Ownership and structure
As of May 22, 2018, Deerfield Capital Management LLC’s name was legally changed to “CIFC
Investment Management LLC”.
CIM and its affiliated investment advisers, CIFC Asset Management LLC (“CIFC”), CIFC
VS Management LLC (“CLO Manager VS”) and CIFC Asset Management Europe Ltd
(“CIFC Europe”) are indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries of CIFC LLC. CIFC CLO
Management LLC (“CLO Manager”), CIFC CLO Management II LLC (“CLO Manager II”),
CIFC CLO Management III LLC (“CLO Manager III”), CLO Manager VS and CIFC Europe
are registered with the SEC as “relying advisers” on CIFC’s Form ADV and therefore CIFC’s
Brochure also serves as the Brochure for the relying advisers as listed in CIFC’s Form ADV
Part 1A.
On November 21, 2016 (the “Effective Date”), pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Merger
dated August 19, 2016 (the “Merger Agreement”), among CIFC LLC (which was formerly
publicly listed on the NASDAQ stock market under the “CIFC” symbol), Centricus Holdings
I LP (formerly known as F.A.B. Holdings I LP) (“Parent”) and CIFC Acquisition, LLC, a
wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (“Merger Sub”) and in accordance with the laws of the
State of Delaware, Merger Sub was merged with and into CIFC LLC (the “Merger”), with
CIFC LLC surviving the Merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent.
CIFC Corp., an affiliate of CIM acquired LBC Credit Management, L.P. (“LBC”), a U.S.
registered investment adviser with the SEC, on December 29, 2021, expanding its global
alternative credit platform into the direct lending market.
CIFC and LBC is each separately registered with the SEC as an investment adviser. A copy of
CIFC’s or LBC’s Brochure is available through the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure page.
Unless otherwise noted, this Brochure refers to all the above advisers (collectively, the
“Advisers”).
Today, the Advisers collectively serve over 500 institutional investors globally with over 90
investment professionals based all across the U.S. and in Europe.
Stephen Vaccaro is the Advisers’ Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer.
The Advisers’ share or overlap investment management functions, including Investment
Research team, Portfolio Management and Trading, delineated by strategy (see Item 13), and a
joint Code of Ethics (see Item 11). The Advisers will provide each client with the applicable
Brochure Supplements containing the names and experience for the principal members of the
Investment Research team and Portfolio Management team.
General description of advisory business
The Advisers are predominantly credit managers that invest in corporate credit, structured credit,
opportunistic credit and middle market direct lending assets.
Depending on strategy, the Advisers generally employ an investment approach that includes a
disciplined assessment of fundamental credit, appropriateness of capital structure, collateral
protection, market technicals, and contractual terms. In addition, the Advisers strive to utilize
internally-developed risk ratings based on individual obligor assessment without undue reliance
on credit rating agencies, diversified investment portfolios by avoiding concentration
imbalances, on-going active portfolio management and utilization of industry best practices and
proprietary tools. As part of ongoing portfolio management and subject to the relevant
investment guidelines, the Advisers continuously re-assess and adjust the investments held by
each client by identifying relative value differentials, market inefficiencies and technical
imbalances.
The majority of clients are collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”), securitized asset pools that
invest principally in senior secured corporate loans (“SSCLs”). In addition, the Advisers manage
open and closed-end funds, privately offered pooled alternative investment funds (including co-
investment, feeder and parallel funds), and separately managed accounts (including funds-of-
one), which invest in broadly syndicated corporate loans or direct middle market corporate loans,
high-yield bonds, CLO warehouses, CLO bonds, CLO equity, and equity and debt of stressed or
distressed issuers.
CIM provides investment advisory services as a sub-adviser to two investment companies
registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“Investment
Companies”).
CIFC has been in the advisory business since 2005; CIM since 1996; and LBC since 2012.
Principal owners
CIM is
wholly owned directly by CIFC Capital HoldCo LLC, which is an indirect subsidiary of
CIFC LLC.
On the Effective Date, CIFC LLC was acquired by Centricus Holdings I LP (formerly known as
F.A.B. Holdings I LP) (“Centricus Holdings”), which is owned by Centricus Financial
Investments LP (formerly known as F.A.B. Financial Investments LP) (“Centricus Financial”)
and certain CIFC employees. Centricus Financial is majority-owned by Supreme Universal
Holdings Ltd. and Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani is the sole member thereof. The general
partner of both Centricus Holdings and Centricus Financial is Centricus Financial Investments
GP Limited.
Type of advisory services that are offered
The Advisers invest in corporate credit (SSCLs, high yield bonds), structured credit (CLO
warehouses and CLO bonds and CLO equity) and opportunistic credit (equity and loans),
sourced from both primary and secondary markets, and middle market direct lending, for (i)
CLOs, (ii) private investment funds and registered investment companies (collectively,
“funds”); or (ii) separately managed accounts, including funds-of-one (collectively, “other
accounts”). Additionally, CIFC provides sub-advisory services to other investment advisers
(together with the CLOs, funds and other accounts, the “client accounts”).
In addition to the core assets above, and subject to the applicable investment advisory
agreements and offering documents, and subject to the relevant investment objectives, client
accounts may maintain flexibility to invest in other types of publicly or privately-offered assets
(both long and short), including but not limited to, preferred stocks, American Depositary
Receipts, exchange traded funds (“ETFs”), unregistered or restricted securities, convertible
securities, warrants, forward contracts, cash and cash equivalents, interest-rate and other swaps,
futures, options and other derivatives.
Unless otherwise provided in the investment advisory agreement or similar governing
documents, the Advisers have discretionary trading authority over the client accounts.
There can be no assurance that the client accounts’ objectives will be achieved, and investment
results may vary substantially.
How advisory services are tailored to clients’ needs
The Advisers tailor their advisory services to the individual needs of their client accounts.
Generally, at the time a client account is structured and opened, there is discussion between the
Adviser and the client account, and those that invest in the client account, regarding the
investment strategy and risk, investment restrictions and investment structure and on other
aspects of the Advisers’ management of the client account’s portfolios.
Amount of client assets under management (“AUM”)
As of December 31, 2023: (a) CIM managed $592,185,352 of client assets on a discretionary
basis, (b) CIFC, CLO Manager, CLO Manager II, CLO Manager III, CLO Manager VS and
CIFC Europe together managed $38,038,508,799 of client assets on a discretionary basis
1, and
(c) LBC managed $3,486,354,210 of client assets on a discretionary basis and $18,866,450 of
client assets on a non-discretionary basis.
Altogether, the Advisers and its affiliates managed $42,135,914,811 in regulatory AUM as of
December 31, 2023.
Other services
In addition to the services described above, the Advisers provide limited administrative services
for certain accounts. Services provided include, but are not limited to, tracking and reporting of
purchase and sale transactions, and interest and fee payments due and received. Additionally, on
a monthly (or otherwise on an agreed-upon) basis, the Advisers provide portfolio performance
1 AUM of CIFC, CLO Manager, CLO Manager II, CLO Manager III, CLO Manager VS and CIFC Europe, are
combined because CLO Manager, CLO Manager II, CLO Manager III, CLO Manager VS and CIFC Europe are
registered with the SEC as “relying advisers” on CIFC’s Form ADV.
information and general market commentary.
The Advisers do not currently engage in business activities other than investment management
and other ancillary activities related thereto. The Advisers do not currently provide financial
planning or similar services, or participate in wrap fee programs.
Additional information about the Advisers is available at
www.CIFC.com.