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Sands Capital Management, LLC
1000 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 3000
Arlington, VA 22209
(703) 562-4000
www.sandscapital.com
March 31, 2025
Item 1 – Cover Page
This brochure (“Brochure”) provides information about the qualifications and business practices
of Sands Capital Management, LLC (“Sands Capital”). If you have any questions about the
contents of this Brochure, please contact us at (703) 562-4000. The information in this Brochure
has not been approved or verified by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or
by any state securities authority.
Sands Capital is a registered investment adviser. Registration as an investment adviser does not
imply any level of skill or training.
Additional information about Sands Capital is also available on the SEC’s website at
www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. You can search this site by a unique identifying number, known as a
CRD number. The CRD number for Sands Capital is 137610.
Item 2 – Material Changes
This Item discusses material changes that are made to our Brochure and provides a summary of
those changes.
This Brochure dated March 31, 2025, serves as an annual update and contains the following
material changes since our last annual update on March 27, 2024:
Item 4 – Advisory Business was updated to improve and reflect clarifying information for Sands
Capital, related to the ability of third parties to contact regulatory authorities and address
whistleblowing communications that are protected under federal law or regulation. Updates were
also made to the Firm’s description of its investment management services provided, including the
list of strategies managed.
Item 5 – Fees and Compensation includes updated fee schedules for the Global Leaders and the
International Leaders investment strategies.
Item 7 – Types of Clients was updated to reflect the additions of the Transamerica International
Focus, Transamerica International Focus VP, Old Westbury Total Equity Fund, Touchstone Sands
Capital US Select Growth ETF Touchstone Sands Capital Emerging Markets ex-China Growth
ETF, and the Sands Capital Emerging Markets ex China UCITS sub-fund. In addition, the
MassMutual Growth Opportunities Fund, Harbor Disruptive Innovation ETF, Harbor Disruptive
Innovation Fund, and Sands Capital International Growth funds were removed.
Item 8 – Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss was amended to reflect
updated risk factors related to Sands Capital’s investment strategies.
Item 10 – Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations was updated to remove the Sands
Capital International Growth master and feeder funds.
Item 12 – Brokerage Practices was updated to reflect Sands Capital’s new Trade Error Committee
and to clarify details of the Firm’s trade notifications for Model Clients.
Item 13 – Review of Accounts was updated to clarify Sands Capital’s practices regarding
information sharing.
Certain non-material changes were also made to this Brochure. Consequently, we encourage you
to read the Brochure in its entirety.
Please contact the Client Service Team or the Compliance Team at 703-562-4000 for a copy of
this Brochure.
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Item 3 – Table of Contents
Item 1 – Cover Page ..................................................................................................................................... i
Item 2 – Material Changes ......................................................................................................................... ii
Item 3 – Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................ iii
Item 4 – Advisory Business ........................................................................................................................ 1
Item 5 – Fees and Compensation ............................................................................................................... 7
Item 6 – Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management ...................................................... 14
Item 7 – Types of Clients .......................................................................................................................... 16
Item 8 – Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies, and Risk of Loss .............................................. 18
Item 9 – Disciplinary Information ........................................................................................................... 36
Item 10 – Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations ............................................................ 36
Item 11 – Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions, and Personal Trading . 38
Item 12 – Brokerage Practices ................................................................................................................. 42
Item 13 – Review of Accounts .................................................................................................................. 54
Item 14 – Client Referrals and Other Compensation ............................................................................ 54
Item 15 – Custody ..................................................................................................................................... 55
Item 16 – Investment Discretion .............................................................................................................. 56
Item 17 – Voting Client Securities ........................................................................................................... 56
Item 18 – Financial Information .............................................................................................................. 59
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Item 4 – Advisory Business
Sands Capital Management, LLC (“Sands Capital”) is an independent investment management
firm. Sands Capital Management, LP (“Sands Capital LP”) is the principal owner of Sands Capital
and, in turn, is principally owned directly and indirectly by several limited liability companies and
estate planning trusts as identified in Schedule B of Part 1. Sands Capital and Sands Capital LP
are ultimately controlled by Frank M. Sands.
Sands Capital is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers
Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”). We are headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, and
manage approximately $45,180.8 million in discretionary assets (Regulatory Assets Under
Management) as of December 31, 2024.
Sands Capital also provides portfolio recommendations for non-discretionary clients for whom we
do not execute trades but for whom we provide changes to strategy models (“Model Clients”),
which account for approximately $5,928.3 million in additional fee-paying assets as of December
31, 2024.
Since 1992, Sands Capital has provided investment advisory and management services to taxable
and tax-exempt clients, primarily on a discretionary basis, and in certain circumstances as
described herein, to Model Clients. Clients include, among other types, investment companies and
other pooled investment vehicles, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, state
and municipal government entities, sovereign wealth funds and foreign official institutions,
corporations, non-U.S. pension funds, superannuation funds, banking or thrift institutions and
individuals.
Sands Capital is affiliated with other investment advisers that also operate under the name Sands
Capital (“Advisory Affiliates”). Under personnel-sharing and other arrangements, Sands Capital
staff members act on behalf of the Advisory Affiliates for purposes of providing services to their
clients and provide other back office and administrative services to the Advisory Affiliates.
Certain Sands Capital staff members are also officers of the Advisory Affiliates.
Sands Capital believes that harnessing the collective capabilities of Sands Capital and the Advisory
Affiliates benefits its clients. These joint teams use expanded and shared capabilities, including
the sharing of research and other information by investment staff members relating to economic
perspectives, market analysis and securities research.
Investment Philosophy and Strategies
Sands Capital embraces the fundamental investment philosophy that stock prices tend to reflect
the earnings power and growth of the underlying businesses over the long term. As such, we
attempt to identify and invest in high quality companies that have the capacity to generate
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sustainable, above-average earnings growth over time. The strategies we offer are typified by
deep, proprietary, business-focused global research, concentrated and conviction weighted
portfolios and a long-term investment horizon.
We invest for our clients in what we believe are the leading growth businesses that meet our six
investment criteria:
• Sustainable above-average earnings growth;
• Leadership position in a promising business space;
• Significant competitive advantages or a unique business franchise;
• Clear mission and value-added focus;
• Financial strength; and
• Rational valuation relative to the market and business prospects.
The primary risk we seek to manage is the risk of permanent loss of capital resulting from a
negative business or investment outcome. Risk management is integrated throughout our entire
research and portfolio construction process. Please see Item 8 – Methods of Analysis, Investment
Strategies and Risk of Loss for more information.
The research team conducts proprietary, bottom-up, fundamental research on businesses of all
market capitalizations located around the world. This analysis includes formulating a “sell case”
for each investment. We typically sell when any of the following is identified:
• Significant change in fundamentals;
• Flaw in original investment case;
• Meaningful overvaluation vs. underlying business;
• Funding source for a new opportunity; or
• Risk management decision.
We apply the above criteria to each of the following investment strategies, which have overlapping
investments. Please refer to Item 6 – Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management and
Item 12 – Brokerage Practices for additional information.
Select Growth
The Select Growth strategy is a concentrated portfolio of primarily large- and mid-capitalization
growth businesses. The portfolio normally consists of the equity securities of 25 to 30 issuers.
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Portfolio companies are primarily domiciled in the United States (“U.S.”) but also include the
equity securities of foreign issuers traded on U.S. exchanges. Eligible securities include equity
and equity-related securities, such as American depositary receipts (“ADRs”) or shares of publicly
traded real estate investment trusts for U.S. or Non-U.S. tax purposes (“REITs”). The portfolio’s
cash allocation is determined by Sands Capital and is monitored and managed in accordance with
client guidelines. The portfolio remains fully invested (i.e., residual cash is generally less than
5%) and is most commonly benchmarked to the Russell 1000® Growth Index.
Global Growth
The Global Growth strategy is a concentrated portfolio of primarily large- and mid-capitalization
growth businesses. The portfolio normally consists of the equity securities of 30 to 50 issuers.
Portfolio companies are domiciled in both developed and emerging markets. Eligible securities
include equity and equity-related securities, such as ADRs, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”),
global depositary receipts (“GDRs”), China A-shares (whether traded cross-boundary via the Hong
Kong Stock Connect or directly via exchanges in mainland China, “China A-shares”), or REITs.
Low exercise price warrants (“LEPWs”), participation notes (“P-Notes”), or other access products
are used to gain exposure to certain foreign markets where direct investment is not always practical
or cost efficient. The portfolio’s cash allocation is determined by Sands Capital and is monitored
and managed in accordance with client guidelines. The portfolio remains fully invested (i.e.,
residual cash is generally less than 5%) and is most commonly benchmarked to the MSCI All
Country World Index.
Global Leaders
The Global Leaders strategy is a concentrated portfolio of primarily large- and mid-capitalization
growth businesses. The portfolio normally consists of the equity securities of 30 to 50 issuers.
The strategy employs a portfolio construction approach that intends to balance growth and
volatility. Portfolio companies are domiciled in both developed and emerging markets. Eligible
securities include equity and equity-related securities, such as ADRs, ETFs, GDRs, China A-
shares, or REITs. LEPWs, P-Notes, or other access products are used to gain exposure to certain
foreign markets where direct investment is not always practical or cost efficient. The portfolio’s
cash allocation is determined by Sands Capital and is monitored and managed in accordance with
client guidelines. The portfolio remains fully invested (i.e., residual cash is generally less than
5%) and is most commonly benchmarked to the MSCI All Country World Index.
International Growth
The International Growth strategy is a concentrated portfolio of primarily large- and mid-
capitalization growth businesses. The portfolio normally consists of the equity securities of 25 to
40 issuers. Generally, portfolio companies are domiciled or derive a significant portion of their
revenues, profits, or productive assets outside of the United States. Eligible securities include
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equity and equity-related securities, such as ADRs, ETFs, GDRs, China A-shares, or REITs.
LEPWs, P-Notes, or other access products are used to gain exposure to certain foreign markets
where direct investment is not always practical or cost efficient. The portfolio’s cash allocation is
determined by Sands Capital and is monitored and managed in accordance with client guidelines.
The portfolio remains fully invested (i.e., residual cash is generally less than 5%) and is most
commonly benchmarked to the MSCI All Country World ex USA Index.
International Leaders
The International Leaders strategy is a concentrated portfolio of primarily large- and mid-
capitalization growth businesses. The portfolio normally consists of the equity securities of 25 to
40 issuers. The strategy employs a portfolio construction approach that intends to balance growth
and volatility. Generally, portfolio companies are domiciled or derive a significant portion of their
revenues, profits, or productive assets outside of the United States. Eligible securities include
equity and equity-related securities, such as ADRs, ETFs, GDRs, China A-shares, or REITs.
LEPWs, P-Notes, or other access products are used to gain exposure to certain foreign markets
where direct investment is not always practical or cost efficient. The portfolio’s cash allocation is
determined by Sands Capital and is monitored and managed in accordance with client guidelines.
The portfolio remains fully invested (i.e., residual cash is generally less than 5%) and is most
commonly benchmarked to the MSCI EAFE Index.
Emerging Markets Growth
The Emerging Markets Growth strategy is a concentrated portfolio of primarily large- and mid-
capitalization growth businesses. The portfolio normally consists of the equity securities of 30 to
50 issuers. Generally, portfolio companies are domiciled in or derive significant exposure (e.g.,
substantial portion of revenues, profits, or productive assets) outside of developed markets.
Eligible securities include equity and equity-related securities, such as ADRs, ETFs, GDRs, China
A-shares, or REITs. LEPWs, P-Notes, or other access products are used to gain exposure to certain
foreign markets where direct investment is not always practical or cost efficient. The portfolio’s
cash allocation is determined by Sands Capital and is monitored and managed in accordance with
client guidelines. The portfolio remains fully invested (i.e., residual cash is generally less than
5%) and is most commonly benchmarked to the MSCI Emerging Markets Index.
Emerging Markets ex China
The Emerging Markets ex China strategy is a concentrated portfolio of primarily large- and mid-
capitalization growth businesses. The portfolio normally consists of the equity securities of 25 to
45 issuers. Generally, portfolio companies are domiciled in or derive significant exposure (e.g.,
substantial portion of revenues, profits, or productive assets) outside of developed markets and
China. Eligible securities include equity and equity-related securities, such as ADRs, ETFs,
GDRs, or REITs. LEPWs, P-Notes, or other access products are used to gain exposure to certain
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foreign markets where direct investment is not always practical or cost efficient. The portfolio’s
cash allocation is determined by Sands Capital and is monitored and managed in accordance with
client guidelines. The portfolio remains fully invested (i.e., residual cash is generally less than
5%) and is most commonly benchmarked to the MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index.
Technology Innovators
The Technology Innovators strategy is a concentrated portfolio of primarily large- and mid-
capitalization growth businesses which are publicly or privately held, with a particular emphasis
placed on companies facilitating or benefitting from powerful secular shifts enabled by
technologies. The portfolio normally consists of the equity securities of 20 to 35 issuers. Portfolio
companies are domiciled in both developed and emerging markets. Eligible securities include
equity and equity-related securities, such as ADRs, stock or convertible debt issued by private
companies, ETFs, GDRs or REITs. LEPWs, P-Notes, or other access products are used to gain
exposure to certain foreign markets where direct investment is not always practical or cost
efficient. The portfolio’s cash allocation is determined by Sands Capital and is monitored and
managed in accordance with client guidelines. The portfolio remains fully invested (i.e., residual
cash is generally less than 5%) and is most commonly benchmarked to the MSCI All Country
World Information Technology and Communication Services Index.
Global Shariah
The Global Shariah strategy is a concentrated portfolio of primarily large- and mid-capitalization
growth businesses that meet Islamic investment principles, as determined by Sands Capital. The
portfolio normally consists of the equity securities of 30 to 50 issuers. Portfolio companies are
domiciled in both developed and emerging markets. Eligible securities include equity and equity-
related securities, such as ADRs, ETFs, GDRs, China A-shares, or REITs. LEPWs, P-Notes, or
other access products are used to gain exposure to certain foreign markets where direct investment
is not always practical or cost efficient. The portfolio’s cash allocation is determined by Sands
Capital and is monitored and managed in accordance with client guidelines. The portfolio remains
fully invested (i.e., residual cash is generally less than 5%) and is most commonly benchmarked
to the S&P Global BMI Shariah Index.
Focus Strategies
The Focus strategies are concentrated portfolios of primarily large-capitalization growth
businesses. Portfolio guidelines specifying the number of holdings are customized by clients, and
Sands Capital manages portfolios of generally between five and twenty issuers. The eligible
universe is limited to companies selected from our other strategies. Eligible securities include
equity and equity-related securities, such as ADRs, ETFs, GDRs or REITs. LEPWs, P-Notes, or
other access products are used to gain exposure to certain foreign markets where direct investment
is not always practical or cost efficient. The portfolio’s cash allocation is determined by Sands
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Capital and is monitored and managed in accordance with client guidelines. The portfolios remain
fully invested (i.e., residual cash is generally less than 5%) and are most commonly benchmarked
to the MSCI All Country World Index unless a different Index is requested.
