Alternative Investments

Hedge fund managers wear many hats: running a business, meeting investor demands, complying with regulations and institutionalizing operations. By working with hedge funds, commodity pools and funds of funds, Weaver’s team of audit, tax and advisory professionals have the knowledge and experience to be a resource for your team and help you execute your business plan. Our accessible, comprehensive client support allows you to focus on your primary responsibility—managing your investment strategy.

Private equity, hybrid and other closed-end funds require the general partner to find the right deals with fair valuations to offer the best return for their limited partners. That’s why Weaver developed a private equity services team with experienced transactions advisors, valuation professionals, fund auditors, tax advisors, and cybersecurity advisors to support your ongoing business and operational needs. As a result we are pleased to work with over 3,000 private equity firms and funds, especially in the core areas of health care, technology, energy, manufacturing, real estate, financial services and hospitality.

Venture capital (VC) funds continue to capitalize on the growing number of start-up businesses, often investing in areas such as healthtech, cleantech, cloud service providers, blockchain technology and SPACs. As competition increases to attract these emerging companies, VC funds find themselves looking for ways to differentiate themselves and add value. Weaver assists our venture capital clients and their portfolio companies even beyond the traditional audit and tax services.

We developed an Emerging Manager Circle to give our VC fund clients the opportunity to network and learn about such topics such as fundraising, due diligence and investor relations. We also help clients determine the most tax efficient fund structure and have an international tax team that advises on foreign filings to assist with raising capital worldwide. Our ESG and IT advisory services are also critical to the venture capital community and the emerging businesses they invest with. As the portfolio companies scale and need to become IPO ready, our SPAC and advisory teams can assist these companies with IPO readiness and SPAC transactions in addition to providing audit and tax services for the portfolio companies.

As more cryptocurrencies become available for trading on exchanges and retail platforms, digital assets become more mainstream for the alternative investment community. Over the past few years, the world of crypto funds grew beyond crypto natives to involve traditional fund managers along with an established service provider community. Initially the industry gravitated towards open-end funds for trading digital assets, and more recently, crypto private equity and venture capital funds have emerged to capitalize on the growth of blockchain technology, NFTs and other digital asset strategies.

In addition to providing audit and tax services to a variety of crypto funds, Weaver’s Digital Assets and Blockchain team advises clients on cybersecurity, internal controls and tax planning. We welcome you to check out our Cryptocurrency Resources and contact us today to discuss how we can support your evolution into the world of crypto.

Real estate funds explore opportunities for attractive investments, which takes a strong network and pipeline of potential deals. These funds also require enough dry powder to close deals as they arise. As limited partners become more institutional, they have complex financial reporting, structuring and tax needs, requiring a fund audit, tax and advisory provider with significant fund experience.

Weaver supports both closed-end and open-end real estate funds. In addition, our real estate valuation practice works closely with our state and local tax advisors to ensure clients receive fair real estate appraisals while also paying taxes based on appropriate property values.

Real Estate Investment Trusts, or REITs, have been around since the 1960s, and have been changing ever since. Whether public or private, part of a larger structure or stand alone, there are still many similarities and rules that all REITs must follow.

Tax benefits and restrictions make taxation issues top of mind for REITs managers. Whether the structure of the company is straightforward or complex, risks related to tax positions can be significant. Dividend requirements typically create the need for REITs to regularly raise capital, especially if they want to grow through acquisitions. The risk of busting REIT status is too great to leave to chance or to someone who isn’t an expert, and Weaver’s real estate team includes professionals with in-house REITs experience.

Over the years, registered investment advisors (RIAs) have evolved to support their clients through many types of service offerings and investment vehicles. In addition to running their wealth management business, RIAs often utilize funds or broker dealers to support their strategy. Understanding how to structure these entities from a holistic, tax efficient perspective is critical. In addition, RIAs rely on firms like Weaver to meet the complex regulatory requirements through surprise/ custody exams, financial statement audits, and tax compliance. Weaver also has advisory teams to assess the internal risk environment around cybersecurity and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance.