History of the Firm
In 1848, the Lazard brothers formed a dry goods company which eventually became the firm now known
as Lazard Frères & Co. LLC (“LF&Co.”). On May 1, 1970, Lazard Asset Management was formally
established as the investment management division of LF&Co. and registered with the SEC as an
investment adviser. On January 13, 2003, LAM was established as a separate subsidiary of LF&Co. and
succeeded to the entire investment management business previously conducted as a division of LF&Co.
LAM is a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of LF&Co., a New York
limited liability company with one member, Lazard Group LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.
Interests of Lazard Group LLC are indirectly held by Lazard, Inc., a Delaware corporation whose shares
are publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the symbol “LAZ.”
LAM Canada is a corporation incorporated in Delaware on May 12, 1995 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary
of LAM.
Principal Owners
The following organizational chart depicts the principal owners of LAM Canada:
LAZARD GROUP LLC
LAZARD, INC.
LLTD CORP IILLTD 2 SARL
LLTD CORP ILLTD HOLDING SARL
LAZARD FRÈRES & CO. LLC
LAZARD ASSET
MANAGEMENT LLC
LAZARD ASSET
MANAGEMENT (CANADA),
INC.
LAM’s Global Affiliates
LAM conducts its distribution and investment activities through subsidiaries and other affiliates located
outside of the United States, like LAM Canada, which are registered to offer investment advisory services
in their local jurisdictions. Through the use of common systems and supervisory procedures, LAM, LAM
Canada and the other affiliates operate as a global asset management business. Investment personnel
employed by different LAM affiliates continuously collaborate on research and investment decisions that
are applied to client accounts domiciled in various global jurisdictions. Similarly, sales personnel employed
by one of LAM’s affiliates may offer to local clients investment strategies managed by personnel employed
by another affiliate. In such situations, the local affiliate (such as LAM Canada) will delegate portfolio
management responsibilities to the other affiliate. Such delegation will be disclosed to the relevant client,
normally through the investment management agreement.
LAM Canada AUM
As of December 31, 2023, LAM Canada had regulatory assets under management of approximately $3.3
billion, all of which was discretionary. However, this figure does not capture assets that LAM Canada
manages via certain model portfolio arrangements, which are, by their nature, non-discretionary. As of
December 31, 2023, LAM Canada managed approximately $53.7 million through such non-discretionary
model portfolio arrangements. Further, as of December 31, 2023, LAM Canada, together with its global
affiliates, managed a total of approximately $207 billion in assets under management.
Description of Advisory Services
For many years, LAM Canada has provided investment advisory services and products to clients. LAM
Canada provides investment advice to various types of clients, including financial and other institutions,
government entities, pooled investment vehicles, charitable organizations, corporations and charitable
institutions. LAM Canada provides such advisory services to clients through delegation to LAM or LAM’s
other affiliates. LAM Canada has entered into an intercompany agreement with its parent company, LAM,
to provide investment management services for its clients. LAM Canada’s standard investment
management agreements require the client to acknowledge this delegated authority. LAM focuses on
delivering exceptional client services and consistent application of its investment philosophies and
processes. LAM takes a disciplined approach to investing on behalf of its clients and maintains a deep and
creative team of investment professionals responsible for research and portfolio management.
LAM actively manages assets according to a variety of equity, fixed income and alternative investment
strategies, including among them investment strategies focusing on global, regional and international
equity, U.S. equity, U.S. and global fixed income, and emerging markets equity and debt. LAM’s
alternative investment products include convertible event, emerging market currency and debt, long/short
equity, long/short credit and private equity strategies, among others. LAM Canada serves as the investment
manager to five Ontario open-end unit trusts for which LAM also serves as investment sub-adviser. Neither
LAM nor LAM Canada offers purely passive management investment strategies.
LAM manages client assets, primarily on a fully discretionary basis, pursuant to an investment management
agreement under which it advises each such client, according to LAM’s best judgment, as to the investment
and reinvestment of the cash and securities in the client’s account(s). In exercising its judgment in
managing client accounts (pursuant to the authority delegated by LAM Canada), LAM takes into account
the individual objectives, restrictions and guidelines of each client, as agreed with the client, and other
factors deemed relevant by the client and disclosed to LAM Canada and LAM, such as the nature and
amount of other assets and income from other sources. In addition, LAM furnishes investment advisory
services to registered open- and closed-end investment companies and private funds, including hedge funds
and commingled funds and trusts, based on the investment objectives and restrictions as set forth in each
fund’s prospectus or offering document.
LAM Canada and LAM will assist clients in the review, evaluation and/or formulation of investment
guidelines for the account and may collect information about each client’s financial circumstances,
objectives, risk tolerance and restrictions. Separately managed account clients may impose reasonable
restrictions on investments in particular securities and/or types of securities. LAM has adopted policies
and procedures designed to ensure compliance with such restrictions. LAM’s automated system is not
capable of monitoring certain types of client-imposed guidelines. Consequently, while LAM may accept
these types of restrictions, LAM will manually monitor such guidelines on a periodic basis.
LAM does not have a firm-wide chief investment officer or a central investment committee that directs on
a firm-wide basis how LAM’s portfolios or investment strategies are implemented. LAM also does not
require investment personnel to conduct research according to a singular approach, nor does LAM try to
formulate a firm-wide investment view on particular securities, sectors or industries. Rather, LAM
encourages an “integrated knowledge” approach whereby its investment personnel generate and share a
diversity of investment opinions. Each portfolio management team makes investment decisions for the
accounts under its discretion based upon its own views (and subject to its strategies and client guidelines),
even if those decisions are inconsistent with the views or decisions of other portfolio management teams.
This model allows LAM to meet the needs of its global clients, and LAM has adopted procedures designed
to address conflicting trades and other potential conflicts that may result from LAM’s investment activities.
Lazard Family Office Partners provides wealth management services to sophisticated families with
complex balance sheets, on both a discretionary and non-discretionary basis. The chief investment officer
and other investment professionals of this division provide clients with strategic advice and planning, full
investment management and private direct investment opportunities. The Lazard Family Office Partners
global investment platform is open architecture and spans all asset classes, both public and private. Lazard
Family Office Partners may invest or recommend the investment of client assets in strategies and funds
managed and/or sponsored by LAM. For information relating to the wealth management services provide
by Lazard Family Office Partners, please refer to the Form ADV Part 2A of Lazard Family Office Partners
(the “LFOP Brochure”).
LAM has adopted a Sustainable Investment and ESG Integration Policy (the “ESG Policy”) which
recognizes that an issuer’s ESG practices, whether good or bad, can affect its valuation and financial
performance. The ESG Policy also includes LAM’s criteria for labeling a LAM-managed portfolio or
strategy “ESG Integrated” or “Sustainability Focused.” LAM also is a signatory to the United Nations
Principles for Responsible Investment (the “UN PRI”), which seeks to incorporate six ESG principles into
investment-decision making by participating asset managers. Portfolio management teams at LAM have
discretion to incorporate financially material ESG considerations into their investment processes, and to
what degree. Information concerning a particular investment strategy’s utilization of ESG considerations
(including the strategy’s potential status as “ESG Integrated” or “Sustainability Focused” under our
procedures) is set forth in LAM’s description of the strategy in its offering materials. Examples of how
LAM investment professionals may incorporate financially material ESG considerations in their research
and company engagement are set forth on LAM’s Sustainable Investing website availabl
e here.
Proxy Voting
Generally, LAM Canada or LAM is granted proxy voting authority under its client agreements. However,
it is the responsibility of the custodian appointed by the client to ensure that LAM receives notice of the
relevant proxies sufficiently in advance of the relevant meeting to allow LAM to vote. LAM is not
responsible for voting proxies if it does not receive timely notice from the client’s custodian, or in the case
of wrap programs, the program sponsor. Please refer to Item 17 for more information on LAM’s proxy
voting policy. Proxy voting information relating to Lazard Family Office Partners can be found in Item 17
of the LFOP Brochure.
Cash Management
Each client account or fund managed by LAM may keep a portion of its assets in cash reserves. Depending
on the individual objectives, restrictions and guidelines of each client account or fund, LAM may actively
manage such cash reserves and either enter into repurchase agreements or “sweep” them temporarily into
one or more money market mutual funds or other short-term investment vehicle.
In the case of client accounts, generally, sweep arrangements are made between the client and the client’s
custodian, typically with the client responsible for selecting the sweep vehicle. In cases in which LAM
does not actively manage the residual cash in client accounts, LAM’s sole responsibility in this regard is to
issue standing instructions to the custodian to sweep excess cash in the client’s account into the sweep
vehicle. In circumstances where the client has not made arrangements with its custodian, LAM will consult
with the client regarding an appropriate sweep vehicle from those made available by the custodian, with
the ultimate decision being made by the client. In exceptional circumstances, LAM will select an
appropriate sweep vehicle from those made available by the custodian. However, where LAM does not
actively manage the residual cash in a client account, LAM will not be responsible for monitoring the sweep
vehicle into which such residual cash is swept.
In cases in which LAM actively manages the residual cash in a client account, LAM may charge a fee for
such cash management service, in addition to its regular advisory fee. Any client whose assets are “swept”
into a money market mutual fund or other short-term investment vehicle or other unaffiliated fund will
continue to pay LAM’s regular advisory fee plus a management fee to the manager of such fund or short-
term investment vehicle on the portion of the account assets invested in the money market mutual fund,
short-term investment vehicle or other unaffiliated fund. Except to the extent prohibited by applicable law,
LAM receives and retains all or a portion of the 12b-1 distribution/servicing fees paid by such vehicles or
other unaffiliated fund.
Clients whose assets are entered into repurchase agreements or “swept” into a money market mutual fund,
other short-term investment vehicle or other unaffiliated fund should be aware that their investment may
significantly be affected depending on the interest rate environment and other factors.
Foreign Currency Exchange (“FX”) Transactions
Clients may delegate the execution of FX transactions to LAM. In such cases, LAM (as agent) will arrange
for its FX Advisory Group to execute spot FX transactions in unrestricted currencies on the terms that LAM
has negotiated through the FX Advisory Group at the client’s custodian bank or through a third-party
broker, depending upon the instructions LAM receives from the client. When actively managing FX trades
across numerous accounts, LAM may (through instructions to counterparties or on its own) net client
purchases and client sales in the same currency to reduce LAM’s clients’ transaction costs. Because of
various limitations imposed by non-U.S. authorities and other parties, transactions in restricted currencies
will continue to be effected by each client’s custodian pursuant to standing instructions. Each client’s
custodian also will be responsible for executing all other types of FX transactions pursuant to standing
instructions, such as those related to dividend and interest repatriation.
In cases where a client has not requested that LAM handle arrangements for the settlement of transactions
in non-base currency securities, LAM will instruct the client’s custodian to effect the necessary FX
transaction. This is done either through standing instructions communicated to the custodian bank when
the account is established or at the time settlement instructions are sent to the custodian bank for a particular
transaction. In those cases, the custodian bank is responsible for executing FX transactions, including the
timing and applicable rate of such execution pursuant to its own internal processes. Where custodian banks
execute FX transactions based on standing instructions, LAM will not know the precise execution time of
the FX trade and cannot influence the exchange rates applied to those trades.
Currently, for clients who have requested that LAM handle spot FX, with direction to execute through their
custodian, the rates for FX transactions are generally negotiated in an active manner by LAM utilizing the
custodian bank’s institutional FX desk at LAM’s instruction, multiple times throughout the day. For certain
other clients who have approved LAM to execute without specific custodian bank direction, LAM may
execute the FX trades through approved counterparties other than the client’s custodian bank. These FX
transactions are also generally negotiated in an active manner, multiple times throughout the day.