Client-Tailored
Sands Capital manages and develops client-tailored growth strategies on a case-by-case basis.
These portfolios are often similar to the firm’s primary strategies but contain variations based on
client type, client-directed investment constraints, specific client mandates, or anticipated specific
industry needs. Client-tailored strategies may be offered on a limited basis to other clients, in
addition to the client for which the strategy is tailored.
Additionally, Sands Capital provides discretionary investment management services with respect
to securities received as in-kind distributions from investment funds managed by the Advisory
Affiliates or other third-party managers. Client objectives and fees are determined on a case-by-
case basis.
Discretionary Advisory Services
For discretionary clients, Sands Capital constructs and maintains model portfolios for each
strategy. Client accounts are generally invested in the same portfolio businesses and at
approximately the same weights as the applicable strategy model unless client guidelines prohibit
or restrict an investment. Client guidelines or restrictions must be provided to Sands Capital for
consideration in writing and in advance as they may limit Sands Capital’s ability to act and, as a
result, performance will vary from those of other accounts not bound by similar restrictions.
Non-standard securities instruments issued as a result of corporate actions (e.g., fixed income) are
generally liquidated into cash as soon as reasonable.
Our investment strategies are available through various distribution channels. We provide
investment management services to separately managed accounts and to advised and sub-advised
pooled vehicles, such as mutual funds, UCITS funds, and private funds. Our clients are primarily
institutional investors, intermediaries, and other sophisticated investors with long-term investment
objectives. Please see Item 7 – Types of Clients for additional information.
Model Client Advisory Services
Sands Capital provides non-discretionary advisory services to select Model Clients. In these
arrangements, we periodically provide a strategy model but do not exercise investment discretion
or execute trades. Model Clients are notified of changes to the relevant strategy model as described
in Item 12 – Brokerage Practices.
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Investment Performance
Sands Capital claims compliance with the Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS®) and
prepares and presents its investment results in compliance with GIPS®. A firm that claims
compliance with the GIPS standards must establish policies and procedures for complying with all
the applicable requirements of the GIPS standards. The standards set forth methods of calculating
and presenting investment performance in a fair and consistent manner. The CFA Institute is not
involved with the preparation or review of our investment results information.
To receive a complete list and description of our composites and/or investment results information,
contact the Compliance Team at (703) 562-4000; write to us at 1000 Wilson Blvd., Suite 3000,
Arlington, VA 22209; or email us at complianceteam@sandscap.com.
Conditions for Managing Accounts; Termination of Services
The minimum account size for institutional separate accounts is generally $50 million. Minimum
account sizes are negotiable.
From time to time, Sands Capital permits clients to contribute or retain unsupervised securities in
their account. We do not provide investment advisory services for these securities and the value
of these unsupervised securities are not included in the calculation of our management fee.
However, we have the right to reject management of any security that was not purchased with our
advice. Clients can terminate our investment management services by providing written notice to
us.
Whistleblowing
No provision in any agreement between Sands Capital and any third party, including Sands
Capital’s clients, restricts either party from contacting governmental authorities or other regulatory
agencies, or from making disclosures that are protected under the whistleblower provisions of
federal law or regulation.
Item 5 – Fees and Compensation
Sands Capital earns investment management fees for separately managed accounts based upon
standard fee schedules shown below. We negotiate these fees individually with clients, and not
all clients pay the fee listed in the schedules below. The standard fee for investment management
services varies based on the investment strategy being employed, a particular client’s profile, or as
otherwise negotiated with the client or its intermediaries. These differences depend on various
factors including but not limited to, the type of client, the client’s asset levels, the existence of an
intermediary relationship, a pre-existing relationship, the amount of servicing required for the
client’s account, and the inception date of an account, among other things. Fees are typically billed
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quarterly, in advance or arrears, and are calculated as a percentage of the account’s assets under
management. In some cases, a performance-based fee is received. Clients with performance-
based fees are likely to pay higher fees than those listed in the standard investment management
fee schedule below during certain time periods. Please see Item 6 – Performance-Based Fees and
Side-By-Side Management for additional information on performance-based fee arrangements.
Our standard investment management fee schedules are as follows:
Select Growth
Assets Under Management
Annual Percentage
0.75%
First $50 million
0.50%
All over $50 million
Select Growth (Wealth Management)
Assets Under Management
Annual Percentage
First $10 million
1.00%
Next $40 million
0.75%
All over $50 million
0.50%
Global Growth
Assets Under Management
Annual Percentage
First $50 million
0.85%
Next $200 million
0.65%
All over $250 million
0.55%
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Global Leaders
Assets Under Management
Annual Percentage
First $250 million
0.65%
All over $250 million
0.55%
International Growth
Assets Under Management
Annual Percentage
First $50 million
0.85%
Next $200 million
0.65%
All over $250 million
0.55%
International Leaders
Assets Under Management
Annual Percentage
First $250 million
0.65%
All over $250 million
0.55%
Emerging Markets Growth
Assets Under Management
Annual Percentage
First $50 million
0.85%
Next $200 million
0.65%
All over $250 million
0.55%
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Emerging Markets ex China
Assets Under Management
Annual Percentage
First $50 million
0.85%
Next $200 million
0.65%
All over $250 million
0.55%
Technology Innovators
Assets Under Management
Annual Percentage
All assets
0.85%
Global Shariah
Assets Under Management
Annual Percentage
First $50 million
0.85%
Next $200 million
0.65%
All over $250 million
0.55%
Focus Strategies
Assets Under Management
Annual Percentage
All assets
0.85%
The investment management fee schedules for client-tailored strategies are not standard and are
negotiated on a case-by-case basis.
Unless otherwise negotiated, we calculate investment management fees based upon the valuation
of an account’s assets as of the last business day of each calendar quarter, generally without taking
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into consideration deposits or withdrawals during the quarter, as valued by our portfolio
management system. The valuation on which fees are based may differ from the value reported
by a client’s custodian. Please refer to “Valuation Risk” “Private Company Risks” and
“Valuation” under Item 8 – Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies, and Risk of Loss for
additional risks associated with the valuation. Any unearned, prepaid fees will be returned upon
termination of investment management services to a client billed in advance. If a client terminates
within five business days after signing a contract, Sands Capital will fully refund all prepaid fees.
Similar client accounts have different fee schedules based on the historical nature of the accounts
or through negotiation with the client. Fee arrangements include performance-based fees. From
time to time, and under agreed-upon specific situations, we have in the past and may in the future
waive, reduce, and/or rebate all or a portion of a client’s management fee on a case-by-case basis
for any period of time. For fee calculation purposes, Sands Capital has agreed to aggregate the
assets of related accounts that are being managed for the same client or in connection with a
common third-party relationship. In such circumstances, the aggregated accounts will receive the
benefit of a lower effective fee due to the total amount of assets being managed. Any such
negotiated fee arrangement is done at the sole discretion of Sands Capital and is entered into
generally without notice to, or consent from, any other client.
Sands Capital has relationships with various financial intermediaries, and, in some cases, the fees
assessed against the underlying clients are based on a fee schedule applicable to the relevant
intermediary. Such fee schedule may or may not aggregate underlying client assets, depending on
the type of relationship with the intermediary and other factors.
If authorized, we will deduct our management fee directly from a client’s account, but only if such
account is held with a “qualified custodian” as defined under the Advisers Act. A statement will
be sent to the client or its financial intermediary detailing the portfolio’s value on which the fee is
based, the agreed-upon percentage(s), the calculation of the fee, and the amount due. The accuracy
of this information may or may not be verified by the client’s custodian. If direct debiting is not
selected, an invoice is either sent directly to the client or to its custodian or consultant.
Our fees for Model Client advisory services are negotiated on a case-by-case basis. Fees in these
cases generally will be lower than our fees for providing full discretionary investment management
services.
When Sands Capital’s staff members or affiliates (including certain estate-planning vehicles
thereof) invest in a private fund or other co-investment vehicle managed by Sands Capital, its
affiliates, or the Advisory Affiliates, they generally will not be subject to a management fee or
incentive allocation (or are subject to a reduced fee/allocation), at Sands Capital’s or the Advisory
Affiliates’ discretion.
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Sands Capital has entered into agreements with the affiliated SCM Private Funds (as defined in
Item 7 – Types of Clients) pursuant to which it provides various investment management and/or
other services. Sands Capital receives a management fee for its investment management services
performed for the SCM Private Funds (a “Management Fee”), pursuant to an investment
management agreement, calculated with respect to the net asset value of the capital account of a
limited partner. The Management Fee is calculated, payable, and debited monthly in arrears as of
the first day of each calendar month. For each investor in the SCM Private Funds admitted to such
fund after the first business day of the calendar month, the Management Fee is pro-rated based on
the admission date of such limited partner.
The Management Fees payable by the SCM Private Funds are generally subject to modification,
waiver, or reduction by Sands Capital in its sole discretion, both voluntarily and on a negotiated
basis with selected investors via side letter and other arrangements, which are not disclosed to
other investors in the same SCM Private Funds.
Other Fees and Expenses
Our clients are responsible for negotiating cash management directly with their custodians. Sands
Capital invests in ETFs for its clients when direct equity investment is not feasible. Unless
otherwise negotiated, we charge our investment management fee on a client’s total account assets,
including any assets allocated to ETFs. All fees paid to us for investment advisory services are
separate and in addition to the fees and expenses charged by money market funds, other cash
management vehicles or ETFs to their shareholders.
In addition to management fees and performance-based compensation, depending on their specific
arrangements, clients pay other fees and expenses such as, custody fees, administration and sub-
administration expenses, mutual and UCITS fund expenses, and financial adviser/consulting fees.
Furthermore, brokerage commissions, commission equivalents, markups, markdowns, any other
brokerage costs, third party execution costs (if any), transaction fees, and other similar charges
that are incurred in connection with transactions placed in a client’s account will be paid out of the
account’s assets and are in addition to the management fee paid to Sands Capital. Please see Item
12 – Brokerage Practices for additional information on Sands Capital’s brokerage practices.
With respect to the SCM Private Funds, Sands Capital or the applicable general partner will be
responsible for, and will pay, or cause to be paid, all overhead expenses (except as described below
or in Item 12 – Brokerage Practices), which shall include: (i) overhead expenses of an ordinarily
recurring nature such as rent, utilities, supplies, secretarial expenses, stationery, charges for
furniture, fixtures and equipment, staff member benefits including insurance, payroll, and other
taxes and compensation (and related costs) of all staff members of Sands Capital and its affiliates;
and (ii) the following investment and technology related expenses: (a) third-party and out-of-
pocket research and market data expenses (including, without limitation, news, quotation, statistics
and pricing services, hardware, software, databases and other technical and telecommunications
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services, and equipment used generally in the investment management and order management
processes of Sands Capital); (b) consulting fees and travel expenses in connection with
investigating and monitoring potential and existing investments; (c) fees and expenses (including
travel expenses) related to the analysis, purchase or sale of securities, whether or not the
investments are consummated; (d) third party and out-of-pocket fees and expenses relating to
systems and software used generally in connection with Sands Capital’s operations and investment
related activities; and (e) third party technology services obtained generally for the benefit of Sands
Capital and its clients.
All other expenses of the SCM Private Funds will be borne by the SCM Private Funds, including:
(i) legal, accounting, bookkeeping, tax and regulatory compliance, both domestically and
internationally (including EU Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive for marketing to
EEA investors), auditing, consulting and other professional expenses, including those of valuation
firms, and expenses associated with compliance with securities regulations of the U.S., the Cayman
Islands and other jurisdictions applicable to the SCM Private Funds, (including Form PF, Form
ADV, Form D and all amendments thereto); (ii) administration fees and other expenses charged
by or relating to the services of third-party providers of administration services (including related
indemnities), including the administrator of the SCM Private Funds, (iii) third party technology
services specifically for the benefit of the SCM Private Funds and its investors; (iv) bank service,
custodial and similar fees; (v) expenses related to the purchase, monitoring, sale, settlement,
custody, or transfer of SCM Private Funds assets (directly or through trading affiliates), including
brokerage fees and expenses; (vi) third party and out-of-pocket fees and expenses relating to
systems and software used specifically in connection with the operation of the SCM Private Funds;
(vii) legal expenses (including settlement costs and costs arising in connection with a litigation or
regulatory investigation instituted against the SCM Private Funds), governmental, regulatory,
licensing, filing or registration fees and expenses; (viii) fees, costs, and expenses in connection
with any advisory board or similar board or committee of the SCM Private Funds; (ix) any taxes,
fees or other governmental charges levied against the SCM Private Funds; (x) fees and expenses
relating to the offer and sale of interests in the SCM Private Funds (including, without limitation,
organizational fees and expenses, as described below), and filing and legal fees; (xi) costs and
expenses incurred in connection with the dissolution, winding up, or termination of the SCM
Private Funds; (xii) costs and expenses incurred in connection with any meeting of the Partners
relating to the Fund; (xiii) expenses related to the SCM Private Funds’ indemnification obligations;
(xiv) reorganizational expenses; (xv) registration, annual, and other similar fees payable by the
SCM Private Funds; (xvi) such insurance, if any, as the general partners will deem necessary or
appropriate for the conduct of the business of the SCM Private Funds; and (xvii) such other
ordinary or extraordinary expenses associated with the operations of the SCM Private Funds as the
general partners deem necessary or proper to incur. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the general
partners have the ability to specially allocate the expenses described above in any other manner if
a general partner reasonably determines, in its sole discretion, that it is equitable to do so.
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To the extent that expenses to be borne by the SCM Private Funds are paid by Sands Capital or its
affiliates, the applicable SCM Private Fund will reimburse Sands Capital or its affiliates for such
expenses.
Our supervised persons do not receive compensation directly related to the sale of securities or
other investment products, however, the sale of our advisory services or interests in the funds we
manage is considered in the determination of the compensation of some staff members. This
compensation is payable by Sands Capital and not by our clients or investors.
Item 6 – Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management
Performance-Based Fees
At times, clients negotiate a performance-based fee and therefore will pay a fee based upon the
performance of a client’s account versus a benchmark. Sands Capital has a limited number of
these arrangements in place. Sands Capital clients who pay a performance-based fee have in the
past and may in the future pay a higher fee than clients who do not pay a performance-based fee.
Any performance-based fee arrangements will be consistent with the requirements of applicable
law, including the Advisers Act and, if applicable, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act
of 1974.
The existence of a performance-based fee arrangement creates an incentive for Sands Capital to
make more speculative investments and/or pursue riskier strategies than it would otherwise do in
the absence of performance-based compensation. Clients with similar investment results pay
different fees due to their unique performance-based fee arrangement. This is a conflict of interest
as Sands Capital has an incentive to favor those accounts for which Sands Capital receives a
performance-based fee. Sands Capital has designed and implemented policies and procedures that
seek to ensure that all clients are treated fairly and equally to prevent this conflict from influencing
the allocation of investment opportunities among clients. Sands Capital does not consider
individual client fee structures when allocating trades or investment opportunities. Please see Item
12 – Brokerage Practices for additional information. Additionally, we review performance of
similarly managed accounts to monitor for performance outliers which can indicate favoritism and
monitor trading activity and portfolio holdings of accounts to ensure that accounts within each
strategy are managed similarly.
