Description of the Firm
The Firm
Firebird Management LLC (“Firebird”) is a privately owned limited liability company
organized under the laws of the state of New York, with its principal place of business in
New York, New York. Firebird began providing investment advisory services in 1996.
The current principal owners of Firebird are Harvey Sawikin, Ian Hague, Steven Gorelik
and Joanne Tuckman. Firebird and the Advisory Affiliates (as defined below) serve as
the discretionary investment manager to several private investment funds and provide
non-discretionary management support services to two private equity funds as set forth
below.
Firebird’s Advisory Affiliates
Firebird is under common control with six advisory affiliates (the “Advisory Affiliates”).
The principal place of business for each of the Advisory Affiliates is New York, New
York. The Advisory Affiliates and Firebird are collectively referred to in this brochure as
the “Advisors.” Firebird’s Advisory Affiliates are:
Firebird Advisors LTD Cayman Islands exempted company
(“Firebird Advisors”) that began providing
investment advisory services in 1994, and
whose principal owners are Harvey Sawikin
and Ian Hague.
Firebird Avrora Advisors LLC New York limited liability company
(“Firebird Avrora”) that began providing
investment advisory services in 2003, and
whose principal owners are Harvey Sawikin,
Ian Hague, Steven Gorelik and Joanne
Tuckman.
Firebird Value Advisors, L.P. Delaware limited partnership (“Firebird
Value”) that began providing investment
advisory services in 2014, and whose
principal owners are Steven Gorelik, Harvey
Sawikin and Ian Hague.
Firebird Private Equity Advisors, LLC New York limited liability company
(“Firebird PE”) that began providing
investment advisory services in 2002, and
whose principal owners are Harvey Sawikin
and Ian Hague.
The Firebird Funds
The Advisors manage and/or provide management support to various private investment
funds (each a “Fund” or a “client” and together the “Funds,” the “clients” or the “Firebird
Funds”).
The Funds managed by Firebird are:
Firebird New Russia Fund, Ltd. (“New Russia Fund”)
Firebird Republics Fund, Ltd. (“Republics Fund”)
Firebird Republics SPV Ltd. (“Republics SPV Fund”)
Firebird Advisors manages Firebird Fund, L.P. (“Firebird Fund”), Firebird Avrora
manages Firebird Avrora Fund, Ltd. (“Firebird Avrora Fund”) and Firebird Value
manages Firebird U.S. Value Fund, L.P. (“Firebird U.S. Value Fund”)
The Funds for which Firebird PE provides management support (the “Amber Funds”)
are:
Amber Trust, S.C.A. (“Amber I”)
Amber Trust II, S.C.A. (“Amber II”)
Advisory Services Offered
The Advisors serve as the investment manager or adviser, or provide management
support services, to the Firebird Funds, each of which is exempt from registration with
the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933,
as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended (the “Investment Company Act”). The Advisors provide investment advisory
or management support services tailored to the specific investment guidelines of each
Fund as set forth in the confidential private placement memorandum (“PPM”) applicable
to each Fund. Each Advisor other than Firebird PE has complete discretion and authority
to manage the assets of each Firebird Fund. Each Advisor’s clients, and the underlying
investors in the Funds,
do not have the ability to impose restrictions on each Fund’s
investments in certain securities or types of securities.
Firebird PE, along with KJK Investments S.a.r.l. (“KJK”), provides management support
to the Amber Funds. Firebird PE is not affiliated with KJK. Firebird PE and KJK
provide these services to the Amber Funds pursuant to a management support and
advisory services agreement (the “Management Support Agreements”) with each of
Amber Trust Management S.A. (“Amber Management”) and Amber Trust Management
II S.A. (“Amber Management II”), which are the managers of Amber I and Amber II,
respectively. Firebird PE does not make investment recommendations or decisions for
the Amber Funds, which are made instead by Amber Management and Amber
Management II, respectively, with the assistance of their respective investment advisors
and upon the approval of their respective supervisory boards. Certain of the principals of
Firebird PE are also members of the Supervisory Board and Management Board of
Amber Management and Amber Management II. Firebird PE and Amber Management
each own 50% of the participating shares in Amber, and Firebird PE and KJK each own
50% of the participating shares in Amber II.
The investment objective of each of the Funds is to achieve long-term capital
appreciation. The manner in which each Fund seeks to accomplish this is set forth in
detail in the PPM for each Fund. Firebird Fund, Firebird Avrora Fund and Firebird
Republics Fund invest primarily in publicly-traded securities of companies operating in
Russia, the other former Soviet republics, including Kazakhstan and the Baltic republics,
and certain early-stage Eastern European markets, including Romania and Bulgaria.
Republics SPV Fund holds investments in private securities of companies operating in
Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Firebird U.S. Value Fund invests primarily in listed
equity securities of U.S. companies.
On November 20, 2015, the directors of New Russia Fund resolved to wind down the
Fund. Accordingly, the New Russia Fund is being managed with the intention of
returning cash to the investors on a pro-rata basis as and when assets are realized.
On March 1, 2022, due to events in Ukraine and Russia, the General Partner of Firebird
Fund and the directors of Republics Fund and Avrora Fund resolved to suspend
subscriptions and redemptions on all classes of shares. On April 30, 2022, the directors
of Avrora Fund resolved to designate all Russian securities in its portfolio as Special
Investments and to create a new series of Special Investment Shares to represent such
Special Investments, and simultaneously resolved to terminate the suspension of
subscriptions and redemptions for its main class of shares.
Amber I and Amber II are closed end private equity investment funds investing primarily
in the Baltic region. The Amber Funds invest principally in equity or debt securities
convertible into or otherwise linked to the performance of equity securities of companies
established in the Baltic region, including ordinary and preference share capital,
convertible debt, equity warrants or other equity related securities.
The Advisors do not participate in any wrap fee programs.
Assets under Management
As of December 31, 2023, the Advisors managed approximately $379,000,000 of
regulatory assets under management on a discretionary basis. As of December 31, 2023,
Firebird PE provided non-discretionary management support services to approximately
$91,000,000 of regulatory assets under management.