Open execution (trades executed at banks other than the client’s custodian, either in a negotiated or standing
instruction format) may involve incremental settlement risk and costs in that trades executed with other
counterparties will involve wiring funds to counterparties and certain trade-away fees for third-party
executions. However, LAM may determine that the execution benefits from trading with other
counterparties outweigh the incremental risks and costs.
In addition to executing spot FX transactions in unrestricted currencies, LAM’s FX Advisory Group may
assist clients with both passive and active FX hedging. In the case of passive FX hedging, the FX Advisory
Group manages currency exposure employing a rules-based approach based on the client’s guidelines,
which may specify exposure targets, tolerance bands, the hedging approach (
e.g., portfolio overlay, share
class or benchmark) and rebalancing. In the case of active FX hedging, the FX Advisory Group actively
manages currency exposure on a discretionary basis based on the client’s goals and limits. LAM may charge
a fee for FX services, in addition to its regular advisory fee.
Wrap Fee Programs
Although LAM Canada does not currently participate in “wrap-fee” arrangements, from time to time,
clients of broker-dealers or other financial institutions would retain LAM Canada under so-called “wrap
fee” programs offered by those institutions where LAM Canada is selected as an investment adviser for the
client’s program account. The broker-dealer or financial institution generally arranges for payment of LAM
Canada’s advisory fee on behalf of the client, monitors and evaluates LAM Canada’s performance and, in
certain cases, provides custodial services for the client’s assets, all for a single fee paid by the client to the
broker or other financial institution.
In addition, LAM Canada could participate in programs where it enters into advisory
agreements directly
with the clients of wrap program sponsors, which are sometimes known as “dual contract” wrap
arrangements. Under both types of arrangements, LAM Canada would have the ability to execute all trades.
In such cases, LAM Canada would expect that a substantial percentage, if not all, of the wrap client’s
transactions will be executed with a broker selected by LAM and then “stepped-out” to the wrap program
sponsor, which may incur additional fees for the client.
Although this is generally descriptive of the manner in which these programs operate and LAM Canada’s
role, an individual wrap program may contain terms and conditions that cause it to operate somewhat
differently than the descriptions above. In general, LAM Canada’s role as a portfolio manager participating
in wrap programs would be substantially similar to its role in managing other separately managed accounts
in that LAM Canada would delegate portfolio management responsibilities to LAM and LAM would
manage each account in accordance with the model portfolio utilized by the LAM Canada investment
strategy chosen by the client or sponsor, subject to client-imposed guidelines; however, LAM Canada may
not always manage wrap program accounts identically to the way it manages separate accounts. For
example, wrap program accounts generally would not participate in initial public offerings, and wrap
program accounts may have a different amount of holdings and different positions than accounts LAM
manages directly. LAM cannot, and does not attempt to, determine the suitability of an investment strategy
for a wrap account holder.
A client who participates in a wrap fee arrangement with a wrap fee program sponsor should consider that,
depending on the level of the wrap fee charged by the wrap fee program sponsor, the amount of portfolio
activity in the client’s account, the value of custodial and other services which are provided under the
arrangement, and other factors, the wrap fee may or may not exceed the aggregate cost of such services if
they were to be provided separately.
Model Portfolios
LAM Canada has entered into agreements to provide model securities portfolios to other discretionary
investment advisers or sponsors of such programs. In this situation, LAM Canada and LAM typically do
not have discretion to manage accounts for the client receiving model portfolio holdings (each, a “Model
Recipient”), and neither LAM nor LAM Canada can determine the suitability of the investment strategy for
the Model Recipient. Rather, LAM Canada or LAM generally would be responsible only for providing the
updated model portfolio on a periodic basis and would be compensated based on a percentage of total assets
of the accounts of, sponsored or managed by, the Model Recipients. In some cases, LAM Canada or LAM
would effect trades for the Model Recipient, consistent with the final investment decisions made by the
Model Recipient. Typically, the Model Recipient (and not LAM Canada or LAM) is responsible for
effecting trades recommended under the model. Please refer to Item 12 for additional information about
model portfolio arrangements.
