Keystone National Group, LLC (“we” or “Keystone”) is a private markets investment manager
providing diversified investment products and strategies with a focus on current income, contractual cash
flows and strong downside protection. We are dedicated to providing our clients with a wide array of
alternative investment management and supervisory services. We specialize in providing alternative
investment solutions and expertise to investors and their advisors in the areas of alternative investment
selection and access, due diligence, and investment management. Our firm is a limited liability company
governed by the laws of the State of Delaware. We have been in business as an investment advisor since
2006 and are principally owned by Brandon R. Nielson and John W. Earl.1 As of December 31, 2023, we
managed approximately $2,130,000,279 on a discretionary basis.
We seek to provide our Firm Clients with access to attractive risk-adjusted returns and emphasize
continuous and regular supervision on investment advisory services to our clients. By combining in-depth
research and industry relationships, we provide our clients with access to attractive and difficult-to-access
private credit, real estate, equity, energy and other alternative investment opportunities. Our team has broad
private markets and alternative investment experience, with particular expertise in private credit, equity,
real estate and energy. We carefully evaluate risk through rigorous due diligence to understand the risk
parameters of each investment. We believe that the combination of extensive due diligence, appropriate
sector allocation and diversification, our deep network of relationships and first-class reporting and
administration provide highly attractive private market alternative investment opportunities for our clients
and their advisors.
We primarily sponsor and provide investment advisory services to our affiliated private credit,
private real estate, equity, energy, and other pooled investment fund clients (collectively, our “Fund
Clients”), and other separately managed accounts, and a closed-end registered investment company (“RIC”)
(together with our Fund Clients, our “Firm Clients”). The majority of our investment advisory services
involve providing advice to Firm Clients on direct private credit, real estate and equity investments along
with investments in privately-held funds or other investment vehicles that acquire the debt, equity and/or
other assets of predominantly privately-held companies, publicly-held companies, real estate, energy or other
investment opportunities (hereafter “Private Funds”), secondary investments in Private Funds, co-
investments alongside fund managers and other direct investments in private credit, real estate, equity, energy
and other investment opportunities. Keystone Private Funds are classified by the types of investments they
make and include private credit, real estate, energy, buyout funds, mezzanine and other credit strategies,
distressed credit funds and other funds that enable us to capitalize on alternative opportunities in the
marketplace. For separately managed accounts, we provide advice on all types of investment securities and
other assets, but primarily in the areas of alternative investments, private markets, real estate, private energy,
and cash management.
Our Firm Clients are pooled investment partnerships, separately managed accounts, a closed-end
RIC, and other private market investment vehicles. These investment vehicles, with the exception of the
RIC, are exempt from the requirement to register as an investment company under Section 3(c)(1),
Section 3(c)5,
or 3(c)7 of the Investment Company Act of 1940. All investors are required either to be
“accredited investors” (as defined in Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended) or “qualified purchasers” (as defined in Section (2)(a)(51) of the Investment Company Act) or
otherwise be permitted to invest in private placements under applicable federal and state securities laws,
1 Please note that for purposes of this item, our principal owners include the persons we list as owning 25% or more
of our firm on Schedule A of Part 1A of Form ADV.
rules, and regulations. The RIC will be offered to accredited investors and qualified clients only under a
private placement memorandum.
We also have discretionary sub-advised management relationships with various registered
investment advisors and other investors by which Keystone provides primary investment management
services, including the identification of private credit opportunities, due diligence on investments, monitoring,
reporting services, identification, review and benchmarking of Private Funds and other investment
opportunities, evaluation of portfolio or investment risk, negotiation and other related services. Sub-advisory
services by other managers include, without limitation, investment review, investor relations and other related
services. Monitoring and reporting services by Keystone include, without limitation, portfolio tracking,
analysis and monitoring, compilation of performance data, review of various legal documentation, general
research and education.
We offer individualized investment advice to our Firm Clients utilizing our alternative investment
solutions. We conduct extensive due diligence on each investment opportunity and strive to identify the
general and specific risks inherent with each alternative investment made by our Firm Clients. The
combination of extensive due diligence, evaluation of risk and appropriate industry, sector and company
allocation and diversification allow us to offer Firm Clients with what we believe is the proper portfolio
of alternative investments to suit their needs and desired level of risk, which targeted investment
characteristics are generally set forth and agreed to at the time we are formally engaged by the client to
provide such investment advisory services.
Keystone only tailors its investment advisory and management services to the extent of the listed
investment objectives and restrictions of each of its Firm Clients pursuant to the investment guidelines
and restrictions set forth in a Client’s investment advisory or management agreement and other governing
documents as well as through ongoing discussions with each client. Separate account clients have the
ability to impose restrictions on investing in certain securities depending on the targeted investment
characteristics and nature of our advisory relationship. There can be no assurance that any investment
objectives stated in the account governing documents will be achieved.
Those affiliated entities that serve as general partners and managers of the Fund Clients and that
are listed in Schedule R of our Form ADV Part 1A (the “Keystone Relying Advisers”) are relying on
Keystone National Group, LLC’s registration under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended
(the “Advisers Act”) and are not registering themselves separately. Unless otherwise provided or the
context otherwise requires, references to “we” and “Keystone” in this Brochure will include Keystone
National Group, LLC and the Keystone Relying Advisers, collectively.
Additional information regarding the RIC is found in the RIC offering documents.