Side-By-Side Management
Sands Capital manages different types of accounts under different strategies and varying fee
schedules, employing a variety of fee structures including performance-based fees in addition to
asset-based management fees.
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Sands Capital’s portfolio managers make investment decisions for multiple strategies and
portfolios including the SCM Private Funds, mutual and UCITS funds, institutional accounts, and
separately managed accounts. These portfolio management responsibilities create conflicts of
interest as described herein. We seek to conduct ourselves in a manner we consider to be the most
fair and consistent with our fiduciary obligations to our clients. We make investment decisions
based on an account’s available cash, investment objectives, restrictions, permitted investments,
and other relevant considerations. Additionally, from time to time Sands Capital shares trading
desk resources with the Advisory Affiliates. Please refer to Item 12 – Brokerage Practices for
additional information.
Management of multiple portfolios can create conflicts of interest. The conflicts of interest that
arise in managing multiple accounts include conflicts among investment strategies, conflicts in the
allocation of investment opportunities, or conflicts due to different fees. A conflict of interest also
arises where we have an incentive to favor accounts and/or investment strategies in which our staff
members, the Advisory Affiliates, portfolio managers or our staff member benefit plans have a
substantial interest. Conflicts of interest exist when portfolio managers manage accounts with
similar investment objectives and strategies, and such accounts are managed by, one or any
combination of, portfolio managers (“similar accounts”). A conflict of interest exists because of
the similar, different, or overlapping investment objectives and strategies, whereby the portfolio
managers could favor one account over another. Due to their position with such accounts, the
portfolio managers’ knowledge about the size, timing, and possible market impact of an account’s
trades, could be used to benefit other accounts managed by them. Other conflicts include, for
example, conflicts in the allocation of investment opportunities for similar accounts when there
are limited investment opportunities. In such events, investment decisions are made by Sands
Capital in its sole discretion, using its best judgment, and taking into account those factors it deems
to be relevant. Such factors include one or more of the following: investment objectives,
availability of cash, size of investments, or other restrictions or limitations imposed by law,
regulation, or contract with respect to a client’s account. Sands Capital has established policies
and procedures intended to result in the fair and equitable allocation of investment opportunities
among Sands Capital’s clients over time. Please refer to Item 12 – Brokerage Practices for more
information.
Allocation of aggregated trades, particularly trade orders that were only partially completed due
to limited availability and allocation of investment opportunities, generally, are conflicts of
interest, as we have an incentive to allocate securities that are expected to increase in value to
favored accounts. A conflict of interest arises if transactions in one account closely follow related
transactions in a different account, such as when a purchase increases the value of securities
previously purchased by another account or when a sale in one account decreases the sale price
received by another account.
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Decisions to buy or sell a particular security for each client advised by Sands Capital are made by
each strategy’s Portfolio Manager or team of Portfolio Managers, and as a result, a particular
investment can be bought or sold for one client in different amounts, or at different times, then it
is bought or sold for a different client. Similarly, an investment can be purchased for one client
at the same time as it is sold for a different client. A conflict arises because actions with respect
to one client are adverse to the interests of another client. Conflicts like those described above
arise where clients are invested in different strategies or in different parts of an issuer’s capital
structure, also including instances where one or more client (or a client of the Advisory Affiliates)
owns private securities of an issuer and another client (or a client of the Advisory Affiliates) owns
public securities of the same issuer. Actions by one client in one part of the capital structure can
have an adverse consequence on clients in another part of the capital structure.
We have a conflict of interest with respect to proprietary investments held in client accounts while
the same investment is held in certain accounts related to Sands Capital. Such accounts would
include a portfolio manager’s personal account, our staff member benefit plan, or funds in which
our staff members invest and accounts owned by Sands Capital. We have adopted a Code of Ethics
that governs a number of conflicts of interest we have when providing our advisory services to
clients. Please see Item 11 – Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions, and
Personal Trading for additional information.
Differences develop between the holdings and performance of accounts in the same investment
strategy due to a variety of factors, including but not limited to, differences in account size, account
restrictions or limitations, regulatory restrictions, registration in non-U.S. jurisdictions, cash flows,
tax status, the timing and terms of execution of trades, and individual client needs. Sands Capital
exercises limited discretion over the timing and order of registrations to trade in non-U.S.
jurisdictions, which could result in certain client accounts’ availability to trade in such non-U.S.
jurisdictions prior to others.
We have established policies and procedures designed to manage the potential conflicts described
above. We monitor a variety of areas, including compliance with account guidelines, review of
allocations, compliance with our Code of Ethics, and any material discrepancies in the
performance of similar accounts. As described under Item 12 – Brokerage Practices, we have
policies and procedures designed to achieve fair and equitable allocation of investment
opportunities among our clients over time.
Item 7 – Types of Clients
We provide investment management services to both U.S. and non-U.S. clients who have different
tax statuses, often depending on the jurisdiction. Clients include, among other types, investment
companies and other pooled investment vehicles, pension and profit sharing plans, charitable
organizations, state and municipal government entities, sovereign wealth funds and foreign official
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institutions, corporations, non-U.S. pension funds, superannuation funds, individuals, and banking
or thrift institutions. Relationships with institutional and individual high net worth clients, family
offices, and the financial intermediaries who represent these clients, are managed by a relationship
director.
The majority of these arrangements are discretionary; Sands Capital is free to select the
investments and trade on the client’s behalf without prior consultation with the client.
Additionally, we provide non-discretionary advisory services to Model Clients. Please refer to
Item 4 – Advisory Business and Item 12 – Brokerage Practices for additional information on Model
Clients.
Please refer to “Conditions for Managing Accounts” under Item 4 – Advisory Business for
information on our minimum account size.
Advised and Sub-Advised Pooled Vehicles
We serve as investment adviser to:
• Sands Capital Global Growth Fund, a separate investment series of The Advisors’ Inner
Circle Fund, a U.S. registered, open-end investment company (mutual fund).
• Sands Capital Funds, plc, an investment company authorized in Ireland by the Central
Bank of Ireland under the Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable
Securities (“UCITS”); which is the umbrella company for the following sub-funds: Sands
Capital Global Growth Fund, Sands Capital US Select Growth Fund, Sands Capital
Emerging Markets Growth Fund, Sands Capital Global Leaders Fund, Sands Capital
Technology Innovators Fund, Sands Capital Global Shariah Fund, and Sands Capital
Emerging Markets ex China Fund (“SCM UCITS Funds”).
• Sands Capital Emerging Markets Growth Master Fund, L.P. a master-feeder structured
private investment fund (“SCM Private Funds”). Please refer to Section 7 – Private Fund
Reporting of Sands Capital’s ADV Part 1 for additional detail.
• Sands Capital Collective Investment Trust which consists of the following funds: Sands
Capital Emerging Markets Growth CIT, Sands Capital International Growth CIT, Sands
Capital Global Growth CIT, Sands Capital Select Growth CIT, and Sands Capital Global
Leaders CIT (“SCM CITs”).
• Sands Capital Team Fund, L.P., a Cayman Islands exempted limited partnership (the
“Proprietary Fund”). The Proprietary Fund currently offers series of limited partner
interests associated with the following strategies: Select Growth, Global Growth, Global
Leaders, Emerging Markets Growth, Focus, Technology Innovators, and Emerging
Markets ex China. The Proprietary Fund is generally only available to Sands Capital staff
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members and former staff members. Please refer to Section 7 – Private Fund Reporting
of Sands Capital’s ADV Part 1 for additional detail.
We also serve as investment sub-adviser to the following mutual funds and exchange traded funds:
• First Trust Multi-Manager Large Growth ETF (Model Client)
• GuideStone Growth Equity Fund
• Old Westbury Large Cap Strategies Fund
• Old Westbury Total Equity Fund (Model Client)
• Russell Investment Company Emerging Markets Fund (Model Client)
• Touchstone Sands Capital Emerging Markets ex-China Growth ETF
• Touchstone Sands Capital Emerging Markets Growth Fund
• Touchstone Sands Capital International Growth Equity Fund
• Touchstone Sands Capital Select Growth Fund
• Touchstone Sands Capital US Select Growth ETF
• Transamerica International Focus
• Transamerica International Focus VP
Additionally, Sands Capital serves as investment sub-adviser to various funds organized under the
laws of foreign jurisdictions and offered outside of the U.S., and the firm provides investment
management services to other private funds and pooled investment vehicles.
Item 8 – Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies, and Risk of Loss
Investment Strategy
Fundamental, bottom-up, company-focused research is the core of our investment process. All
research analyses and conclusions are internally generated using a variety of internal and external
information sources. Research activities include building proprietary financial models, scenario
analyses, a written investment case relative to the business’s fit with our six investment criteria,
and a hypothetical “sell case.” Environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) factor analysis is
integrated in our research activities. We focus on the ESG factors we consider most likely to have
a material impact on the performance of securities in client accounts. In addition to third-party
research, news articles, attendance at investment conferences, ESG research and analytics, expert
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research networks, annual reports, prospectuses, SEC filings, and company press releases, our
investment professionals conduct on-site visits with senior management and investor relations
departments of companies in which we invest or regard as potential investments. Portfolio
construction and investment decisions are made by each strategy’s Portfolio Manager Decision
Team (“PMDT”), determining the strategy model, including the weighting, timing, and funding
source for purchases and sales.
Portfolio construction and monitoring at Sands Capital are performed on an on-going basis,
employing both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Using a bottom-up research process
and our investment criteria, new ideas are generally generated by the research team from an initial
universe that includes companies that are generating or are expected to generate above average
earnings growth. After considerable research, creation of a formal investment case, and vetting,
the PMDT makes the final decision about owning a business and its weight in the portfolio. As
applicable, these decisions are team-based and reached by consensus. See additional information
under Item 4 – Advisory Business.
Risks of Investing – All Strategies
Risk of Loss. Investing in securities involves risk of loss that clients should be prepared to bear.
There may be loss or depreciation of the value of any investment due to the fluctuation of market
values. The selection and execution of any investment strategy is inherently subject to a variety
of risks beyond our control, including but, not limited to, risks associated with general economic
conditions, the adequacy and timeliness of disclosures by issuers of securities, and market risks.
Account Consent Requirements. Periodically, Sands Capital will, in its sole judgement, determine
that consent from a client is necessary to make an investment or participate in a corporate event.
If Sands Capital determines that consent is impractical due to timing or other considerations or
consent is not received by an applicable due date, Sands Capital will not have the opportunity to
make the investment for that client.
Equity Securities Risk. Sands Capital’s strategies primarily focus on the purchase of equity
securities. Most or all of these equity securities are common stocks. Common stocks represent a
share of ownership in a company. In the event of liquidation, common stockholders have rights
to a company’s assets only after bondholders, other debt holders, and preferred stockholders have
been satisfied. The purchase of equity securities is subject to the risk that stock prices fall for
extended periods of time. Historically, the equity markets have moved in cycles, and the value of
equity securities may fluctuate drastically over various time periods. For example, individual
companies report poor results or are negatively affected by industry and/or economic trends and
developments. The prices of securities issued by a company may suffer a decline in response.
These factors contribute to price volatility.
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Growth Investment Risk. We pursue a “growth style” of investing, meaning that we invest in
equity securities of companies that we believe will increase their earnings at a rate that is generally
higher than the rate expected for non-growth companies. If a growth company does not meet this
expectation, the price of its stock may decline significantly, even if it has increased earnings. Many
growth companies do not pay dividends.
Concentrated Investment Risk. Sands Capital’s investment strategies are concentrated and are
therefore less diversified and may experience wider fluctuations in value than if they were subject
to broader diversification requirements. For example, certain investment strategies focus on a
small number of issuers, industries, or regions. A decline in the market value of a particular
security that is held in a higher allocation by a particular strategy is likely to affect the strategy’s
performance more than if the strategy invested in a larger number of issuers that are held in a lower
allocation.
Sector Focus Risk. To the extent Sands Capital’s strategies are more heavily invested in particular
sectors, the value of investments could be sensitive to factors and economic risks that specifically
affect those sectors. It is possible that economic, business or political developments and regulatory
changes or other changes affecting one security in the sector of focus will affect other securities in
that sector of focus in the same manner, thereby increasing the risk of such investments.
Large Investor Risk. In certain situations, interests in an investment strategy are held by a large
investor and in such an event, there is a risk that such large investors may impact Sands Capital’s
investment strategy by purchasing or selling interests in large amounts. For example, when Sands
Capital eliminates a large account’s interest or exits a position held in multiple accounts, the
transacted shares may have an impact on the price or liquidity of the shares being sold, because
there may be fewer or no willing buyers of those securities and they may have to be sold at a lower
price or may not sell at all.
Market Capitalization Risk. Although Sands Capital tends to invest in large companies seen as
leaders in their respective business spaces, there is no limitation on the size or operating experience
of the companies in which the investment strategies invest. Large-capitalization companies may
lag the performance of smaller capitalization companies because large-capitalization companies
may experience slower rates of growth and may not respond as quickly to market changes and
opportunities. Smaller and mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse
business or economic events than larger, more established companies. In particular, small- and
mid-sized companies may pose additional risks, including liquidity risk, because they tend to have
limited product lines, markets and financial resources, and may depend upon a relatively small
management group. Therefore, small- and mid-capitalization stocks may be more volatile than
those of larger companies.
Management and Operational Risk. Sands Capital uses internally developed investment techniques
and risk analysis to make investment decisions for the various strategies it manages. Consistent
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with the investment objectives, investments may be made in a broad range of issuers, securities,
financial instruments, and transactions. Within these broad parameters, Sands Capital will make
investment decisions for investment strategies as it deems appropriate in its sole discretion. The
success of each strategy is dependent upon Sands Capital’s ability to achieve the investment
objective. An investor must rely upon the ability of Sands Capital and Sands Capital’s investment
professionals to identify and implement investment decisions consistent with applicable
investment strategies, investment objectives, and policies. No assurance can be given that a client
will be successful in obtaining suitable investments, or that if such investments are made, the
objectives of the investment strategy will be achieved. A risk exists that the investment techniques
will fail, thus there is no guarantee that they will produce the results desired by Sands Capital.
Clients have no authority or power to take part in the management of the investment strategies.
The investment performance of the investment strategies depends on the skill of key staff members
and investment professionals of Sands Capital. If key staff members, including key investment or
key technical staff members, were to leave Sands Capital, we might not be able to find equally
desirable replacements in a timely fashion and, as a result, the performance of the investment
strategies could be adversely affected. In addition, the investment professionals of Sands Capital
who are involved with the investment strategies perform services for other clients of Sands Capital
and there is no requirement that these professionals devote any specific amount of their business
time to the investment strategies.