Third-Party Service Providers and Other Relationships
LAM’s services to clients rely in part on services received from third-party vendors, especially with respect
to certain technology and operations functions. LAM monitors the services received from these providers
and has developed practices to escalate issues so they are resolved in a timely manner. Despite LAM’s
efforts, there is risk that errors by or interruptions impacting these vendors could affect LAM and its clients.
LAM believes that its controls mitigate, but cannot eliminate, this risk. Some of LAM’s important service
providers are described below.
LAM outsources certain back and middle office administrative functions to State Street Bank and Trust
Company (“State Street”). These services include portfolio accounting, client reporting, settlement, data
administration, billing and reconciliation. In addition, LAM has implemented State Street’s Front-to-Back
investment servicing platform and Charles River Development’s software-as-a-solution (together, the
“Front-to-Back Platform”).
LAM also outsources several operational functions relating to its wrap fee arrangements to SEI Global
Services, Inc. (“SEI”) as well as to State Street. SEI and State Street both utilize their own internal systems
to provide administrative services with respect to the wrap accounts that LAM manages. SEI, in particular,
is responsible for performing the following functions: new client account initialization and maintenance;
trade order generation and routing; client account asset and cash reconciliation; client-imposed guideline
monitoring and recordkeeping.
Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc. (“ISS”) provides proxy voting, maintenance, reporting, analysis and
record keeping services for LAM with respect to proxies for companies whose securities are held by LAM
on behalf of clients. Glass Lewis & Co., LLC (“Glass Lewis”) also provides analysis with respect to such
proxies.
LAM has entered into an agreement with Pershing Advisor Solutions LLC and Pershing LLC (together,
“Pershing”) whereby Pershing provides custodial, brokerage and certain other services for certain clients
of LAM. Clients who choose to use Pershing’s services enter into separate custodial and/or brokerage
agreements with Pershing. Generally, Pershing services are utilized by clients of LAM’s Private Client
Group and Lazard Family Office Partners or other clients who do not already utilize their own third-party
custodian. LAM does not require that such clients use Pershing for these services, and clients are free to
work with other custodians. Each client who considers retaining Pershing is provided with certain
agreements and applicable fee schedules. Generally, LAM directs to Pershing most, if not all, trades for
clients that retain Pershing to provide such services due to the nature of the clients’ fee structure with
Pershing and other services that Pershing provides to the clients.
Use of Derivative Instruments
Certain investment strategies managed by LAM Canada and LAM utilize over-the-counter (“OTC”)
derivatives, such as interest-rate swaps, credit default swaps, forward currency contracts and other
instruments. Regulatory changes have created significant operational and legal requirements for trading
OTC derivatives, including FX forwards. These requirements include, but are not limited to, complying
with the relevant regulatory regimes and entering into certain derivative trading documents commonly
referred to as “ISDA Master Agreements” or “ISDAs.” Parties to “swap” transactions must enter into
written swap documentation (i.e., ISDAs) pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer
Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank”). In order to satisfy these documentation requirements, LAM Canada or
LAM typically recommends that clients elect to use the non-negotiated 2002 ISDA Master Agreement (the
“Dodd-Frank ISDA”) and/or negotiates ISDAs and credit support annexes (“CSAs”) to govern OTC
transactions (each, a “Negotiated ISDA”). In addition, LAM Canada or LAM may also trade OTC
derivatives under a client’s existing ISDA documentation. LAM Canada and LAM will only act as agent
(and not as principal) when it trades OTC derivatives on a client’s behalf.
There are risks and benefits associated with entering into the Dodd-Frank ISDA and/or a Negotiated ISDA
that each client must carefully consider, and LAM Canada and LAM requests that each client consult with
its advisors as necessary to ensure that it understands the risks and benefits of entering into such documents
and the terms of OTC derivative documentation in general. If a client chooses to invest in a LAM Canada
or LAM-sponsored pooled vehicle, LAM or LAM Canada, as investment manager of the pooled vehicle,
will be responsible for establishing all derivative documentation.
