A. Introduction
Lateral Investment Management, LLC (“LIM”) and Lateral SMA Agent, LLC (“LSMA”)
(together “Lateral”) are growth equity investment advisers that are organized as Delaware limited
liability companies. LIM was founded in 2014 and is minority owned. Mr. Richard de Silva is the
majority owner of LIM (the “Managing Member” of LIM). LSMA was organized and formed in
2017. LIM, as the filing adviser, and LSMA, as the relying adviser, operate as a single advisory
business and together file Form ADV. They (and where appropriate along with their affiliated
general partner to each respective fund) are referred to throughout this Brochure as Lateral, unless
otherwise appropriate.
Lateral provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services to private
pooled investment funds typically organized as Delaware limited partnerships and limited liability
companies, and LIM also serves as a sub-adviser to one private fund (collectively, the “Funds”).
The Funds are not registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the
“Investment Company Act”), and the securities of the Funds are not registered under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Each Fund is governed by a limited partnership
agreement or equivalent governing agreement (each, a “Fund Agreement”) that specifies the
material terms and conditions of the Fund, including the applicable investment guidelines and
investment restrictions, and in some cases confidential private placement memoranda are
additionally prepared. The Sub-Advised fund is governed by an advisory agreement that specifies
the sub-advisory services to be provided, in accordance with that fund’s investment management
guidelines and that fund’s principal advisor. Some of the Funds act as master and feeder fund in a
typical master-feeder structure, and some Funds act as co-investment vehicles, investing alongside
the main fund in certain investments. Funds are more specifically described in Lateral’s Form
ADV Part 1A, Schedule D. Throughout this Brochure, for simplicity, the Funds are categorized
into four fund families, the “LUSCOF Funds,” the “Niagara Funds,” the “Niagara Plus Funds”,
and the “Panther Plus Funds”. Additionally, where appropriate, the Sub-advised Fund and Non-
Discretionary vehicles are separately referenced. For ease of clarity, the Sub-advised Fund’s assets
are not included in part of the regulatory assets under management (“RAUM”) reported in this
Brochure or the related Form ADV Part 1A. Moreover, the Non-Discretionary Funds include,
exclusively, the feeder funds (which are
pooled vehicles) managed by Lateral. The LUSCOF
Funds, Niagara Funds, Niagara Plus Funds, and Panther Plus Funds each have four distinct general
partner entities (“Affiliated General Partners”) which are organized as Delaware limited liability
companies and each further discussed in Item 10.
The investors in the Funds (“Investors”) include, among others, family offices, certain financially
sophisticated individuals, trusts, foundations, public pension plans, fund of funds, endowments
and charitable organizations.
B. Investments
The Funds’ investments consist of private company securities. Lateral identifies investment
opportunities and advises on the acquisition, management, monitoring and disposition of
investments for each Fund. The investment strategy primarily consists of providing growth capital to
non-sponsored lower middle market companies through the direct origination of short- term senior
secured debt with minority equity stakes. Lateral focuses on lower middle market companies with
limited borrowing availability such as owner-operated companies with no private equity sponsor.
C. Advisory Services
Lateral has broad and flexible investment authority per the Fund Agreement and additional
governing documents with the exception of the Sub-advised private Fund and Non-Discretionary
vehicles. Each Fund’s investment objectives and strategy is set forth in the relevant Fund
Agreement and, in some instances, also in a confidential private placement memorandum, all of
which Investors are urged to carefully review.
The Investors are, to a certain extent, able to negotiate the terms of the applicable Fund Agreement
in connection with, and prior to, their investments in a Fund. In certain cases, the Affiliated General
Partners have entered into side letter agreements with certain Investors to modify certain rights
and privileges which are not available to other Investors (including, without limitation, advisory
and performance fee rates, information rights, reporting rights, capacity rights, approval rights and
certain other protections and the right to receive certain special allocations) (the “Side Letters”).
Once admitted to a Fund, an investor cannot seek additional investment guidelines or restrictions
on such Fund, but in certain circumstances can invest in a non-discretionary or “fund of one”
vehicle for additional investment opportunities.
As of December 31, 2023, Lateral manages approximately $650,339,243.14 of assets on a
discretionary basis and $131,909,851.23 on a non-discretionary basis.
D. Wrap Fee Programs
Lateral does not participate in wrap fee programs.