Middlesex County Investment Regulations

PERAC Approval Date

Regulation Number

Investment Regulation/Supplemental Regulation

January 4, 2008

17.03
Notwithstanding the provisions of the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission regulations, the Middlesex Retirement Board may invest funds of the Retirement System (the “System”) in the fund known as the INVESCO Non-US Partnership Fund III, LP (the “Fund”), and effective as of the date of the initial investment by the System of any of its assets in the Fund, while the assets of the System are so invested, the activities and investments of the Fund, directly or indirectly, shall be deemed to satisfy the prohibited transaction rules set forth in 840 CMR 16.00 et seq. and 840 CMR 17.03 to the extent such activities satisfy the prohibited transaction rules set forth in Section 406 of the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), taking into account statutory exemptions under ERISA, and Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption 84-14, as amended, and other available class exemptions.

August 13, 2002

 

Notwithstanding the provisions of the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission Regulations, the Middlesex Retirement Board may invest funds of the Middlesex Retirement System (the “System”) with the real estate investment fund known as Realty Associates Fund VI Corporation (the “Fund”), and while the assets of the System are so invested,

(i)the assets of the System shall be deemed to include, for purposes of applying the rules set forth in 840 CMR 16.00 et seq. and 17.00 et seq., the System’s interest in the Fund but not any of the underlying assets of the Fund or the operating partnership in which the Fund is invested (the “OP”); provided that, at all times, the Fund and the OP qualify as “venture capital operating companies” or “real estate operating companies” within the meaning of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), and the regulations promulgated thereunder, or the assets of the Fund and the OP otherwise would not be treated as plan assets under ERISA; and

(ii)the limitation set forth in 840 CMR 19.01(6) shall be deemed satisfied if no single investment of the OP, valued at cost, exceeds 20% of the capital commitments to the Fund and the OP.

April 18, 2001

 
  1. Exemption of the Board and INVESCO from the second sentence of 840 CMR 17.04(1)(c) – This Regulation deals with the use of non-public information by managers and consultants.  PERAC recognizes that, in making the investments contemplated by the INVESCO Funds delineated above, that sentence, which prohibits action until information is publicly disseminated, represents an undue burden on the ability of the Partnerships to operate.  Consequently, the Middlesex County Retirement Board request as it applies to 840 CMR 17.04(1)(c) is approved.

  2. Exemption of the Board and INVESCO from 840 CMR 17.04(6), except as otherwise provided for in the Partnership Agreement and/or as disclosed in INVESCO’s Form ADV – This Regulation deals with the Priority of Transactions and an investment manager’s obligation to prioritize board transactions and provide the board with the opportunity to act prior to the manager acting, if applicable.  PERAC recognizes that this Regulation may impede the ability of partnerships such as INVESCO’s to operate.  Upon receipt of a copy of the provisions of the Partnership Agreement and/or disclosures in the INVESCO Form ADV, the Commission will approve the Middlesex County request as it applies to 840 CMR 17.04(6).

  3. Exemption of the Board and INVESCO from 840 CMR 19.01(7)(a)(6) with respect to the management fees and the General Partner’s Carried Interest to be received by the manager or the General Partner pursuant to the (a) Subscription Agreement, (b) Agreement as defined in the side letter, and/or (c) Manager’s Investment Advisory Agreement with respect to the Board’s commitments to the Partnerships – PERAC recognizes the fact that the market, at the present time, is such that fee limitations, as outlined in these Regulations, result in limiting the number of partnerships available to the retirement boards.  Consequently, the Middlesex County Retirement Board request, as it applies to 840 CMR 19.01(7)(a)(6), is approved.

  4. Exemption of the Board and INVESCO from 840 CMR 21.01(2), 21.01(3)(a), 21.01(4), and 21.01(5) to the extent as otherwise permitted under the applicable agreement – These Regulations prohibit certain transactions as follows: 21.01(2) prohibits the sale of securities not owned by the system at the time of the sale (shortsales); 21.01(3)(a) permits the use of forward currency contracts in limited circumstances; 21.01(4) prohibits the use of call options; 21.01(5) prohibits the purchase of options other than as required to close out option positions.  PERAC has received a letter dated August 22, 2000 from INVESCO that clarifies the possible use of options, futures, or other derivatives.  In pertinent part, the letter states as follows:

    “Although the above referenced funds do not expect to use options, futures,  or other derivatives other than infrequently, if at all, futures and/or options would be used only for nonspeculative true hedging purposes.  In general,  we would anticipate their use, if at all, for among other reasons to protect  downside risk on public securities of companies distributed to the funds by the underlying portfolio funds we invest in and where a commitment to a  fund was made in a non US currency to limit currency risk of the funds.”

PERAC approves the exemption of the Board and INVESCO from 840 CMR 21.01(2), 21.01(3)(a), 21.01(4), and 21.01(5) for the limited purpose of protecting downside risk on public securities of companies distributed to the funds by underlying portfolio funds and to limit currency risk of the funds where a commitment to a fund was made in a non US currency.

Please be advised that this Supplemental Regulation as it exempts the Middlesex County Retirement Board from PERAC Regulations, only does so in relation to the INVESCO Funds that are the subject of the Supplementary Regulation.  In all other circumstances, these Regulations apply to the Middlesex County Retirement Board.

The Supplementary Regulations approved herein are applicable only to the Middlesex County Retirement System’s investment in the INVESCO Venture Partnership Fund, the INVESCO U.S. Buyout Partnership Fund, and the INVESCO Non-U.S. Partnership Fund.  Exemption from the regulations pertaining to prohibited investments is limited to the purpose of protecting downside risk on public securities of companies distributed to the funds by underlying portfolio funds and to limiting currency risk of the funds where a commitment to a fund was made in a non-U.S. currency.

March 23, 2001

16.08

As authorized under the terms of the Middlesex County Retirement System’s contract with Old Mutual Investment Advisors (OMIA), the System’s international equity mandate previously managed by OMIA out of London has been transferred to Acadian Asset Management, a Boston-based investment manager that is a wholly-owned corporate subsidiary of OMIA.  The transition involves no essential change in investment strategy.

October 12, 2000

19.01(8)

The Middlesex County Retirement Board may increase its allocation in alternative investments from 5% to 7%.  The Board has had relationships with several investment managers in this asset class, and overall returns have been favorable.  The Board seeks to maintain its investments in this asset class in light of the successful results to date and the expectation that a number of the partnerships in which it is invested will be returning capital to the limited partners in the coming years