The use of the Dodd-Frank ISDA or a Negotiated ISDA is determined by the type of OTC derivative traded
and client requirements.
The Dodd-Frank ISDA
Generally, to trade an OTC derivative that does not require a collateral agreement (i.e., a CSA) with
counterparties (e.g., FX deliverable forwards), LAM Canada and LAM require each client account to adhere
to the Dodd-Frank protocols and elect the Dodd-Frank ISDA. The Dodd-Frank ISDA is elected via Markit,
a website portal that enables clients to incorporate by reference the form Dodd-Frank ISDA and execute it
with multiple counterparties. LAM Canada or LAM, upon a client’s request, performs this process on
behalf of the client.
The election of the Dodd-Frank ISDA has potential benefits and risks that clients should consider. By
electing the Dodd-Frank ISDA, a client’s account will be set up to trade in a few days. However, by electing
the Dodd-Frank ISDA, which is a non-negotiated “form document”, counterparties cannot include
additional events of default or termination events, key man clauses, credit terms or financial delivery
obligations which may be adverse to a client. These types of terms typically increase the ability of
counterparties to place a client in default or increase its obligations.
The Dodd-Frank ISDA is a “form document,” as indicated above, which means that it is a generic non-
negotiated document and, in certain circumstances, may contain terms that may not be as favorable as a
Negotiated ISDA. For example, certain tax language which is generally customized to parties, entity types
and jurisdictions would not be included in a Dodd-Frank ISDA. Certain other provisions, such as a dispute
resolution provision, limited recourse, notice periods, additional termination events for net asset value
declines, etc. might be included in a Negotiated ISDA but are not in the Dodd-Frank ISDA. Although the
Dodd-Frank ISDA does not include a CSA to enable the posting of collateral, LAM or LAM Canada may
enter into CSAs on behalf of clients who trade under a Dodd-Frank ISDA. In this way, collateral may be
posted for certain trading where clients have only entered into a Dodd-Frank ISDA.
Dodd-Frank requires that the prudential regulators and other regulatory bodies impose margin requirements
for uncleared OTC derivative trades on dealers, banks, asset managers and other financial institutions. The
U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) and other prudential regulators have adopted
rules that mandate the posting of collateral for uncleared OTC derivatives. The rules have phased-in
compliance dates. In an effort to comply with these rules, as well as certain regulations outside the U.S.,
LAM Canada and LAM have implemented processes and procedures designed to allow them to post
variation margin for accounts trading FX as required pursuant to relevant regulatory guidance and timelines.
Negotiated ISDAs
Generally, to trade OTC derivatives that require collateral (e.g., interest rate swaps, FX options, CDS on
indices, etc.), LAM will seek to negotiate, on each client account’s behalf, Negotiated ISDAs with several
counterparties. For strategies that trade FX forwards and OTC derivatives that require collateral, LAM
Canada or LAM will work with each client to determine the proper derivative documentation. In certain
cases, LAM may require accounts to elect the Dodd-Frank ISDA so that it can trade FX forwards with
numerous counterparties immediately while it finalizes the Negotiated ISDAs. Once LAM Canada or LAM
finalizes a Negotiated ISDA with a counterparty, all OTC derivatives (including FX forwards) are traded
for that account under that client’s Negotiated ISDA.
Counterparties that enter into Negotiated ISDAs with LAM Canada or LAM may conduct due diligence
on, and a credit review of, LAM Canada’s or LAM’s clients that wish to trade OTC derivatives prior to
entering into a Negotiated ISDA. This can be a very lengthy process which typically does not begin until
a client’s investment management agreement is executed and delivered to the counterparty. The length of
the process will be driven by several factors, including but not limited to, the ability to add a client account
to an existing LAM Canada or LAM-Negotiated ISDA, the client’s guidelines, the client’s cooperation and
the counterparty’s willingness to expedite negotiations. Negotiated ISDAs may vary from account to
account and, therefore, there may be different credit terms and other risks associated with a client’s account
that may not be relevant to other accounts managed by LAM Canada or LAM.
