WELCOME RECEPTION | MONDAY MARCH 10, 2025
The reception is open to all Forum attendees including speakers, event sponsors, local AIMA members and senior industry figures. The event will give attendees a great opportunity to network with their peers whilst enjoying an open bar and canapés. Reception venue to be confirmed at a later date!
DRAFT AGENDA | TUESDAY MARCH 11, 2025
Times are listed in Eastern Daylight Time. Times, order and format are subject to change
09:10am | Panel one | A spotlight on macroprudential policy
Non-bank financial intermediation continues to be a central preoccupation for policymakers with responsibility for maintaining financial stability. This panel will explore the tools and approaches being considered – ranging from enhanced reporting through to leverage and liquidity constraints – and their likely impact on the asset management sector. It will also look at the role of trading infrastructure and post-trade processes in minimizing or amplifying the potential for systemic shocks.
10:25am | Breakout sessions
SESSION A | The European Market: Opportunities, Product and Regulatory Updates
With an ever increasing focus on growth opportunities in the European market, this session will focus on opportunities in the private credit space. From product updates on UCI Part II and ELTIF funds, targeting a diverse investor base, to regulation with AIFMD II and Loan Origination rules, the panel will provide insights on structures, domiciles and successful fund raising.
SESSION B | Launch, Grow, Protect: The UAE’s Role in the Future of Global Asset Management
With regulatory clarity, investor-friendly policies, and growing institutional interest, the UAE is positioning itself as a key global asset management hub. This session will explore how firms can successfully launch, grow, and protect their operations in the region, while navigating evolving regulations, market access opportunities, and compliance expectations.
SESSION C | Developments in Crypto Markets
This panel will focus on the evolution of the regulatory environment in the crypto and blockchain technology space, new developments in digital asset investment strategies of private fund managers, and also the hope for regulatory clarity in the space to enhance market opportunities for private fund managers.
11:20am | Panel two| Sustainability and ESG-focused rulemaking around the world
This panel will look at developments in sustainability-focused regulation around the world, considering both changes to corporate disclosures and the rules for asset managers (addressing reporting on risks and externalities). It will also look at the role of labels and external standards
in the context of marketing and investor conversations.
12:00pm | Panel three | Asset management policy round up
The last two years have seen a fundamental overhaul of the ruleset applicable to asset managers, including myriad SEC rulemakings and an update to the EU’s AIFMD and MiFID rulebooks.
This panel will take stock of the recent changes as well as considering what might be on the horizon for the asset management industry, addressing a wide range of registration and reporting requirements.
12:45pm | Lunch break and workshop
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12:55pm |
Lunchtime briefing: Swiss asset management structures and new unregulated Swiss funds (L-QIF) |
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With the Swiss financial industry still reeling from the UBS-CS merger, a number of opportunities are opening up for investment managers looking to gain a foothold in the Swiss market. Various Swiss structures are available, from a one-man-show representative office to a fully-fledged fund manager business. This workshop will provide an overview of the key challenges, opportunities and practical consequences of Swiss structures compared to a cross-border set-up, with a specific focus on L-QIF funds, a new type of unregulated Swiss fund launched in March 2024. 
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1:45pm | Panel four | Disintermediating the banks: new opportunities for the buy-side
This panel will explore the opportunities for the buy-side associated with the banking sector’s continued retrenchment from certain markets and activities. In particular it will explore the disintermediation of credit markets and the role of the private credit industry. It will also consider
how reforms to securitization rules could create or stifle opportunities in this space, as well as taking stock of wider changes to bank capital rules.
2:30pm | Keynote: Sell Like a Spy - Jeremy Hurewitz
Business Communications from the World of Espionage. Author Jeremy Hurewitz will share details from his book about how to use the tradecraft of spies as well as other government officials to grow relationships and influence people.
3:00pm | Breakout sessions
SESSION D |Setting up in the UK – Regulatory Hosting
Launching a firm in the UK can be a complex and challenging process. This session will explore how regulatory hosting can streamline market entry, reduce costs, and simplify compliance, allow firms to focus on core activities.
SESSION E | What's on the NFA Agenda
SESSION F | Investment Restrictions under the Trump Administration – Impact on Current and Future Investment Transactions by Private Funds
Our panel will review recent developments in outbound and inbound foreign investment oversight and trade restrictions, and the impact on private equity and venture capital. We will discuss:
- Recent rulemaking and executive orders; and
- What does the increased scrutiny and restrictions mean for current and future transactions by private funds?
3:50pm | Panel five | Understanding the role of litigation
2023/2024 saw unprecedented levels of litigation against the SEC’s expansive regulatory program, with notable industry victories including on the Private Fund Advisers Rules. This panel will explore the litigation process in the wider context of Agency rulemaking, considering how to develop and execute a considered and successful legal challenge to rules that exceed statutory authority or don’t adequately adhere to the rulemaking process.
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