Title 17

SECTION 275.203A-3

275.203A-3 Definitions.

§ 275.203A-3 Definitions.

For purposes of section 203A of the Act (15 U.S.C. 80b-3a) and the rules thereunder:

(a)(1) Investment adviser representative. “Investment adviser representative” of an investment adviser means a supervised person of the investment adviser:

(i) Who has more than five clients who are natural persons (other than excepted persons described in paragraph (a)(3)(i) of this section); and

(ii) More than ten percent of whose clients are natural persons (other than excepted persons described in paragraph (a)(3)(i) of this section).

(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (a)(1) of this section, a supervised person is not an investment adviser representative if the supervised person:

(i) Does not on a regular basis solicit, meet with, or otherwise communicate with clients of the investment adviser; or

(ii) Provides only impersonal investment advice.

(3) For purposes of this section:

(i) “Excepted person” means a natural person who is a qualified client as described in § 275.205-3(d)(1).

(ii) “Impersonal investment advice” means investment advisory services provided by means of written material or oral statements that do not purport to meet the objectives or needs of specific individuals or accounts.

(4) Supervised persons may rely on the definition of “client” in § 275.202(a)(30)-1 to identify clients for purposes of paragraph (a)(1) of this section, except that supervised persons need not count clients that are not residents of the United States.

(b) Place of business. “Place of business” of an investment adviser representative means:

(1) An office at which the investment adviser representative regularly provides investment advisory services, solicits, meets with, or otherwise communicates with clients; and

(2) Any other location that is held out to the general public as a location at which the investment adviser representative provides investment advisory services, solicits, meets with, or otherwise communicates with clients.

(c) Principal office and place of business. “Principal office and place of business” of an investment adviser means the executive office of the investment adviser from which the officers, partners, or managers of the investment adviser direct, control, and coordinate the activities of the investment adviser.

(d) Assets under management. Determine “assets under management” by calculating the securities portfolios with respect to which an investment adviser provides continuous and regular supervisory or management services as reported on the investment adviser's Form ADV (17 CFR 279.1).

(e) State securities authority. “State securities authority” means the securities commissioner or commission (or any agency, office or officer performing like functions) of any State.

[62 FR 28134, May 22, 1997, as amended at 63 FR 39715, July 24, 1998; 69 FR 72088, Dec. 10, 2004; 76 FR 43012, July 19, 2011]

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