The Negotiated ISDA may require a client to make certain representations and warranties. LAM or LAM
Canada may not have the information necessary in order to make such representations and warranties.
Therefore, LAM or LAM Canada may require that the client provide the information necessary in order for
LAM or LAM Canada to execute the Negotiated ISDA. If this information is not obtained, it may delay
the launch of the client’s account.
Negotiated ISDAs, as mentioned above, may also have additional provisions that may not necessarily
benefit a client’s account. For example, many Negotiated ISDAs include additional termination events that
would not otherwise be included in the Dodd-Frank ISDA, making it more likely that an adverse event will
allow the counterparty to terminate the Negotiated ISDA. Conversely, Negotiated ISDAs may include
provisions that are generally helpful to the client, such as an extension of notice and cure periods, dispute
resolution provisions, limited recourse and the expiration of the right to declare a default with respect to an
account if the counterparty does not take action within a certain period of time.
Currently, accounts that enter into Negotiated ISDAs may post collateral for all OTC derivatives (including
FX forwards), while accounts that solely elect the Dodd-Frank ISDA without a CSA cannot post collateral
for FX forwards. Accounts that post collateral may have different returns than accounts that do not post
collateral. In addition, accounts that post collateral may be permitted to enter into transactions that accounts
that do not post collateral cannot (i.e., FX options, CDX, etc.). Furthermore, if a client’s account has certain
cash restrictions and collateral is required to be posted, the ability to utilize several counterparties may be
limited. It is possible that accounts that post collateral obtain better pricing for OTC derivative transactions.
Collateral is often referred to as “initial margin” and “variation margin.” Initial margin is typically a fixed
amount that is required to be designated and maintained at a specified level, regardless of whether the mark-
to-market exposure on the derivative instrument, if closed, would require a payment to the client. Variation
margin is a daily-calculated amount established by the counterparty and depends on a number of factors,
including the type of derivative transaction, the mark-to-market exposure of the client and the credit risk
associated with the client. The variation margin will therefore change from day to day. Any client on
whose behalf LAM Canada or LAM may enter into derivative transactions will need to cooperate with
LAM Canada or LAM, and instruct its custodian to cooperate with LAM Canada or LAM, to establish the
necessary arrangements to satisfy collateral requirements. Any action taken by the client or the custodian
that causes insufficient collateral to be posted may cause the counterparty to issue a margin call, seize the
collateral, close out the related derivative transaction or take other action as permitted by the transaction
documents. Any of these actions could result in a loss to the client.
In situations where a client is required to post collateral with a counterparty, the counterparty may fail to
segregate the collateral or may commingle the collateral with assets of other clients of the counterparty. As
a result, in the event of the counterparty’s bankruptcy or insolvency, the client’s excess collateral may be
subject to the conflicting claims of the counterparty’s creditors, and the client may be exposed to the risk
of a court treating the client’s account as a general unsecured creditor of the counterparty, rather than as the
owner of such collateral. The CFTC has enacted rules and regulations requiring counterparties to notify
their clients of their right to elect the segregation of initial margin. Should a client make this election, it
would need to put in place a collateral account control agreement with its counterparty and custodian which
may take significant time to negotiate and may therefore cause disruption to trading. In addition, there may
be additional costs associated with making an initial margin segregation election. However, should a client
elect to segregate initial margin it posts, its excess collateral could be awarded greater protection in the
event of a counterparty’s bankruptcy or insolvency. Currently, LAM Canada and LAM do not exercise the
right to segregate initial margin on behalf of its accounts, unless required by applicable law.
Investments in derivative transactions involve other risks. Please refer to Item 8 herein for a description of
certain other risks relating to the use of derivative transactions.