to section 80 of the CFA that the Applicants and their directors, officers, partners, members and employees acting on their 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 and non-redeemable investment funds and similar investment vehicles established outside of Canada in respect of trades in commodity futures contracts and commodity futures options principally traded on commodity futures exchanges outside of Canada and cleared through clearing corporations outside of Canada;
AND UPON considering the Application and the recommendation of staff of the Commission;
AND UPON the Applicants having represented to the Commission that:
1. Each of the Applicants is a limited liability company organized under the laws of the State of Delaware in the United States. The Applicants may also include affiliates of, or entities organized by, the Applicants 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 Applicants serve as investment adviser for Millennium International, Ltd. (the Fund) and may, in the future, provide advice to certain other mutual funds, non-redeemable investment funds and similar investment vehicles (together with the Fund, the Funds) which are or may 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 Applicants are not registered in any capacity under the CFA or the Securities Act (Ontario) (the OSA).
4. The Applicants are registered with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission as commodity pool operators, are subject to the rules of the U.S. National Futures Association and are currently exempt from registration as investment advisers under the U.S. Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended.
5. The Applicants are, or in the future may be, the investment advisers for the Funds. As the investment advisers for the Funds, the Applicants are or will be responsible for providing certain administrative services, investment advice and other investment management services to the Funds.
6. The Applicants 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 Applicants', principal jurisdiction.
7. The Funds do not have any current intention of becoming reporting issuers in Ontario or in any other Canadian jurisdiction.
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)(b) 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. 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.
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 Applicants 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 Applicants, 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 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 offered primarily outside of Canada and securities of the Funds will only be distributed in Ontario through Ontario registered dealers, 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 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 Applicants advising the Funds are 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.