SMC is principally owned by John “Launny” Steffens, Founder and Senior Managing Director,
and Gregory P. Ho, President. SMC has been providing advisory services since 2001. As of
December 31, 2023, SMC managed $1,620.038,481 on a discretionary basis and $31,745,120
on a non-discretionary basis, for a total of $1,651,783,601 in regulatory assets under
management.
SMC provides continuous investment management services to pooled investment vehicles
(hereinafter, “Private Funds”) and separate accounts (“Managed Accounts,” and
collectively with the Private Funds, the “clients”). For all Private Funds, affiliates of SMC act
as the general partner. In the case of Private Funds that are domiciled in the United States
(the “Domestic Funds”), such funds rely on registration exemptions available under the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
SMC also provides municipal fixed income management services through SMC Fixed Income
Management, LP (“SMC FIM”). The advisory services offered by SMC are detailed below.
SMC is organized into five investment groups: Total Return, Private Capital, Growth Equity,
Municipal Bonds and Social Impact. This combination provides the firm with knowledge in
each investment vertical, which SMC believes improves investment decisions. SMC seeks to
take advantage of investment opportunities “in the gaps” where larger investors typically do
not focus. SMC has designed its investment solutions to meet clients’ current needs and
reflect the flexibility, adaptability and insight that are essential when investing in today’s
complex markets.
1. Opportunistic Investing in Traditional and Alternative Asset Classes
SMC employs an investment strategy of opportunistic exposure spanning the alternative
investment spectrum that includes both direct investments in securities and other assets as
well as investments in other hedge funds, private equity funds, private credit funds and
managed accounts managed by unaffiliated third parties. SMC seeks to capitalize on themes
that have secular tailwinds driving value or opportunities where value can be realized from
dislocations, structural inefficiencies, strategic relationships with issuers or sponsors,
and/or situations where information asymmetry exists.
The Private Funds that SMC manages utilizing aspects of this strategy are:
• SMC Total Return Fund, LP (“Total Return Fund”);
• SMC Private Capital Fund, LP (“Private Capital Fund”);
• SMC Private Capital Fund II, LP (“Private Capital Fund II”); and
• SMC Holdings II, LP (“Holdings II Fund”).
Refer to Item 8 for more information about the investment strategy of each of these Private
Funds. Investors and prospective investors in these Private Funds should refer to the
offering memorandum of the applicable Private Fund for complete information.
2. Growth Equity Investing
In addition to the multi-strategy Private Funds described above, SMC also manages Private
Funds that follow a more traditional growth equity model:
• SMC Private Equity Holdings, LP (“PE Holdings”);
• SMC Growth Capital Partners II, LP (“Growth Capital Partners II”); and
• SMC Growth Capital Partners III, LP (“Growth Capital Partners III”).
Refer to Item 8 for more information about the investment strategy of each of these Private
Funds. Investors and prospective investors in these Private Funds should refer to the
offering memorandum of the applicable Private Fund for complete information.
3. Separate Account Management
SMC also serves as discretionary adviser to certain clients who open Managed Accounts, with
full power and authority to supervise direct investments for such accounts without prior
consultation with such clients.
SMC’s investment decisions and advice with respect to each Managed Account will be in
accordance with a client’s investment objectives and guidelines in the client’s investment
management agreement, as well as any instructions agreed in writing by the client and SMC.
SMC may invest Managed Accounts in direct investments in securities or in its Private Funds
or independent funds managed by unaffiliated third parties.
4. Advisory Services Offered by SMC Fixed Income Management, LP
SMC FIM offers:
a. Specialized fixed income management for institutions, trusts, and high-net-worth
individuals. As part of this service, SMC FIM seeks to achieve investment objectives of
clients by investing in a portfolio of assets consisting primarily of debt securities and
other obligations issued by or on behalf of states, territories, and possessions of the
United States and the District of Columbia and their political subdivisions, agencies,
and instrumentalities.
b. Tax-Free and Taxable Municipal Cash Management Strategy – SMC FIM invests in a
diversified portfolio of tax exempt municipal variable rate demand notes (“Exempt
VRDNs”) due to their high degree of liquidity and safety of principal. The Exempt
VRDNs utilized in this strategy are secured by municipal issuers, the creditworthiness
of which is reviewed and confirmed prior to purchase by SMC FIM. SMC FIM will only
consider for purchase municipal issuers with a credit quality rating of A- or higher.
Exempt VRDNs may also have a letter of credit (“LOC”) issued by a bank or financial
institution, or an insurance policy to provide funding for the payment of interest and
principal should the borrower be unable to pay.
