EFTA00729345.pdf
Extracted Text (OCR)
Dear Glenn:
It has been nearly two months since our conversation. As you know,
Kirkland and Ellis has been in contact with Mike Carroll. After the exchange of
many e-mails, telephone calls and a face-to-face meeting, Kirkland does not believe
that they have gotten much closer to a complete understanding of what has actually
transpired.
Kirkland had hoped that there would be an open dialogue with a broad
sharing of information, as I thought we agreed. However, according to Kirkland,
Mike Carroll's first priority, as it should be, was to protect his client In that regard,
Kirkland reports that Mike has refused to share the vast majority of documents that
Kirkland asked for, and that Mike has put forth, to the best of his ability, an
argument for why Highbridge was not responsible for the return of my investment.
I understand that Mike stated several times his position that neither Highbridge nor
you nor Henry had "control" over the investment portfolio and therefore should not
be responsible, but Kirkland tells me that [there are still questions as to the
extent of your interests in the Zwirn entities][Mike shed little light as to the
details of that position].
Glenn, you know I only have affection for you and your family. I have felt
awkward since our last meeting and would like nothing more than to avoid friction
between us. My understanding is that you had proposed to do everything you could
to help me get back my investment, so I would like to make sure that we are armed
with a mutual agreement as to the facts. With that in mind, my
understanding of the facts is as follows:
•
In 2002 and 2003, I invested $60 MM with Highbridge, who employed Dan
Zwirn as a manager. I also invested an additional $20 MM at the beginning of
2005.
•
In March 2004, Zwirn spun off into D.B. Zwirn and Co.
•
In September 2004, Highbridge sold most of its interests to J.P. Morgan.
However, it is Kirkland's understanding that, in substance, DSAM continued
to receive its portion of the management and incentive fees I paid to Zwirn
because that portion continued to be passed on in the form of
partnership/LLC distributions to DSAM.
•
Kirkland was advised that sometime between September 04 and October 06,
Highbridge demanded that its account at Zwirn be reduced, as third-party
managers were no longer allowed under Highbridge's contract with J.P.
Morgan. As a result, after Highbridge's securities were redeemed or sold to
the remaining Zwirn Funds
those in which I was invested), some four to
five hundred million dollars of proceeds have been paid though my demand
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for payment has laid idle. Although we are told that the Highbridge account
was to be run a like a mirror to the Zwirn Funds and that the investments
were virtually the same, Highbridge monies began to be returned, the DSAM
interests were reduced, and we are told that the DSAM interests were also be
paid out under a separate agreement. [We understand that, to date, all the
monies owed to DSAM have not been fully paid, so that DSAM still
retains an interest in the Zwirn business.]
• In October 2006, Zwirn called me to alert me to the fact he had terminated
Perry Gruss as CFO for reasons which Zwirn initially claimed were not
material. I believe that Zwirn's counsel told you a similar story, but with
more details. As we know, that story later proved to be false. This
precipitated a series of phone calls among Zwirn, his counsel, you and me in
which I repeatedly demanded to redeem all of my interests. At the time, my
investment was worth approximately $150 MM.
• In Fall 2006, you and Zwirn called me to ask if I would be willing to limit my
redemption demand to one-half of the then current value of my investment,
rather than the entire investment, and I was lead to believe that Zwirn would
honor this partial redemption request I was not notified at that time that if I
complied with the request for a reduced redemption, I would, by design, fall
into a different redemption category under my agreement with the Fund, and
Zwirn would then be able to deny my redemption request in its entirety.
Without full knowledge of the dire consequences, I then sent a demand
notice for a partial redemption, as per your and Zwirn's request, of $80 MM.
• In January 2007, Highbridge demanded the remaining liquidation of its
investments with Zwirn, claiming, among other things, that approximately
$48 MM was missing from Highbridge's Zwirn account and should be
restored. In all of my conversations with you regarding my problems with
Zwirn, I was never apprised of any agreement DEE—what agreement are
you referring to?
