Represents domestic and offshore hedge funds and hedge fund managers in all aspects of their business.
Advises on compliance with regulatory demands, particularly those related to exchange, self-regulatory, and governmental audits and investigations.
Extensive experience representing CTAs in the highly regarded global commodities funds practice.

JP Bruynes works with a range of professionals in the private investment space, focusing on the formation and operation of quantitative investment managers and funds. He actively participates in structuring, negotiating and documenting fund formation, seed capital and other transactions. He also advises hedge fund managers, investment advisers, commodity trading advisors (CTAs), commodity pool operators (CPOs) and third-party marketers with regulatory compliance, including responses to SEC, CFTC, NFA and exchange audits and investigations.

JP advises clients with respect to a broad variety of investing activity, including:

Securities
Commodities
Futures contracts
Options
Swap transactions
Cryptocurrencies.

JP brings over 25 years of experience representing leading quantitative fund managers in a practice that, in multiple industry surveys, is consistently hailed as a leader. With a team of over 100 lawyers, the practice is distinguished by the resources that it dedicates to representing quantitative fund managers, the high-profile nature of its engagements and the number of industry-leading managers that it represents.

JP is involved in community, civic and charitable activities that include membership in the Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA) Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) working group, the Managed Funds Association CTA/CPO forum and the Connecticut Hedge Fund Association. He is also a former member of the New York City Bar Association’s Committee on Futures and Derivatives Regulation and its CPO/CTA subcommittee.

Representative Work

Assisted a global commodities fund in connection with the establishment of a new fund for its flagship program and modernization of the related Bermuda fund.
Advised an investment management firm in its establishment of a new master feeder fund to trade its futures program.
Supported an investment management firm in obtaining Securities and Exchange Commission investment adviser registration and in preparing necessary compliance policies and procedures.
Has assisted clients in navigating complex new swaps trading rules, including the implantation of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) II, Dodd-Frank Protocols I and II, the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR) swaps rules, proposed CFTC federal speculative position limits for futures and related swaps, aggregation rules and exemptions, and the applicability of swaps reporting. Given the sometimes overlapping and potentially different requirements of Dodd-Frank and EMIR, frequently advises clients on transacting transatlantic business.
Actively advising many of the world’s largest CTAs and hedge fund managers in connection with MiFID II and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliance.

Languages
Dutch

Education
J.D., Vanderbilt University School of Law, 1990
B.A., Trinity College, with honors, 1987

Bar Admissions
New York

Recognitions

The Legal 500 US, "Leading Lawyer", Alternative/hedge funds, 2023.
Who’s Who in Legal 100, Private Funds, 2014 – 2015 and 2022 – 2023.

Affiliations and Public Service

Member, Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA) CFTC working group.
Steering Committee Member, CTA/CPO Forum, Managed Funds Association.
Member, Connecticut Hedge Fund Association.

Speeches and Publications

“Examining PFAR up close – ‘prohibited activities’ and ‘preferential treatment,’” GAIM Ops Cayman, Grand Cayman, April 14, 2024.
“Legal and Regulatory Considerations for the Use of AI in Quantitative Fund Management,” The Amsterdam Investor Forum, Amsterdam, October 10, 2023.
“1H 2023 Post-Mortem: Markets Under Pressure and the Future of Asset Classes,” MFA Forum, Chicago, June 20, 2023.
“Navigating the Complexities of Regulatory Change as a Boutique Manager,” HFM US Emerging Managers Summit, New York, February 15, 2023.
“Global Macro Funds,” MFA Network 2023, Miami, January 31, 2023.
“Emerging Manager Selection and Investor Considerations,” MFA Network 2022, Miami, January 24, 2022.
“Global Regulatory Round-up,” Credit Suisse 10th Asia Pacific Prime Services Hedge Fund Leadership Conference, Hong Kong, June 12, 2019.
“East v. West: Unlocking Emerging Market Opportunities,” CTA Intelligence Breakfast and Briefing, London, September 8, 2016.
“Filing Requirements for CPOs and CTAs,” National Futures Association’s (NFA) Member Regulatory Conference, Houston, March 5, 2015.
“Filing Requirements for CPOs and CTAs,” NFA Member Regulatory Conference, London, November 6, 2014.
“Custody Rules, Offshore Advisors, CFTC/CPO Rules and New Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) Rules,” KPMG Risk Management Team Compliance Retreat, Grand Cayman, September 5, 2014.