Liquidity Risk. A client may invest in assets that Sands Capital may not be able to readily sell or
dispose of, including securities whose disposition is restricted by securities laws. A client’s ability
to sell assets may be adversely affected by various factors, including limited trading volume, lack
of a market maker, or legal restrictions including instances when Sands Capital or its affiliates
come into possession of material non-public information. It is also possible that an exchange or
governmental authority may suspend or restrict trading on an exchange or in particular securities
or other instruments traded on the exchange. It may not always be possible to execute a buy or
sell order at the desired price or to liquidate an open position, either due to market conditions on
exchanges or due to the operation of daily price fluctuation limits (the maximum permitted
fluctuation in the price of a futures or options contract during any trading day, also known as
“circuit breakers.”)
Currency Risk. Investments are generally subject to the risk that the value of a particular currency
will change in relation to one or more other currencies, particularly when an investment is
denominated in a currency other than a client’s home currency or when a company’s revenue or
operating expenses are subject to fluctuating exchange rates. Among the factors that may affect
currency values are trade balances, the level of short-term interest rates, differences in relative
values of similar assets in different currencies, long-term opportunities for investment and capital
appreciation and political developments. Officials in foreign countries may, from time to time,
take actions with respect to their currencies that could significantly affect the value of a client’s
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assets denominated in those currencies or the liquidity of such investments. For example, a foreign
government may unilaterally devalue its currency against other currencies, which would typically
have the effect of reducing the U.S. dollar value of investments denominated in that currency. A
foreign government may also limit the convertibility or repatriation of its currency or assets
denominated in that currency.
Valuation Risk. The process of valuing securities for which reliable market quotations are not
available involves uncertainties and judgmental determinations. The resulting values may differ
from values that would have been determined had readily available market quotations been
available for such securities. As a result, the values placed on such securities by Sands Capital can
differ from values placed on such securities by a client’s custodian or other investors as well as
from prices at which the securities may ultimately be sold. Third-party pricing information may
be used in the process to determine fair value, but at times may not be available or considered to
be reliable regarding certain securities, derivatives and other assets. A disruption in the secondary
markets for an account’s investments may limit the ability of Sands Capital to obtain accurate
market quotations for purposes of valuing the investments of an account. In addition, material
events occurring after the close of a principal market upon which a portion of the securities or
other assets of the account are traded may require the determination of the effect of a material
event on the value of the securities or other assets traded on the market for purposes of determining
the value of the account’s investments. The values placed on securities in an account will affect
the overall value of an account as well as the account’s performance and the amount of
compensation paid to Sands Capital. Thus, a potential conflict of interest exists when Sands Capital
is exercising discretion in the fair valuation process.
Unregistered Securities and Private Placement Risks. Investments through private placements are
not immediately tradeable on an exchange or in the over-the-counter market. They may be subject
to resale restrictions including significant holding or lockup restrictions for designated time
periods. Private placements may serve as financing vehicles for public companies, commonly
referred to as PIPEs (Private Investment in Public Equity), or for privately held entities. Securities
purchased through private placements may be less liquid than publicly traded securities and
investments in privately held entities are generally less liquid than PIPES (please see Private
Company Risks). The offering documents contain limited information on the company’s business
and many private placement securities are issued by companies that are not required to file audited
financial reports making it difficult to gauge how the private placement is likely to perform over
time. Because of the illiquid nature of these securities, Sands Capital will not be able to liquidate
these securities upon termination of a client’s account. Sands Capital cannot provide oversight of
these securities following client account termination. Clients should consider these risks when
deciding whether to permit these investments for their accounts.
Private Company Risks. Certain strategies may, on occasion, invest directly or indirectly in one or
more private companies. Investments in private companies give rise to certain risks, including:
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• Liquidity. An investment in private companies is expected to be illiquid. Due to the illiquid
nature of the investments, Sands Capital may be unable to predict with confidence what
the exit strategy will ultimately be, or that one will become available. Exit strategies that
appear to be viable when an investment is initiated may be precluded by the time the
investment is ready to be realized due to economic, legal, political, or other factors.
• Valuation. As there is no actively traded market for securities in such private companies,
when estimating fair value, Sands Capital will apply a methodology based on its best
judgment that is appropriate in light of the nature, facts and circumstance of the
investments. However, the process of valuing securities for which reliable market
quotations are not available is based on inherent uncertainties and the resulting values may
differ from values that would have been determined had an active market existed for such
securities and may differ from the prices at which such securities may ultimately be sold.
With respect to private companies, the exercise of discretion in valuation by Sands Capital
will give rise to conflicts of interest, as the management fees in certain strategies is
calculated based, in part, on these valuations and such valuations affect management fees.
• Operations. Investments in companies in an expansion stage, even those that are profitable,
involve substantial risks. In certain cases, such companies have previously obtained capital
in the form of debt or equity to expand rapidly, reorganize operations, acquire a business,
or develop new products and markets. By definition, these activities involve a significant
amount of change in a company and could give rise to significant problems in sales,
manufacturing, and general management of these activities.
• Additional Capital Requirements. Companies in which Sands Capital invests may require
additional financing to satisfy their working capital requirements or strategic initiatives,
including acquisition strategies. The availability of capital is generally a function of capital
market conditions that are beyond the control of Sands Capital or any such private
company. There can be no assurance that private companies in which Sands Capital invests
will be able to predict accurately the future capital requirements necessary for success or
that additional funds will be available from any source.
• Subordinated Interests. The capital structure of private companies may change over time,
and Sands Capital’s interest in a private company may be subordinated to lenders and
preferred equity holders.
• Non-controlling Investments. Sands Capital is likely to hold non-controlling interests in the
companies in which it invests and, therefore will likely have a limited ability to protect its
position in such portfolio companies in part due to lack of operational involvement.
• Availability of Information. Private companies are not subject to the extensive disclosure
obligations required of public companies. As such, information provided to investors in a
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private company regarding its performance, risk, and future plans may be more
circumscribed than that provided to public company investors. Therefore, Sands Capital
may have a more limited set of information on which to base investment decisions
regarding private companies.
• Board Participation. Staff members of Sands Capital, or the Advisory Affiliates, may serve
as directors, or observers to the board of directors, of private companies in which Sands
Capital or the Advisory Affiliates’ invest client assets. Holding board positions may
enhance Sands Capital’s ability to manage investments, but may also have the effect of
impairing Sands Capital’s ability to sell the related securities when, and upon the terms, it
may otherwise desire. Additionally, staff members serving as directors may at times come
into possession of material non-public information (“MNPI”). Please refer to Item 11 -
Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions, and Personal Trading
regarding the policies and procedures Sands Capital has established to address the risks
associated with receipt of MNPI. If a staff member serving as a director is exposed to
MNPI with respect to a particular company, Sands Capital may be prohibited for periods
of time from purchasing or selling the securities of such company, even if the action were
in the best interest of Sands Capital’s clients.
Investments in Initial Public Offerings. Investments in initial public offerings (or shortly
thereafter) may involve higher risks than investments issued in follow-on public offerings or
purchases on a secondary market due to a variety of factors, including, without limitation, the
limited number of shares available for trading, unseasoned trading, lack of investor knowledge of
the issuer and limited operating history of the issuer. In addition, some companies in initial public
offerings are involved in relatively new industries or lines of business, which may not be widely
understood by investors. Some of these companies may be undercapitalized or regarded as
developmental stage companies, without revenues or operating income, or the near-term prospect
of achieving them. These factors may contribute to substantial price volatility for such securities.
Exchange Traded Funds. Exchange Traded Funds (“ETFs”) generally expose their shareholders to
the risks associated with the assets in which the ETF invests. Additionally, as exchange-traded
investment vehicles, ETFs may involve market risk, management risk and (for index funds)
tracking risk. If a client account acquires shares of an ETF, shareholders bear both their
proportionate share of expenses in an account (including management and advisory fees) and,
indirectly, the expenses of the ETF.
Regulated Industries. Sands Capital (including its clients, affiliates, and Advisory Affiliates and
their clients) may be subject to certain restrictions when making investments in regulated
industries, such as banking, insurance, gaming, or communications. For example, there may be
limits on the aggregate amount of investment by affiliated investors that are not permitted to be
exceeded in certain regulated industries without the grant of a license or other regulatory or
corporate consent or, if exceeded, may cause clients to suffer disadvantages or business
restrictions. As a result, Sands Capital may find it advisable or be required to restrict or limit
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transactions or exercise of rights for clients, limit the amount of voting securities purchased, or
restrict the type of governance rights it acquires or exercises in connection with its investments in
regulated industries.
Legal, Tax, and Regulatory Risks. Legal, tax, and regulatory changes and developments may
adversely affect our strategies. New or modified laws, regulations, rules, legislation or similar
guidance may be issued by U.S. or foreign regulators, other government authorities or self-
regulatory organizations that oversee the financial markets. Such new or modified laws,
regulations, rules or similar guidance may have an adverse effect on the investment strategy and
the performance of the securities.
Data Sources Risk. Before making investments, Sands Capital will conduct due diligence that it
deems reasonable and appropriate based on the facts and circumstances applicable to each
investment. When conducting due diligence, Sands Capital is required to evaluate important and
complex business, financial, tax, accounting, and legal issues. Sands Capital uses a variety of
proprietary and non-proprietary tools to evaluate investments. Sands Capital will rely on the
resources reasonably available to it, which in some circumstances, whether or not known to Sands
Capital at the time, may not be sufficient, accurate, complete, or reliable. If a data source is
incomplete, inaccurate, or becomes unavailable or unreliable or the tool has errors, investment
decisions may be negatively impacted. Sands Capital takes reasonable steps to ensure the
proprietary and non-proprietary data sources and tools are correct and reliable but it is not
responsible for errors in such sources and tools.
Use of Alternative Data. The analysis and interpretation of alternative data involves a high degree
of uncertainty and may entail significant expense which may be borne by clients. Alternative data
typically refers to information derived from non-traditional sources of financial information.
Alternative data is often less structured than traditional data sets and usually has less history, thus
making it more complex to incorporate into investment models. Alternative data providers often
do not have enterprise standard infrastructure for data delivery, which can result in data sets being
suspended, delayed, degraded, adjusted, or otherwise less uniform. Moreover, there has been
increased scrutiny from a variety of regulators regarding the use of alternative data for investment
purposes, and its use or misuse under current or future laws and regulations could create liability
for Sands Capital, its affiliates, or its clients in various jurisdictions. In addition, any future
limitations on the use of alternative data or the unavailability of such alternative data sets could
have an adverse impact on the performance of Sands Capital’s strategies.
Cybersecurity Risk. Sands Capital, its clients’ service providers, and other market participants
increasingly depend on complex information technology and communications systems to conduct
business functions. These systems are subject to a number of different threats or risks that could
adversely affect the clients and their accounts, despite the efforts of Sands Capital and the clients’
service providers to adopt technologies, processes and practices intended to mitigate these risks
and protect the security of their computer systems, software, networks and other technology assets,
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as well as the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information belonging to the clients and
the investors. For example, unauthorized third parties may attempt to improperly access, modify,
disrupt the operations of, or prevent access to these systems of Sands Capital, its clients’ service
providers, counterparties, or data within these systems. Third parties may also attempt to
fraudulently induce staff members, customers, third-party service providers or other users of Sands
Capital’s systems to disclose sensitive information in order to gain access to Sands Capital’s data
or that of the client. A successful penetration or circumvention of the security of Sands Capital’s
systems could result in the loss or theft of an investor’s data or funds, the inability to access
electronic systems, loss or theft of proprietary information or corporate data, physical damage to
a computer or network system, or costs associated with system repairs. Such incidents could cause
Sands Capital, its clients and/or their service providers to incur regulatory penalties, reputational
damage, additional compliance costs, or financial loss.
Similar types of operational and technology risks are also present for the companies in which
clients invest, which could have material adverse consequences for such companies, and may cause
a client’s investments to lose value.
Market Disruption. Significant market disruptions, such as those caused by pandemics, natural or
environmental disasters, war, acts of terrorism, or other events, can adversely affect local and
global markets and normal market operations. Market disruptions may exacerbate political, social,
and economic risks. Additionally, market disruptions may result in increased market volatility;
regulatory trading halts; closure of domestic or foreign exchanges, markets, or governments; or
market participants operating pursuant to business continuity plans for indeterminate periods of
time. Such events can be highly disruptive to economies and markets and significantly impact
individual companies, sectors, industries, markets, currencies, interest and inflation rates, credit
ratings, investor sentiment, and other factors affecting the value of investments and operations.
These events could also result in the closure of businesses that are integral to our operations or
otherwise disrupt the ability of staff members or service providers to perform essential tasks.
Public Health Emergency Risk. The risk that pandemics and other public health emergencies, such
as the recent global outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”), together with resulting
restrictions on travel and quarantines imposed, can meaningfully disrupt the global economy and
markets. Although the ultimate impact of COVID-19 and other health emergencies is difficult to
predict, it has and is likely to continue to contribute to market volatility. It is also likely to lead to
an economic slowdown given the disruption to supply chains across sectors and industries
worldwide.
To the extent that an epidemic, including COVID-19, is present in jurisdictions in which Sands
Capital has offices or other operations or investments, it could affect Sands Capital’s ability to
operate effectively, including the ability of staff members to function, communicate and travel to
the extent necessary to carry out the investment strategies and objectives. In addition, in response
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to the COVID-19 outbreak, several industry conference sponsors and venues have suspended or
cancelled events due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19. Global efforts, both private and
governmental, to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 through voluntary and non-voluntary
travel restrictions, and cancellation or suspension of industry events, could affect Sands Capital’s
ability to conduct research and to gain meaningful insights in order to properly evaluate the
risk/reward potential of investing in a particular industry sector or market. In addition, Sands
Capital’s staff members and personnel of critical service providers to Sands Capital may be
directly impacted by the spread of COVID-19, both through direct exposure (the likelihood of
which can increase due to the frequency of travel) and exposure to family members, which could
impair our ability to satisfy our obligations.
Misconduct of Staff Members and of Third-Party Service Providers. Misconduct by Sands Capital
staff members or by third party service providers could cause significant losses. Misconduct may
include binding client accounts to transactions that present unacceptable risks and unauthorized
activities or concealing unsuccessful activities (which, in either case, may result in unknown and
unmanaged risks or losses). Losses could also result from actions by third party service providers,
including, without limitation, failing to record transactions or improperly performing their
contractual responsibilities. In addition, staff members and third-party service providers may
improperly use or disclose confidential information, which could result in litigation or serious
financial harm. Although Sands Capital has adopted measures reasonably designed to prevent and
detect staff member misconduct and to select reliable third-party providers, such measures would
not likely be effective in all cases.
Fraud. Securities markets may be susceptible to market manipulation or other fraudulent trading
practices, which could disrupt the orderly functioning of markets or reduce the value of
investments traded in them, including investments of Sands Capital’s clients. Instances of fraud
and other deceptive practices committed by senior management of certain companies in which
Sands Capital’s clients invests may negatively affect the value of their investments. In addition,
when discovered, financial fraud may contribute to overall market volatility, which can negatively
impact the Sands Capital’s investment strategies. Financial fraud may also impact the rates or
indices underlying Sands Capital’s clients’ investments.
