Evaluating Private Equity Funds

In light of volatility and low returns in the public equity markets, private equity remains a strategic and tactical part of most family office asset allocations. This session on due diligence of private equity funds will deepen participants’ understanding of the complex analysis that is needed to select fund managers with the greatest potential to effectively manage the capital entrusted to them. A typical due diligence checklist seems straightforward enough -- assess a team’s experience, investment strategy, processes, etc., but the reality is that analysis of any one of these factors is far from straightforward and a good due diligence process requires consideration of subjective as well as objective factors. Cimarron Capital’s Michael Tharp and Christina Kappaz shared examples and “war stories” from their two decades in fund due diligence to illustrate the type of analysis needed at each step of the process.