Although they have longer-term maturities, Exempt VRDNs can be tendered at par at
any time generally with 1-day notice or 7-day notice, depending on the put feature of
the note purchased. A liquidity facility, enabling investors to receive the tender price
(par), is provided by a bank through an LOC or Standby Purchase Agreement
(“SBPA”) or similar instrument. Absent an LOC, bond insurance or other form of
credit enhancement, Exempt VRDNs are generally unsecured obligations of the issuer
or borrower. Exempt VRDNs also generally have mandatory and optional redemption
features, allowing the borrower or issuer to repurchase them at par. If for any reason
the liquidity facility contracted (LOC or SPBA) becomes invalid,
it is the obligation of
the issuer to provide liquidity upon demand according to the terms of the holder’s
put option.
c. Municipal Intermediate Strategy – SMC FIM seeks to establish and maintain a
diversified portfolio of tax-exempt municipal debt obligations with an average
maturity of 6 to 12 years and an average duration of 4 to 7 years from date of
purchase. This Investment Strategy seeks to provide tax-free income and preserve
principal. This Investment Strategy utilizes a laddered approach with the aim of
maximizing tax-free income, preserving principal, and minimizing interest rate risk.
The securities held in this portfolio are selected based on investment grade or higher
credit quality and are generally expected not to be subject to the Alternative
Minimum Tax. SMC FIM actively manages this portfolio. In addition, based on client
preferences, SMC FIM may manage this portfolio for national or state-specific
exposure.
d. Municipal Opportunities Plus Strategy – SMC FIM invests in a diversified portfolio of
municipal debt obligations with a maturity range of 1 to 30 years and an average
duration of 1 to 15 years from date of purchase. This investment strategy seeks total
return by taking an opportunistic approach to the municipal market. Securities
selected for this portfolio can include investment grade, non-investment grade, and
non-rated municipal issues. Active yield curve positioning is also a component of the
strategy. SMC FIM may select taxable or tax-exempt municipal securities in seeking
total return opportunities. In addition, this portfolio is highly flexible and also can be
structured to a risk profile of investment grade only, with maximum maturity of 20
years and duration limit of 10 years.
e. 1-to-15-Year Municipal Bond Ladder – This Investment Strategy seeks to balance
total return and price volatility of a fixed income portfolio due to interest rate
changes. This is accomplished by structuring a portfolio of approximately equal value
bond positions bearing consecutive annual maturities over a selected maturity range.
The SMC FIM 1-to-15-Year Municipal Bond Ladder invests in equally weighted par
value investment grade tax free municipal securities maturing between 1 and 15
years (from date of purchase). Securities are held to maturity. The proceeds from
maturing bonds are reinvested in the longest dated bond of the designated maturity
range in order to maintain the laddered structure. The laddered portfolio structure
can be customized to a specific maturity range.
f. Wrap Fee Programs – SMC FIM also provides investment advisory services as
portfolio manager to various sponsored wrap fee programs, including programs
offered by Wells Fargo, Pershing and Stifel Nicolaus. SMC FIM manages these accounts
in the same manner as it manages its other Managed Accounts, and it receives a
portion of the wrap fee for providing its services. Please refer to our Form ADV Part
1, Section 5.I for information on the wrap fee programs in which SMC FIM
participates.
g. Portfolio Consulting Services – SMC FIM provides portfolio consulting services to an
unaffiliated investment adviser with regard to the management of certain Unit
Investment Trusts (“UITs”) that are sponsored, underwritten and distributed by the
unaffiliated adviser. SMC FIM advises and consults with the adviser regarding the
initial and ongoing fixed income security selection for inclusion in the UITs. However,
all UIT investment and trading decisions are made by the unaffiliated adviser, which
retains discretion for all UIT portfolio transactions.
5. Private Equity Investing – Social Impact
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 enacted section 1400Z-2 of the Internal Revenue Code,
which created the qualified opportunity zone program. The program is designed to
encourage investment in low-income communities designated as “qualified opportunity
zones” by providing tax incentives to invest in “qualified opportunity funds” that, in turn,
invest directly or indirectly in the opportunity zones.
SMC’s West Harlem Innovation Network (“WHIN”) manages partnerships that invest in
compelling, high-potential ideas and early-stage businesses in the life sciences, education
technology, and complimentary areas (such as amplifying technologies, and food ecosystem
industries) located primarily in West Harlem and in other qualified opportunity zones. WHIN
invests in complementary industries and companies that contextually fit with its local
neighborhood, and focuses on businesses that seek to mitigate the disproportionate health,
educational and socioeconomic outcomes in historically underinvested communities. Using
a more traditional private equity model, the WHIN Opportunity Fund, LP (“WHIN Fund”)
invests in companies that aim to generate community wealth and have measurable social
impact.
Refer to Item 8 for more information about the investment strategy of the WHIN Fund.
Investors and prospective investors in the WHIN Fund should refer to its offering
memorandum for complete information.
Additional information on any sub-advisers utilized by the above Private Funds is contained
in the Form ADV Part 1, Schedule D.
6. Client Inquiries & SMC Opinions on Products or Services not Offered by SMC
Clients may address inquiries to individual employees of SMC concerning investments,
products or services not offered or managed by SMC. Any opinions offered by employees of
SMC to the client in response to such inquiries do not constitute the views or investment
advice of SMC, nor is SMC compensated for such information. Such investments, products, or
services are not subject to SMC’s fiduciary duty with respect to the management of the
client’s account, and SMC is not liable for any action that the client may take on the client’s
own initiative as a result of any such inquiry or any communications it may have with any
employee of SMC on such issues. Furthermore, the client agrees not to hold SMC liable for
such opinions or views.