ESG Risk. The use of ESG factors may impact investment exposure to issuers, industries, sectors,
and countries, which may impact a client’s relative performance. ESG criteria is subjective by
nature and Sands Capital may rely on analysis and ratings provided by third-parties in evaluating
a company’s ESG risks. A client’s perception may differ from Sands Capital’s or a third-party's
on how to judge an issuer’s adherence to sustainable investing. In addition, investments selected
by Sands Capital could be unsuccessful in exhibiting positive ESG characteristics.
Recent Regulatory Developments for Private Funds and their Advisers. In recent years, the SEC
has proposed and adopted, and is expected to continue to propose and adopt, various changes to
the rules relating to private funds and their advisers. Such current and future rulemaking is
expected to impact Sands Capital and its affiliates, including its Advisory Affiliates, their clients
and/or their investments, Clients have the potential to bear significant increased cost as a result of
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such rules. On August 23, 2023, the SEC adopted previously proposed new rules and amendments
to existing rules (collectively, the “Private Funds Rules”) under the Advisers Act specifically
related to advisers of private funds. Shortly after the Private Fund Rules were adopted, several
trade groups representing private fund managers filed a legal challenge to the Private Fund Rules
in the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal. As of June 5, 2024, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of
Appeals has vacated the Private Funds Rules in their entirety. The SEC has not yet announced
whether it intends to petition for a rehearing or appeal the decision. Therefore, whether the Private
Funds Rules will come into effect and if so, when the Private Funds Rules will come into effect,
is currently unknown.
The Private Funds Rules, if enacted, will impose new and substantial requirements on advisers and
the funds they advise, including with respect to quarterly reporting, restricted activities,
preferential treatment of investors, audit requirements, adviser-led secondaries and annual
compliance reviews. The Private Funds Rules, in addition to any other new rules adopted by the
SEC, would significantly impact the business of Sands Capital and its affiliates (including the
Advisory Affiliates), a fund and/or its investments. As a result of the new rules, Sands Capital,
under certain circumstances, may be restricted or refrain from providing information regarding a
fund in response to investor requests. If the Private Fund Rules are enacted, Sands Capital will be
required to circulate to all investors the material terms of any preferential treatment agreed in
connection with investments in a fund (i.e., all side letter terms), without regard to any most
favored nation provision. This may ultimately impact Sands Capital’s decisions with respect to
agreeing to certain preferential rights. The Private Funds Rules include certain audit requirements,
which may require Sands Capital to select a different auditor or obtain an additional audit, even if
Sands Capital does not believe it is in the best interest of a fund or its investors to do so. Further,
many provisions of the Private Funds Rules, if enacted, will require Sands Capital to make a variety
of subjective determinations as to whether and how such rules apply to a fund and Sands Capital’s
related obligations. Sands Capital would face conflicts of interest in making such determinations,
including for example with respect to whether certain fees and expenses may be charged to a fund,
whether certain provisions may have a material negative impact on certain investors and whether
certain allocations are fair and equitable. Sands Capital’s and a fund’s compliance burdens and
associated costs including, without limitation, insurance expenses, are also expected to increase.
Sands Capital also would be subject to increased risk of exposure to additional regulatory scrutiny,
litigation, censure and penalties for noncompliance or perceived noncompliance as a result of the
Private Funds Rules, and any noncompliance or perceived noncompliance with such rules may
negatively impact a fund’s reputation as well as its investment activities, thereby materially
reducing returns to investors.
Total Return Swap Risks. Total return swap agreements are contracts between parties in which
one party agrees to make payments to the other party based on the change in the market value of a
specified index, asset, or basket of assets. In addition to the risk of investing in the underlying
specified index, asset, or basket of assets, such swap agreements pose the risk that a party will
default on its payment obligations thereunder. Swaps are types of derivatives. See “Derivatives
Risk”.
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Derivatives Risk. Sands Capital’s use of derivatives may involve risks different from, or greater
than, the risks associated with investing in more traditional investments. Investments in derivatives
are subject to the risk that such investments will not perform as anticipated by Sands Capital,
cannot be closed out at a favorable time or price, or will increase the volatility in an account. The
use of derivatives may create investment leverage. In addition, when a derivative is used as a
substitute for or alternative to a direct cash investment, the transaction may not provide a return
that corresponds precisely with that of the cash investment. Derivatives may be difficult to value
and highly illiquid, and there is a risk that the other party to the derivative will fail to make the
required payments or otherwise to comply with the terms of the contract.
Risks of Investing – Non-U.S. Considerations
Investment in Non-U.S. Securities. Some clients will invest in non-U.S. securities. Such
investments are at times subject to a greater risk than U.S. investments due to non-U.S. economic,
political and legal developments, including favorable or unfavorable changes in currency exchange
rates, exchange control regulations (including currency blockage), expropriation of assets or
nationalization, imposition of taxes on dividends, interest payments, or capital gains, the need for
approval by government or other authorities to make investments, and possible difficulty in
obtaining and enforcing judgments against non-U.S. entities and other factors beyond the control
of Sands Capital. Furthermore, issuers of non-U.S. securities are subject to different, often less
comprehensive, accounting, reporting, corporate governance, or disclosure requirements than U.S.
issuers. The securities markets of some countries in which clients are permitted to invest have
substantially less volume than those in the United States, and securities of certain companies in
these countries are less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. companies.
Accordingly, these markets are often subject to greater influence by adverse events generally
affecting the market, and by large investors trading significant blocks of securities, than is usual
in the United States. Brokerage commissions and other transaction costs on securities exchanges
in non-U.S. countries are generally higher than in the United States. Non- U.S. securities
settlements may in some instances be subject to delays and related administrative uncertainties. In
some countries there are restrictions on investments or investors such that the only practicable way
for clients to invest in such markets is by entering into derivative or similar transactions with
counterparties. Such transactions involve counterparty risks which are not present in the case of
direct investments, and which are not expected to be controllable by Sands Capital.
Investment in ADRs / GDRs. American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) and American Depositary
Shares (“ADSs”) are U.S. dollar-denominated receipts typically issued by domestic banks or trust
companies that represent the deposit with those entities of securities of a foreign issuer. They are
publicly traded on exchanges or over-the-counter in the United States. European Depositary
Receipts (“EDRs”), which are sometimes referred to as Continental Depositary Receipts
(“CDRs”), and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) may also be purchased by Sands Capital for
our clients. EDRs, CDRs and GDRs are generally issued by foreign banks and evidence ownership
of either foreign or domestic securities. Certain institutions issuing ADRs, ADSs, EDRs or GDRs
may not be sponsored by the issuer of the underlying foreign securities. A non-sponsored
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depositary may not provide the same shareholder information that a sponsored depositary is
required to provide under its contractual arrangements with the issuer of the underlying foreign
securities. Holders of an unsponsored depositary receipt generally bear all the costs of the
unsponsored facility. The depositary of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation
to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to
pass through to the holders of the receipts voting rights with respect to the deposited securities.
Market Access Product Risk. Investments in instruments such as participatory notes (P-Notes),
low exercise price warrants (LEPWs), and other similar types of access products (“Market Access
Products”), are linked to equity securities issued by an underlying company (“Reference
Securities”). Market Access Products are issued by financial institutions or other counterparties
that are unaffiliated with the issuers of the Reference Securities. The amounts payable to a client
with respect to the Market Access Products will be dependent upon various factors, including the
price or level of, or changes in the price or level of, such Reference Securities. In addition, the
amounts payable to a client with respect to the Market Access Products may be in one or more
currencies, which may be different from the currency in which the Reference Securities are
denominated. An investment in Market Access Products may entail significant risks not associated
with investments in conventional equity securities. The lack of a liquid secondary market for these
products may prevent us from closing a position and could adversely impact our ability to realize
profits or limit losses. Market Access Products are also subject to counterparty risk, meaning the
party that issues the product may experience a significant credit event and may be unwilling or
unable to make timely settlement payments or otherwise honor its obligations. Depending on the
terms of the securities, Market Access Products may be redeemed or called at the option of the
issuer upon the occurrence of certain events, including certain regulatory events, which could
result in a client’s investment being liquidated at an inopportune time. Additionally, if
interpretations by applicable tax authorities change, a client could be assessed tax charges with
respect to prior year transactions.
Risk of Investing in Europe. Most developed countries in Western Europe are members of the
European Union (“EU”), and many are also members of the European Economic and Monetary
Union, which requires compliance with restrictions on inflation rates, deficits, and debt levels.
Therefore, changes in regulations on trade, decreasing imports or exports, changes in the exchange
rate of the euro and recessions among European countries may have a significant adverse effect
on the economies of other European countries. The risk of investing in securities in the European
markets may also be heightened since the United Kingdom left the EU (known as “Brexit”) and it
entered into a transition period. There is still considerable uncertainty regarding the potential
consequences of Brexit, including with respect to the negotiations of new trade agreements during
the transition period and whether Brexit will have a negative impact on the EU. In addition, one
or more countries may abandon the euro and/or withdraw from the EU. In addition, some countries
in Europe have suffered terrorist attacks. There is a risk that additional attacks may occur in the
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future and such attacks may cause uncertainty in the financial markets. These risks, among others,
could potentially have an adverse effect on the value of such investments.
Risk of Investing in China A-shares. China A-shares of eligible Chinese companies are listed and
traded on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (“SSE”) or the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (“SZSE”)
through the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect or the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect
programs (collectively referred to as “Stock Connect”). China A-shares are shares of mainland
Chinese companies that trade on Chinese stock exchanges such as the SSE or SZSE. Stock
Connect is a securities trading and clearing program developed by the Hong Kong Securities
Clearing Company Limited, China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation Limited, and
the SSE or SZSE. Stock Connect provides, among other things, foreign investment opportunities
through market access in the People’s Republic of China (“PRC” or “Mainland China” or
“China”). Stock Connect allows investors to trade and settle shares on each market through their
local exchanges and brokers in Hong Kong. There are special considerations and risks associated
with investing in China A-shares via Stock Connect. China A-shares, are subject to clearing,
settlement, and custody risks, day trading restrictions, daily quota limitations, and less market
liquidity, which could impact successful implementation of an investment strategy. Additional
considerations include foreign shareholding restrictions, different fees, costs, and taxes imposed
on foreign investors purchasing China A-shares through Stock Connect. Mainland China
implemented tax reforms in recent years and may amend or revise its existing tax laws in the future.
These amendments may have retroactive effects. Uncertainties in Chinese tax rules could result in
unexpected tax liabilities.
Risk of Investing in Emerging Markets. Investments in emerging markets, including those in Asia,
Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Africa, involve a greater degree of risk than investing in
developed countries. Among others, emerging market investments may be subject to the following
risks: less publicly available information; more volatile markets and unstable market conditions;
changes in interest rates; availability of credit and inflation rates; less liquidity or available credit;
uncertainty in enforceability of documents; changes in local laws and regulations (including
nationalization of industries); political or economic instability (including wars, terrorist acts or
security operations); the relatively small size of the securities markets in such countries and the
low volume of trading and less strict securities market regulation; less favorable tax or legal
provisions; price controls and other restrictive governmental actions; changes in or non-approval
of tariffs or other fees or rates charged, potential severe inflation or other serious adverse economic
developments; unstable currency; expropriation of property; confiscatory taxation; imposition of
withholding and other taxes on income or gross sales proceeds or dispositions; fluctuations in the
rate of exchange between currencies, non-convertibility of currencies which can result in the
inability to repatriate funds, costs associated with currency conversion; and certain government
policies that may restrict a client’s investment opportunities. The foregoing may result in lack of
liquidity and in price volatility.
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The economies of emerging markets may differ, favorably or unfavorably, from the economies of
developed countries in such respects as growth of gross domestic product, rate of inflation,
currency depreciation, asset reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, and balance of payments
position. In addition, emerging market countries may have a greater risk of default on external
debt when their economies experience a downturn. These risks of sovereign default could
adversely affect the value of a client’s portfolio. Furthermore, emerging markets are generally
heavily dependent upon international trade and, accordingly, have been and may continue to be
adversely affected by trade barriers, exchange controls, managed adjustments in relative currency
values, and other protectionist measures imposed or negotiated by the countries with which they
trade. The economies of certain emerging markets may be based predominantly on only a few
industries which may be vulnerable to changes in trade conditions and may have higher levels of
debt or inflation.
Companies in emerging market countries are generally subject to less stringent and less uniform
accounting, auditing, corporate governance, and financial reporting standards, practices, and
disclosure requirements than those applicable to companies in developed countries. In particular,
valuation of assets, depreciation, exchange differences, deferred taxation, contingent liabilities,
and consolidation may be treated differently from accounting standards in more developed
countries. Consequently, there is generally less publicly available information about emerging
market companies than developed market companies.
Certain issuers located in emerging markets, such as banks and other financial institutions, may be
subject to less stringent regulations than would be the case for issuers in developed countries;
therefore, investments in these entities potentially carry greater risk. In addition, a client’s
investment opportunities in certain emerging markets may be restricted by legal limits on foreign
investment in local securities, restrictions on the ability to convert currency, or to take currencies
out of certain countries.
In emerging markets, there is often less governmental supervision and regulation of business and
industry practices, stock exchanges, over-the-counter markets, brokers, dealers, counterparties,
and issuers than in other more established markets. Any regulatory supervision that is in place
may be subject to manipulation or control. Some emerging market countries do not have mature
legal systems comparable to those of more developed countries. Moreover, the process of legal
and regulatory reform may not proceed at the same pace as market developments, which could
result in investment risk. Legislation to safeguard the rights of private ownership may not yet be
in place in certain areas, and there may be the risk of conflict among local, regional, and national
requirements. In certain cases, the laws and regulations governing investments in securities may
not exist or may be subject to inconsistent or arbitrary interpretation. Both the independence of
judicial systems and their immunity from economic, political, or nationalistic influences remain
largely untested in many countries. Clients may also encounter difficulties in pursuing legal
remedies or in obtaining and enforcing judgments in non-U.S. courts.
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Settlement in Emerging Markets. There can be no guarantee of the operation or performance of
settlement, clearing, and registration of transactions in emerging market countries nor can there be
any guarantee of the solvency of any securities system or that such securities system will properly
maintain the registration of a client or a client’s custodian as the holder of securities. Where
organized securities markets and banking and telecommunications systems are underdeveloped,
concerns inevitably arise in relation to settlement, clearing, and registration of transactions in
securities where these are acquired, other than as direct investments. Furthermore, due to the local
postal and banking systems in many emerging market countries, no guarantee can be given that all
entitlements attaching to quoted and over-the-counter traded securities acquired by a client,
including those related to dividends, can be realized.
Some emerging markets currently dictate that monies for settlement be received by a local broker
a number of days in advance of settlement, and that assets are not transferred until a number of
days after settlement. This exposes the assets in question to risks arising from acts, omissions, and
solvency of the broker and counterparty risk for that period of time.