Noone mentioned an agreement where Highbridge
began redeeming its interests; only that Highbridge made redemption
requests from its managed account.] where Highbridge had began
redeeming its interests or the fact that in 2005 and 2006 Highbridge had
previously sought to redeem its entire investment from the Zwirn managed
account In fact, I believe we both recall the conversation where I asked you,
if I am to stay in "are you still in," and you responded "yes."
•
Additional disclosures of accounting irregularities at the end of 2006 and
beginning of 2007 and my discovery of blatant misrepresentations made to
me by Zwirn caused me to send an additional notice in February 2007
demanding redemption of my entire investment
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•
In March 2007, Schulte Roth informed me that both my November 2006 and
February 2007 redemption requests were denied. As I have stated
previously, Schulte Roth claimed that my February 2007 request for
complete redemption was invalid because it was made after the notice
window closed and that my November 2006 partial redemption request,
though timely, was also invalid. According to Schulte Roth, the reason that
my November 2006 redemption request was invalid was because it was a
request for a partial redemption. Shulte Roth further claimed that at the time
that I sent the November redemption notice, I was only permitted to make a
complete redemption, which is what I repeatedly demanded until you and
Zwirn requested that I request only a partial redemption. Thus, had I not
agreed to your and Zwirn's request that I demand a partial redemption,
rather than the complete redemption, there would have been no basis to
deem my November 2006 redemption request to be invalid.
•
In September 2007, you entered into a settlement agreement with Zwirn
pursuant to which you were to receive $30 MM in connection with the
termination of your direct and indirect interests in the General Partner and
Trading Manager of the Funds. This fact was also never disclosed to me.
•
We are told that, in October 2007, you received $3.1 MM of the $30 MM
settlement.
•
We are told that, in February 2008, you received $9.4 MM of the $30 MM
settlement
•
I believe you are still owed money. I'm sorry ... I know that this has been a
very difficult time.
Glenn, I have not adequately communicated my appreciation with regard to
your liberal attitude in welcoming me as part of your family. In fifteen years, we
have never had a disagreement I know you find this as difficult as I do.
With regard to our business relationship, over the past ten years, I have paid
Highbridge a total of over 57 million dollars in fees. Roughly half of that amount is
attributable to the Zwirn investments.
You should be aware that, according to Kirlkland, they were not provided
with adequate information or any documentation regarding Highbridge's
investments with Zwirn, Highbridge's redemption requests or its January 2007
demand for liquidation of its investments. Moreover, Kirkland claims that they have
been provided no information as to how Zwirn held, allocated or transferred
investments among the Funds and its managed accounts or how such investments
were liquidated or transferred in order to cover Highbridge's redemptions. I
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understood from our last conversation that Zwirn had previously refused to give
you an accounting even though you are a partner. Is this still true?
At the January 22, 2009 meeting at Davis Polk, Kirkland tells me that they
were provided only sketchy information as to a breakdown of the direct or indirect
interests in the Funds' general partner and manager after March 24, 2004. My
lawyers were permitted to briefly review, but not copy, a few operating agreements
of the Fund's general partner and manager and the general partner of the Fund's
manager, respectively, but that is all. They were not even permitted to review
seemingly material documents referred to in those operating agreements, including
a January 2004 letter agreement and a January 2004 investment advisory
agreement. Nor were my attorneys permitted to review your September 2007
settlement agreement.
Under the circumstances, without additional information and documents to
clarify matters, Kirlkland does not understand how Highbridge, in a fiduciary
capacity at a minimum, is not responsible for my investment. I invested my money
with Highbridge. Highbridge and/or DSAM continued to receive compensation in
respect of my investment before, during and after my redemption problems arose.
But for the request to reduce my demand for the redemption of my entire
investment, without being told of the draconian consequences of that reduction,
both you and I would be free of this uncomfortable circumstance.
What should we do?
EFTA00729348
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| Filename | EFTA00729345.pdf |
| File Size | 294.7 KB |
| OCR Confidence | 85.0% |
| Has Readable Text | Yes |
| Text Length | 9,539 characters |
| Indexed | 2026-02-12T13:53:13.440765 |
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