Emerging Market Exchange Control and Repatriation. It may not be possible for a client to
repatriate capital, dividends, interest, and other income from emerging markets, or it may require
government consent to do so. Clients could be adversely affected by the introduction of, or delays
in, or refusal to grant any such consent for the repatriation of funds or by any official intervention
affecting the process of settlement of transactions. Economic or political conditions could lead to
the revocation or variation of consent granted prior to an investment being made in any particular
country or to the imposition of new restrictions.
Emerging Market Inflation Risk. Some countries in which clients may invest have experienced
substantial rates of inflation in recent years. Inflation and rapid fluctuations in inflation rates have
had, and may in the future have, negative effects on the economies and securities markets of certain
emerging economies. There can be no assurance that inflation will not become a serious problem
in the future and have an adverse impact on a client’s investments in these countries or a client’s
returns from such investments.
Emerging Market Custodial Risk. A client’s custodian will have custody of the client’s securities,
cash, distributions, and rights accruing to the client’s securities accounts. If a custodian holds cash
on behalf of the client, the client may be an unsecured creditor in the event of the insolvency of
the custodian.
Local custody services remain underdeveloped in many emerging market countries and there is
transaction and custody risk involved in dealing in such markets. In certain circumstances clients
may not be able to recover some of their assets. Such circumstances include any acts or omissions
or the liquidation, bankruptcy or insolvency of a sub-custodian, retroactive application of
legislation and fraud or improper registration of title. The costs borne by the client from investing
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and holding investments in such markets will generally be higher than in organized securities
markets.
Frontier Markets Risk. Frontier markets have similar risks to emerging markets, except that these
risks are often magnified in a frontier market due to its smaller and less developed economy. As
a result, frontier markets may experience greater changes in market or economic conditions,
financial stability, price volatility, currency fluctuations, and other risks inherent in foreign
securities.
Uncertain Geopolitical Events and Market Disruption. International and/or local geopolitical
events, including large-scale military operations and conflicts, and the instability in various parts
of the world could have adverse effects on the global economy and may exacerbate some of the
general risk factors related to investing in certain strategies. A military operation involving, or in
the vicinity of, a portfolio company in which a client invests may result in a liability far in excess
of available insurance coverage. Similarly, prices for certain commodities and natural resources
could be affected by available supply, which could be affected by military operations in areas in
which such commodities and natural resources are located. There is likely to be considerable
uncertainty with respect to such disruptions and their impact across the global economy. The
impact of such military operations and disruptions to the global economy on a client is difficult to
predict but they may adversely affect the return on a client and their respective investments. There
may be detrimental implications for the value of certain of their investments (including valuing
certain investments to zero), their ability to enter into transactions, or to value or realize such
investments or otherwise to implement their investment program.
Russian Invasion of Ukraine. In February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the
Russian military to invade two regions in eastern Ukraine and subsequently, the United States,
United Kingdom and European Union announced sanctions against Russia. Given the ongoing and
evolving nature of the conflict between the two nations and its ongoing escalation (such as Russia’s
decision to place its nuclear forces on high alert and the possibility of significant cyberwarfare
against military and civilian targets globally), it is difficult to predict the conflict’s ultimate impact
on global economic and market conditions, and, as a result, the situation presents material
uncertainty and risk with respect to the clients and the performance of their investments or
operations, and the ability of the clients to achieve their investment objectives.
Israel-Hamas War. On October 7, 2023, the Hamas militant group breached the fences separating
Israel and Gaza and carried out a violent terrorist attack. The foregoing attack sparked an armed
conflict, which is currently ongoing, between Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups and
Israel, known as the 2023 Israel-Hamas war and which has created tremendous unrest and
uncertainty in the region. A further expansion of the hostilities between Israel and Palestine could
have significant international ramifications. The 2023 Israel-Hamas war could potentially have a
significant adverse impact and result in significant losses to the Funds, including those described
above in “Russian Invasion of Ukraine”. The ultimate impact of the Israel-Hamas war and its effect
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on global economic and commercial activity and conditions, and on the operations, financial
condition and performance of the clients or any particular industry, business or investee country,
and the duration and severity of those effects is impossible to predict.
Brexit and Eurozone Risk. The United Kingdom including Britain exited the European Union
(“EU”) in what is commonly referred to as “Brexit”, resulting in significant volatility in British,
broader European, and global markets, and added uncertainty to future market developments. The
continuing effects of Brexit, and any similar future developments, may cause sever adverse effects
to financial prospects in the countries and regions involved, as well as globally. Other countries
could decide to exit the EU, adding further uncertainties. Further, as a result of the past decade’s
financial crisis in Europe, in particular in Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, and Spain, the European
Commission took various major measures to provide funding to Eurozone countries in financial
difficulty, seeking to stabilize national economies. Despite these measures, concerns persist
regarding the indebtedness of certain Eurozone countries and their ability to meet their financial
obligations, the overall stability of the Eurozone and its members, and the suitability of certain
states to be members of the Eurozone. These and other concerns could lead to the reintroduction
of individual currencies in one or more member states of the EU or, in more extreme
circumstances, the possible dissolution of the Eurozone entirely. Should the Eurozone dissolve
entirely, the legal and contractual consequences for holders of Euro-denominated obligations
would be determined by laws in effect at such time. Such events may subject certain investments
to particular risks of loss or volatility.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Sands Capital’s and its affiliates’ ability to use,
manage, and aggregate data may be limited by the effectiveness of its policies, systems, and
practices that govern how data is acquired, validated, used, stored, protected, processed, and
shared. Failure to manage data effectively, and to aggregate data in an accurate and timely manner,
may limit the Sands Capital’s ability to manage current and emerging risks, as well as to manage
changing business needs and to adapt to the use of new tools, including recent advances in artificial
intelligence and machine learning technologies (collectively, “AI Services”). The rapid growth
and widespread use of AI Services has the potential to pose risks to Sands Capital, its clients, and
the portfolio companies. Sands Capital and its staff members expect to use AI Services in
connection with Sands Capital’s business activities, including to support Sands Capital’s due
diligence and investment activities. While Sands Capital’s policies may restrict or prescribe
certain uses of third-party and open source AI Services, Sands Capital’s employees and consultants
and a client’s portfolio companies will under certain circumstances use these tools, which poses
additional risks relating to the protection of Sands Capital’s and such portfolio companies’
proprietary data, including the potential exposure of Sands Capital’s or such portfolio companies’
confidential information to unauthorized recipients and the misuse of Sands Capital’s or third-
party intellectual property, which could adversely affect Sands Capital, its clients, or the portfolio
companies. Use of AI Services may result in allegations or claims against Sands Capital, a client,
or its portfolio companies related to violation of third-party intellectual property rights,
unauthorized access to or use of proprietary information, and failure to comply with open-source
software requirements. AI Services are highly reliant on the accuracy, adequacy, completeness
and objectivity of their underlying data, and any inaccuracies, deficiencies or biases in this data
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may produce inaccurate, misleading, or incomplete responses that could lead to errors in Sands
Capital’s, and its employees’ and consultants’, decision-making, portfolio management,
investment processes, or other business activities, which could have a negative impact on Sands
Capital or on the performance of its clients and its portfolio companies. Such AI Services could
also be used against Sands Capital, a client, or its portfolio companies in criminal or negligent
ways. AI Services have the potential to result in significant and disruptive changes in companies,
sectors or industries, including those in which the clients invest, and any such changes could render
Sands Capital’s underwriting models obsolete or create new and unpredictable operational, legal
and/or regulatory risks. To the extent competitors of Sands Capital, the clients and the portfolio
companies make more efficient or extensive use of AI Services, there is a possibility that such
competitors will gain a competitive advantage. Additionally, Sands Capital, the clients and the
portfolio companies could be further exposed to the risks of AI Services if third-party service
providers or any counterparties, whether or not known to Sands Capital, use AI Services in their
business activities. Sands Capital will not be able to control the use of AI Services in third-party
products or services, including those provided by Sands Capital’s and its affiliates’ service
providers. AI Services and their applications, including in the financial sector, continue to develop
rapidly, and have recently become subject to increased scrutiny from lawmakers and regulators. It
is impossible to predict the future risks that may arise from such developments as well as the
growing prominence of AI Services in general. Any of the foregoing factors could have a material
and adverse effect on Sands Capital, the clients and the portfolio companies.
The foregoing is only a summary of the potential risks to which a client may be subject by investing
in an investment strategy and strategies may be subject to different risks over time. Clients are
encouraged to consult with their advisors to determine whether they should make an investment
in a particular investment strategy.
Item 9 – Disciplinary Information
Registered investment advisers are required to disclose all material facts regarding any legal or
disciplinary event that would be material to an evaluation of their advisory business or the integrity
of their management. Sands Capital has no such events and, therefore no information to disclose
pursuant to this Item.
Item 10 – Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
Sands Capital LP is the sole member of the Advisory Affiliates. Affiliates of Sands Capital serve
as general partners of private funds advised by the Advisory Affiliates, and Sands Family Trust,
LLC is the manager of the Advisory Affiliates. Sands Capital has entered into a services agreement
with the Advisory Affiliates. Pursuant to this shared services arrangement, Sands Capital is
providing the staff members and resources (e.g., including trading, investment research, marketing,
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compliance, human resources and other finance or administrative services) in order for the
Advisory Affiliates to conduct their business.
Sands Capital shares proprietary research and other information with the Advisory Affiliates and
the Advisory Affiliates share similar information with Sands Capital from time to time.
Certain clients of Sands Capital are also clients or investors of the Advisory Affiliates. The
Advisory Affiliates and Sands Capital refer clients or investors to each other from time to time.
Client participation, if any, in investment opportunities identified by the Advisory Affiliates is
made through investments in pooled investment vehicles, which purchase and hold the securities
of the underlying portfolio companies, through separately managed accounts, or through direct
investments by such clients. Officers, staff members, and affiliates of Sands Capital invest in these
opportunities alongside clients of the Advisory Affiliates or on a side-by-side basis through
separate investment vehicles and invest in opportunities that are not presented to clients.
Additionally, in the event the securities issued by a portfolio company in which the Advisory
Affiliates’ clients, officers, staff members, or affiliates have indirectly invested become listed on
a national securities exchange and if the listed company meets the criteria for one of Sands
Capital’s strategies, we may invest, and have invested, in such securities for our client accounts.
For a description of potential conflicts of interest created by the relationship among Sands Capital
and its affiliates, including its Advisory Affiliates, as well as a description of how such potential
conflicts are addressed, please see Item 11 – Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client
Transactions, and Personal Trading.
Sands Capital Emerging Markets Growth Fund-GP, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company,
serves as general partner of Sands Capital Emerging Markets Growth Feeder Fund (DE), L.P., a
Delaware limited partnership. Sands Capital Emerging Markets Growth Fund-GP Limited, a
Cayman Islands exempted limited company, serves as general partner of Sands Capital Emerging
Markets Growth Master Fund, L.P., a Cayman Islands exempted limited partnership (see Item 7 –
Types of Clients for additional information).
Sands Capital Team Fund-GP, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, serves as general
partner of Sands Capital Team Fund, L.P., a Cayman Islands exempted limited partnership (see
Item 7 –Types of Clients for additional information).
Please refer to Item 7 – Types of Clients for information regarding our mutual fund advisory and
sub-advisory relationships.
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Item 11 – Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions, and Personal
Trading
Sands Capital has adopted a Code of Ethics in compliance with the Advisers Act and the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. Sands Capital has designed the Code of Ethics to
help ensure it meets its fiduciary obligations to its clients as well as to emphasize a culture of
compliance at the firm.
Conflicts of interest arise in connection with Sands Capital staff members having knowledge about
the timing of transactions, opportunities, and/or broker selections and, therefore, have information
about the implications of such transactions. As a result, Sands Capital’s staff members are in a
position to use such information to their advantage and/or to the possible disadvantage of the
clients. Additionally, staff members of Sands Capital and its affiliates provide advice and take
action in connection with their investment advisory duties for some clients that differ from advice
given, or the timing of actions taken, for other clients or with respect to their personal accounts.
Therefore, while our staff members are permitted to buy or sell securities, or increase or decrease
positions in securities for their own accounts that we also purchase or sell for our clients, including
the purchase of private companies that they recommend to clients at or after initial public offering
(“IPO”), these transactions must be in accordance with our Code of Ethics (which includes our
personal trading policy) and our Insider Trading Policy. The Code of Ethics permits trading in
securities, including securities held by clients, subject to certain restrictions. Pre-clearance of
equity transactions is required. Our staff members are generally prohibited from purchasing or
selling securities that are part of an Investment Action (defined as a change in the holdings or
weights of a model portfolio) for a designated time period (a “blackout period”) before and after
the security has been purchased or sold for clients. However, staff members are permitted to trade
in the same securities as clients during client cash flow transactions and in some cases get better
market prices on their executions than clients receive on their cash flow transactions. Staff
members are not required to take the same action for their personal account as they recommend
for a client account and conversely, staff members are not required to take the same action for a
client account as they would for their personal account. Please refer to “Trading Procedures –
Cash Transactions” under Item 12 – Brokerage Practices for additional information covering these
types of transactions.
Certain personal securities transactions must receive written approval from the Chief Compliance
Officer or her designee before the transaction can be initiated. The Code of Ethics requires
periodic reporting of personal securities transactions and holdings reports upon hire and annually
thereafter. Each calendar quarter, our staff members are required to provide all transactions in
reportable securities to the Compliance Team. All Sands Capital staff members must also comply
with all applicable federal securities laws. On a periodic basis, Sands Capital staff members are
required to certify that they have read, understand, and have complied with the Code of Ethics and
Insider Trading Policy.
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A copy of our Code of Ethics is available upon request. Please contact the Compliance Team at
(703) 562-4000, writing to 1000 Wilson Blvd., Suite 3000, Arlington, VA 22209, or emailing
complianceteam@sandscap.com.
Sands Capital reserves the right to refine and modify the Code of Ethics and its other policies and
procedures over time. No investor or prospective investor should invest with Sands Capital on the
basis of, or otherwise rely on, the provisions thereof, and any such refinements or modifications
have the potential to materially affect the investments available to the clients or the expenses borne
thereby.
Inside Information
At times, officers and/or staff members of Sands Capital or its affiliates come into possession of
material non-public information. Sands Capital and its affiliates operate without ethical screens
or information barriers. As a result, Sands Capital and its affiliates generally impute material non-
public information received by one to all investment professionals. We have adopted an Insider
Trading Policy applicable to Sands Capital, its affiliates, and their respective staff members to
address trading (either personally or on behalf of others) using material non-public information.
In compliance with our policies and procedures and applicable securities laws, Sands Capital or
its affiliates, and their staff members are prohibited from using or sharing such information to buy
or sell securities for clients and in their personal accounts, until the information has been disclosed
to the public, or is no longer material. Consequently, a client may be restricted from initiating a
transaction or selling an investment which, if such information has not been known to it, may have
been undertaken on account of applicable securities laws. Due to these restrictions, a client may
not be able to make an investment that it otherwise might have made or sell an investment that it
otherwise may have sold. The inability to buy or sell securities could adversely affect the client’s
liquidity (ability to raise or invest cash), guidelines or restrictions and investment results. In the
event Sands Capital receives material non-public information in connection with its investment
advisory activities and services, Sands Capital may at times be restricted from disclosing such
information to its clients or to use such information to effect transactions for its clients. In certain
circumstances, Sands Capital is be prohibited from disclosing or using such information to benefit
a client. Additionally, Sands Capital or its affiliates or their respective staff members could be
independent directors or insiders of public companies in which Sands Capital is invested or seeks
to invest, and as a result Sands Capital’s trading in such securities may be restricted.
From time to time, Sands Capital staff members: (i) serve on boards of directors and/or investment
committees of other organizations that currently are, or may in the future become, clients of Sands
Capital or its affiliates; (ii) in connection with the Advisory Affiliates, serve on the board of
directors of a private company or have access to such a board through contractual rights of board
observership; or (iii) be members of the boards of directors of publicly or privately held companies.
This presents a conflict of interest if Sands Capital staff members become aware of material non-
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public information. Sands Capital may be unable to engage in transactions on behalf of clients
while in possession of such information and place the security in question on a “restricted” list.
At times, we intentionally obtain material, nonpublic information in order to assess an opportunity
to participate in a transaction for certain client accounts. We maintain procedures and controls
designed to segregate the information and limit its distribution to a small group of restricted staff
members when practical. Those controls include a temporary restriction on trading in the issuer’s
securities across all client accounts, including accounts that will not benefit from the transaction
being considered. Before we take any steps that will result in a broad restriction on trading, we
consider a variety of factors including the expected impact on any affected client accounts, the
general merits of the investment opportunity and the expected duration of the trading restriction.
When a temporary restriction on trading in a security is imposed, a portfolio manager may be
required to forgo an investment decision he or she would otherwise make in client accounts, which
could cause those accounts to experience a loss or be otherwise disadvantaged.
Restricted List
In certain circumstances, particular securities are placed on a “restricted” or “blackout” list. While
a security is on this list, purchases, sales, or other transactions in the security are prohibited. The
reasons for placing a security on the restricted list include, but are not limited to, preventing: (i)
the appearance of impropriety in connection with trading decisions; (ii) the use, or appearance of
the use, of inside information; (iii) regulatory investment limitations from being exceeded; and
(iv) concentration in a particular security.
Side Letters; Most Favored Nation Provisions
Sands Capital enters into certain investment advisory contracts with clients which include different
or preferential rights or terms, including, but not limited to, different fee structures or information
rights. Certain investment advisory contracts also have “most favored nation” provisions, which
allow clients that meet certain criteria and characterizations (including, among other things, type
of client, timing and size of investment made, and legacy status of client) to elect similar terms or
rights. Sands Capital, in its sole discretion, shall determine whether a client meets the necessary
criteria and characterization to elect terms or rights under any “most favored nation” provision.
Except as otherwise agreed with a client, Sands Capital is not required to disclose the terms of
investment advisory contracts with other clients.
Additionally, Sands Capital entered into certain side letter arrangements with certain investors in
the SCM UCITS Funds or SCM Private Funds providing such investors with different or
preferential rights or terms, including, but not limited to, different Management Fees, waiver of
minimum contributions and interest charges, agreeing to different admission dates, withdrawal
dates, lock-up periods, notice periods, other restrictions, and permitting the revocation of
withdrawal notices. Except as otherwise agreed with an investor or required by applicable
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regulation, Sands Capital is not required to disclose the terms of side letter arrangements with other
investors in the same SCM Private Funds.
Securities in which Sands Capital has a Financial Interest
Sands Capital, on behalf of its clients, purchase or sell securities of companies in which Sands
Capital or its affiliates (or their respective officers and staff members) have interests that were
acquired in connection with the activities of the Advisory Affiliates. This creates a conflict of
interest because it produces incentives to promote these securities over others.
From time to time, Sands Capital will establish Seeded Accounts (proprietary accounts that are
generally established for the purpose of developing new investment strategies and products). This
creates a conflict of interest with our client accounts as our portfolio managers may be incented to
focus extra attention on or allocate select investment opportunities to these accounts. To manage
this conflict, we require that trades for Seeded Accounts be executed after the trades of all other
client accounts. Please refer to “Seeded Accounts” under Item 12 – Brokerage Practices for
additional information.
Investment opportunities may, from time to time, be appropriate for Sands Capital and may, from
time to time, be appropriate for clients of an affiliate at the same, different, or overlapping levels
of a portfolio company’s capital structure. Sands Capital may invest, and has invested for its client
accounts, in securities of companies in which the Advisory Affiliates had invested prior to the
company being listed on a national security exchange.
In such cases, our affiliates (and our respective officers and staff members) will have a financial
interest in the listed company. This creates a conflict because we have an incentive to promote
these securities over others.
To help manage these conflicts, we rely on various compliance controls including the following:
• We maintain a Code of Ethics, which reinforces our fiduciary duty to clients and, to address
this specific conflict, prescribes additional restrictions regarding such financial interest;
• We adopted written policies and procedures that staff members are to adhere to when
discussing investments with our clients;
• We have a Conflicts of Interest Board made up of senior executives of Sands Capital and
its affiliates that will assess, and make recommendations with respect to, conflicts of
interest and related policies and procedures;
• We employ technological trading and compliance tools to monitor portfolio activities;
• We review portfolios to ensure investments are consistent with clients’ guidelines and
restrictions; and
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• We have procedures in place to limit the communication of confidential information
between Sands Capital and our affiliates.
Valuation of Private Securities
Sands Capital utilizes the valuation committee of the Advisory Affiliates, as appropriate, to
conduct the valuation of private securities held in client accounts, which inherently involves some
degree of discretion (please see “Private Company Risks” and “Valuation” under Item 8 – Methods
of Analysis, Investment Strategies, and Risk of Loss for additional detail). The exercise of valuation
discretion by Sands Capital’s affiliate gives rise to conflicts of interest because valuations
ultimately impact Sands Capital’s track record and the calculation of client fees.
Other Conflicts of Interest
Sands Capital and its affiliates (including the Advisory Affiliates) engage in a broad range of
activities, including investment activities for their own accounts and for the accounts of other
clients. In the ordinary course of conducting its activities, the interests of a client will, from time
to time, conflict with the interests of Sands Capital, other clients, or their respective affiliates. In
addition, where permitted by our shared policies and procedures manual, Sands Capital shares with
the Advisory Affiliates (and vice versa) investment-related insights gained in the course of
conducting research for particular investment strategies and associated client accounts, including
information relating to publicly and privately held companies. Sands Capital manages many
accounts and investment strategies and as a result, potential conflicts of interest arise with respect
to the amount of time Sands Capital staff members devote to managing particular accounts or
investment strategies. Subject to Sands Capital’s Code of Ethics, Sands Capital’s staff members
are permitted to engage in certain other business activities separate and distinct from their role as
a Sands Capital staff member.
In the case of all conflicts of interest, Sands Capital’s determination as to which factors are
relevant, and the resolution of such conflicts, will be made by Sands Capital in its sole discretion,
using its best judgment and in accordance with any applicable fund governing documents or client
agreements. In resolving conflicts, Sands Capital considers various factors, including the interests
of the applicable clients with respect to the immediate issue and/or with respect to their longer-
term courses of dealing.
Some of the material conflicts of interest encountered by a client are described and disclosed
throughout this Brochure and this Brochure should be read in its entirety for other conflicts.
Item 12 – Brokerage Practices
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Best Execution
We have authority in managing discretionary client accounts to determine the amount and type of
securities to be bought and sold, and in some cases, the securities broker or dealer to be used, and
the commission rate to be paid. We effect portfolio transactions in a manner deemed fair and
reasonable. The primary consideration in all portfolio transactions is prompt execution of orders
in an efficient manner at a favorable price.
Sands Capital maintains a broker list (“Approved Broker List”) to manage broker-dealers with
whom Sands Capital is permitted to trade. There are several reasons for a broker-dealer to be
added to or removed from the Approved Broker List, including, but not limited to, the quality of
the broker-dealer, risks associated with the broker-dealer, and potential conflicts of interest
between the broker-dealer and Sands Capital and/or its staff members. Factors used to assess the
quality of a broker-dealer include, but are not limited to, the quality of the research provided, the
quality of the trading coverage, the quality of trade operations, and whether the broker-dealer has
differentiated technology that may increase Sands Capital’s usability or access to liquidity. Factors
used to assess the risks associated with a broker-dealer include, but are not limited to, minimum
net capital requirements and legal and regulatory matters (including FINRA disclosure events). In
limited circumstances, Sands Capital may transact with broker-dealers who are not on the
Approved Broker List, such as, where the broker-dealer is dealing in an initial public offering,
syndicated/secondary transaction, or follow-on offering, or presents a significant trade that the
trader feels is advantageous to Sands Capital’s clients from a best execution standpoint. Most of
the foregoing factors are subjective considerations made in advance by Sands Capital.
In selecting broker-dealers and negotiating commissions for a particular transaction we consider a
variety of factors, including the price of the security, the quality of execution and liquidity services
provided, the ability to obtain a timely execution, and the size and difficulty of the order. We also
consider the reliability, efficiency, accuracy, and the integrity of the broker-dealer’s general
execution and operational capabilities, the cost to trade away from a directed broker or custodian,
the quality of the broker-dealer’s research products or services and other value-add services, and
the broker-dealer’s financial condition (but do not consider whether Sands Capital or a related
person receives client referrals from a broker-dealer or third party).
Sands Capital seeks to locate large sources of trading liquidity when needed, and to arrange trades
opportunistically with different counterparties and brokers offering the best terms available in
particular trading circumstances. At certain times, Sands Capital seeks sellers or buyers that hold
or seek large positions and have natural incentives to participate on the other side of a large volume
trade. At certain times, Sands Capital will execute large trades with natural counterparties at prices
that differ from current market prices for smaller trades, depending on the nature of the
counterparty, its particular objectives, the size of an available block of securities, efforts to limit
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price movement and market impact, the scope of any broker services in connection with the trade,
and other considerations unique to each trade.
Securities transactions on an agency or principal basis with a broker-dealer result in clients
incurring two transaction costs for a single trade: (i) a commission paid to the executing broker;
and (ii) the market maker’s mark-up or mark-down. Sands Capital does not participate in principal
transactions where Sands Capital, acting for its own account, buys a security from, or sells a
security to, the account of a client.
For clients who utilize a broker-dealer for custody of their assets, in certain cases, we have
discretion to select broker-dealers, other than the broker-dealer who maintains custody of the
client’s assets. We are not in a position to negotiate commission rates or other charges with the
broker-dealer who maintains custody of a client’s assets. Some clients are charged additional fees
when transactions are executed away from a broker-dealer custodian. Furthermore, some clients
have “all-in” fee arrangements with broker dealer custodians. Typically, in these cases we will
direct trades to that broker-dealer. We believe that best execution in listed equity securities
generally is achieved for transactions executed through a broker-dealer custodian.
Sands Capital has clients who have entered into bundled fee arrangements. A client who
participates in a bundled fee arrangement or wrap fee program should consider that, depending on
the level of the wrap fee charged by the broker, the amount of portfolio activity in the client’s
account, the value of the custodial and other services provided under the arrangement, and other
factors, the wrap fee could differ from the cost of such services if they were to be provided
separately. Sands Capital executes foreign exchange transactions for settlement purposes. These
transactions are affected with either the client’s custodian or a third party and, depending upon the
client’s custodian, can incur a ticket charge. Foreign exchange transactions are executed on a spot
basis, are intended to facilitate efficient settlement of transactions, and, depending on the market,
are executed on an incremental basis to account for costs such as, notional dollar amounts, fees,
taxes, and commissions.
Sands Capital convenes its Best Execution Committee on a quarterly basis to review relevant
transactions and discuss topics relating to trade execution and operations. Items addressed
typically include brokerage commissions, trading metrics, counterparty exposure, errors, and trade
cost analysis, among others.
Soft Dollars
Overview
Pursuant to the safe harbor provided in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended (“Section 28(e)”) and to the extent permitted by other applicable law, a broker who
executes a portfolio transaction may receive a commission that is in excess of the amount of
commission another broker would have charged for effecting that transaction if the investment
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adviser determines in good faith that such compensation was reasonable in relation to the value of
the brokerage and research services provided. This determination may be made on the basis of
either that particular transaction or on the basis of the overall responsibility which the investment
adviser and its affiliates have for accounts over which they exercise investment discretion. When
selecting a broker to execute certain client security transactions, Sands Capital often considers the
broker’s ability to provide Section 28(e) eligible research and brokerage services to Sands Capital
and its clients (“soft dollar benefits”). Soft dollar benefits include a variety of research and
brokerage services provided by the broker directly or through third parties that are expected to
provide lawful and appropriate assistance to Sands Capital’s investment decision-making
responsibilities. These services benefit clients as well as Sands Capital and, in some cases, are not
obtainable without the payment of commissions to the providing broker. Sands Capital has an
incentive to select broker-dealers based on the benefits it receives from them, whether or not
pursuant to soft dollar arrangements described herein. As a fiduciary, Sands Capital has an
obligation to seek to obtain best execution of clients’ transactions under the circumstances of the
particular transaction. Consequently, notwithstanding the safe harbor provided under Section
28(e), no soft dollars may be generated unless best execution of the transaction is reasonably
expected to be obtained. Please see “Changes Related to MiFID II” below for additional detail.
Regardless of the manner in which they are generated and received, Sands Capital’s soft dollar
benefits are intended to meet the safe harbor requirements under Section 28(e). A product or
service may have multiple uses, some of which are eligible under the Section 28(e) safe harbor,
and others of which are not. Sands Capital uses soft dollars to pay for that portion of the product
or service that falls within the safe harbor and makes a reasonable allocation of the cost of the
product or service according to its use. In addition, Sands Capital uses soft dollars to pay for
eligible research or brokerage products or services that are available to be used by the Advisory
Affiliates for the benefit of the Advisory Affiliates and their clients.
Brokers provide Sands Capital a variety of products and services through soft dollar benefits
arrangements that include, but are not limited to: (i) furnishing advice as to the value of securities
and the advisability of investing, purchasing, or selling securities; (ii) furnishing analysis and
reports concerning issuers, securities, and performance of accounts; (iii) providing access to third-
party research including, without limitation, discussions with third-party analysts, corporate
management teams, and groups of professionals with expertise in particular industries and/or
subject matter areas (e.g. expert networks) for advice regarding existing or potential investments;
or (iv) facilitating securities transactions and performing functions incidental to such transactions,
such as clearance, settlement, and custody. Research services received also include data (including
alternative data), seminars, written reports, telephone contacts, and meetings with sell-side security
analysts, economists, and senior representatives of issuers. Research services received are
supplemental to our own research efforts and, when used, are subject to internal analysis before
incorporation into our investment process.
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The use of soft dollar benefits creates a conflict of interest because a client’s brokerage
commissions pay for products and services that do not exclusively benefit such client but benefit
Sands Capital or other clients of Sands Capital, the Advisory Affiliates and their clients. Client
accounts that pay a greater amount of commissions relative to other accounts generally bear a
greater share of the cost of brokerage and research services than such other accounts. Certain soft
dollar benefits practices benefit some clients more than others. Research services that are paid for
with soft dollars are available for the benefit of all accounts managed or advised by Sands Capital
and the Advisory Affiliates.
In addition, the availability of these non-monetary benefits has the ability to influence Sands
Capital’s selection of a particular broker over another to perform services for clients. Where a
broker does not provide a dollar value of any research products and services or brokerage services
obtained with clients’ commissions, Sands Capital will make a good faith determination that the
amount of commission paid is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research
products and services provided.
Commission Sharing Arrangements
Sands Capital obtains some of its soft dollar benefits through commission-sharing arrangements
(“CSAs”) with certain brokers. Under CSAs, Sands Capital arranges with executing brokers to
“unbundle” their commission rates in order to allocate a portion of total commissions paid to a
pool of “credits” maintained by the broker that can be used, at the direction of Sands Capital, to
obtain soft dollar benefits made available by service providers. After accumulating credits within
the pool, Sands Capital directs the broker to use credits to pay service providers for soft dollar
benefits made available to Sands Capital.
Sands Capital seeks to match the level of credits accumulated in pools held by various brokers
with its anticipated soft dollar benefit requirements based on an annual vote by the Global Research
Team that rates the quality of the research provided by the brokers and at the discretion of the
Director of Research. CSAs will have surpluses or deficits depending on factors such as the timing
of billings for qualifying products or services, the level of trading being executed by Sands Capital,
and the nature of the executions, among other things. Although agreements with brokers
participating in the CSAs typically authorize Sands Capital to request that the broker consider
using pool credits to pay service providers as recommended by Sands Capital, Sands Capital does
not own the pools of credits maintained with brokers in connection with CSAs. Sands Capital uses
the eligible research products and services furnished by brokers in servicing its advisory accounts;
not all such products and services will be used exclusively for the benefit of the clients that pay
execution commissions.
Changes Related to MiFID II
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The European Unions’ Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II (“MiFID II”) provides that
investment advisers registered in the European Union are permitted to receive investment research
provided by third parties only if certain requirements are met. While Sands Capital is not directly
subject to MiFID II, it has contractually agreed with a number of clients in the European Union to
adhere to MiFID II’s requirements with respect to receiving investment research. In light of these
requirements, Sands Capital, through its own resources, bears the cost of all soft dollar benefits
received in connection with managing client accounts located in Europe and the United Kingdom
(“MiFID Clients”). In doing so, Sands Capital’s preference is to pay directly for such benefits out
of its own resources. In instances where Sands Capital is not able to do so, Sands Capital makes
a good faith determination of the cost of such benefits and reimburses such costs to relevant clients
as soon as reasonably practicable (often depending on how frequently a given client has chosen to
be invoiced). In addition, when Sands Capital reimburses these amounts to clients over time, it
will initially cause certain clients to pay more than the lowest available commission rate for
research and brokerage services, but only if Sands Capital determines, in good faith, that the
brokerage rates charged by the broker are reasonable in light of the services provided. Any
products or services obtained in this manner will fall within Section 28(e).
Additionally, as a result of the various potential research arrangements and combinations thereof
described above, clients participating in aggregated trades do not pay a pro rata share of all costs
(i.e., research payments) associated with a particular transaction up front. Generally, MiFID
Clients will pay only the execution portion of commission rates while other clients will pay both
execution and research portions.
Trading for the Advisory Affiliates
Additionally, Sands Capital shares trading desk resources with the Advisory Affiliates. These
trades are subject to the same trade aggregation and allocation policy as described below.
Trade Aggregation and Allocation
Investment Actions are made independently for each investment strategy and are implemented
with specific reference to each applicable client account. We consider a number of factors when
determining to purchase or sell a security for a particular client account including, but not limited
to:
• Any client investment guidelines and restrictions applicable to the account;
• Existing levels of ownership of the investment and other similar securities (including
the nature and size of target positions and existing positions);
• Regulatory restrictions;
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• Applicable market conditions; and
• The immediate availability of cash or buying power to fund the investment and cash
needs.
Investment Actions frequently result in multiple accounts or multiple strategies trading the same
security at the same time over more than one day. When more than one client account seeks to
acquire the same security at the same time it is not always possible to acquire a sufficient number
of shares unless a higher price is paid. Similarly, when more than one client account seeks to sell
a particular security, it is not always possible to obtain as high a price or as large an execution of
the security. We generally aggregate or “block” orders for accounts for which we have investment
discretion. We believe that blocking will result in a more favorable overall execution. We
maintain records that specify the client accounts that are participating in the aggregated order and
the amount of securities intended to be purchased or sold for each account. We seek to aggregate
transactions before execution of the order. However, in certain instances, it is not possible to block
the order prior to execution. In that event, we will seek to block the order at the earliest practicable
time.
Client accounts for which orders are aggregated receive the average price of the transaction, which
could be higher or lower than the price that would otherwise be paid by a client absent aggregation.
Commission rates may not be the same for all client accounts in the aggregated block. In some
instances, this procedure could have an adverse effect on a particular account. In our opinion,
however, the results of this procedure will, on the whole, be in the best interests of each of the
participating client accounts. Please refer to the section above labeled “Soft Dollars”.
If an aggregated order is executed in its entirety, it will be allocated in accordance with the
allocation established for the trade. If the order is partially filled, we will, to the extent practicable,
allocate the order pro rata, based on account size, among participating accounts. When pro rata
allocation is not practicable, we will allocate the order in a fair and equitable manner consistent
with the factors identified above.
From time to time, if aggregation is not feasible due to external factors or is not in the best interest
of clients’, Sands Capital will not be able to aggregate client orders. Factors which preclude order
aggregation include country-specific rules that impede operational efficiency, forbid omnibus
trading, ID market trading, and prefunding requirements, among others. In cases where order
aggregation is not possible, Sands Capital will execute orders on a random basis.
In certain instances, Sands Capital will engage in "step-out" transactions. A step-out trade occurs
when a single broker executes an order and we direct another broker to clear and settle some or all
of the trade. The executing broker formally gives up its obligation and "steps-out" of that portion
of the transaction to the other broker. Step-out transactions are typically entered into in order to
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implement a client's decision to direct brokerage commissions to a specified broker, or for other
reasons.
Trading Procedures – Investment Actions
Investment Actions are made independently for each investment strategy and are implemented
with specific reference to each applicable client account. Investment Actions frequently result in
multiple accounts or multiple strategies trading the same security at the same time over more than
one day.
Trade Notifications for Model Clients
Sands Capital may provide portfolio recommendations to Model Clients. Generally, Model
Clients will be notified of strategy model changes each day after the close of the U.S. markets,
however strategy models are provided to certain clients on a monthly basis. Model Client
notifications will generally be based on the amounts executed each day of the investment action in
the Free Block (see below for a description), but some Model Clients and other discretionary
clients may only receive portfolio holding recommendations after the relevant investment action
is complete. Certain Model Clients may wish to have trade notifications on a less frequent basis
and can opt out of the daily trade notification. Model Clients who wish to receive less frequent
notifications must detail their requirements in writing.
Trading for Discretionary Clients
When trading discretionary client accounts during an Investment Action, we generally adhere to
the sequencing: “Free Block” (accounts that do not have any brokerage restrictions or limitations,
Sands Capital’s mutual fund, SCM Private Funds, SCM UCITS Funds, and SCM CITs see Item 7
– Types of Clients for additional information), followed by “Directed Accounts” (accounts that
have directed us to trade with a particular broker-dealer) and “Trade Away Accounts” (accounts
custodied at a particular broker-dealer that incur additional costs and/or risks if traded away), and
concluded with “Seeded Accounts” (proprietary accounts that are generally established for the
purpose of developing new investment strategies and products and the Proprietary Fund (see Item
7 – Types of Clients for additional information)).
Although the foregoing sequence of trading is our general practice during an Investment Action,
we will at times aggregate Free Block, Directed Account, and Trade Away Account trades. This
typically would occur when the trades for Directed Accounts and Trade Away Accounts are
smaller-sized orders or during a syndicated offer (see below under Public Offerings for additional
information). Prior to executing orders for a strategy model change, the Managing Director, Head
of Trading and Risk Analytics will determine what volume and liquidity parameters to use when
deciding if Directed Account or Trade Away Account orders are appropriate to send to the open
market alongside Free Block trades, or if they should be held until Free Block trading is complete.
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When Directed Accounts and Trade Away Accounts trade, they are blocked together by broker
and traded in a random rotation by broker.
Due to the nature of how we sequence trading, Directed Accounts, Trade Away Accounts, and
Seeded Accounts will experience delays in the execution of strategy model changes when
compared to Free Block accounts. Because Directed Accounts, Trade Away Accounts, and Seeded
Accounts generally trade after Free Block Accounts, it is possible they will not receive as favorable
prices on securities trades as received by Free Block and other non-discretionary accounts that are
notified ahead of them or vice versa.
There are times when clients with individual investment policies or restrictions will not be able to
participate in aggregated transactions and will only be invested in a particular security after
compliance with the investment policies or restrictions has been established. It is possible these
clients will receive a less favorable price on such transactions. Additionally, in cases where a
passive breach of a market value limitation occurs, the client will incur additional transaction costs
in order to keep the account within the investment guidelines.
When strategy model changes take multiple days to trade, and as a result of Model Clients being
informed at the end of each day’s trading, trades executed by Sands Capital’s trading desk will
compete with trades placed by non-discretionary Model Clients. This competition periodically
exposes trades to price volatility and therefore may negatively impact clients. This competition
concern is mitigated when the securities involved have significant trading volume and are highly
liquid.
Trading Procedures – Trade Order for Multiple or Run-On Investment Actions
From time to time, Sands Capital processes multiple Investment Actions in the same strategy at
the same time. This includes instances where separate decisions are made while there are still
ongoing orders, actions that are dependent on other Investment Actions for cash availability, intra-
Investment Action decisions to modify the weight of a currently traded security, or other scenarios
which cause us to merge Investment Actions.
Sands Capital will generally seek to execute orders in an efficient, prudent, and equitable manner.
From time to time, this entails treating the Investment Actions in a manner that deviates from our
traditional sequencing and can lead to orders not being executed in the order in which they were
received. These decisions will be made using our best judgment based on factors such as, client
cash needs, prioritizing Portfolio Manager’s directives, and operational efficiency.
Generally, Sands Capital will maintain sequencing in instances when Investment Actions merge
in order to process orders, manage available cash, and mitigate overall risk most efficiently.
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Trading Procedures – Cash Transactions
Cash transactions are defined as trading orders executed for the day-to-day management of a client
account and are not transactions resulting from Investment Actions or rebalancing. Typical cash
transactions include, but are not limited to:
• Orders executed for client deposits or withdrawals flows;
• Orders executed for the purpose of adherence to client guidelines;
• Orders executed for tax considerations at the request of a client;
• Orders executed to liquidate and close an account; and
• Orders executed to open a new account.
Orders for cash transactions are sent to the trading desk throughout the day. In general, cash
transactions are processed and executed in the order received by the trading desk. To the extent
practicable, cash transactions are executed on the same day as the order is received and, to the
extent possible, are aggregated with other cash transactions.
Public Offerings
From time to time, Sands Capital will participate in initial public offerings, syndicated/secondary
or follow-on offerings, or other investment opportunities expected to be very limited in supply
(“syndicated offerings”) and will seek to allocate these trades pro rata. In certain instances where
pro rata allocation is not possible due to country specific rules Sands Capital will execute orders
on a random basis. Any allocations made outside of the standard pro-rata allocation basis are
reviewed by the compliance team. These situations are rare, and the vast majority of trades are
either completed in full or pro-rated. Please refer to “Trade Aggregation and Allocation” under
Item 12 – Brokerage Practices for additional information about the allocation of trades. Client
accounts that direct brokerage may be constrained from participating in these offerings. These
accounts will purchase securities in the secondary market. The price received by these clients may
be higher or lower than that of clients participating in the syndicated offering. Sands Capital’s
Seeded Accounts, Proprietary Fund and non-discretionary Model Clients will not participate in
syndicated offerings but will typically purchase these securities in the secondary market.
Directed Brokerage Arrangements
We normally select the broker-dealers that execute securities transactions for the accounts we
manage. In certain instances where clients select the broker-dealers (known as “directed
brokerage”), orders for those accounts will not be aggregated with orders for other managed
accounts and will be executed at different prices and commission rates than other client orders for
the same security with the same broker-dealer. When a client instructs us to direct a portion of the
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transactions for its account to a specific broker-dealer, we will treat the clients direction as a
decision by the client to withhold, to the extent of the direction, the discretion that we would
otherwise have in selecting broker-dealers to affect transactions and in negotiating commissions
for the client’s account. Although we will attempt to affect directed brokerage transactions in a
manner consistent with our policy to seek prompt execution of orders in an efficient manner at a
favorable price, we may not be able to obtain such execution for all of these transactions.
Some of our clients have selected a broker-dealer to act as custodian for their assets and will direct
us to execute transactions through that broker-dealer. It is not our practice to negotiate commission
rates with such broker-dealers, even if we recommended the broker-dealer to the client.
Clients directing brokerage may pay higher brokerage commissions than would be paid when we
are free to determine the best available broker. In addition, we will not be able to aggregate
directed brokerage orders with orders for other client accounts. We will typically affect directed
brokerage transactions after those for client accounts for which we have full discretion. Please
refer to “Trading for Discretionary Clients” under Item 12 – Brokerage Practices for additional
information about the sequencing of client trades.
Clients directing brokerage to a particular broker-dealer should consider whether the commissions,
executions, clearance and settlement capabilities, and fees for custodial or other services provided
to the client by that broker-dealer, if applicable, will be comparable to those otherwise obtainable.
We expect custodial and brokerage firms to meet minimum requirements for operational efficiency
and therefore not all custodians and brokerage firms will be acceptable to us. We also reserve the
right to not accept a designated broker-dealer with whom we do not already have a working
relationship.
Certain clients hire us based on the recommendation of an investment consultant or other third
party. We may execute these clients’ securities transactions through their consultant or its affiliate.
We have a conflict of interest in using such brokers because it promotes additional client referrals
from the consultant.
Cross Trades and Principal Transactions
When permitted by applicable law, we will, on infrequent occasions and subject to client consent,
“cross” securities between client accounts. In such transactions, one client will purchase securities
held by another client. Cross transactions are affected when we consider the transaction to be in
the best interests of both clients and at a price determined by reference to independent market
indicators. Neither Sands Capital nor any related party receives any compensation in connection
with such transactions. We maintain a record of each cross trade and the client accounts involved.
Cross trades with a registered investment company are affected in compliance with all applicable
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requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. Please refer to “Best
Execution” under Item 12 – Brokerage Practices for information about principal transactions.
Seeded Accounts
We have established “Seeded Accounts” for the purpose of developing new investment strategies
and products. These accounts are typically in the form of separate accounts and are initially funded
by Sands Capital or its affiliates. As many of our strategies have overlapping securities, it is likely
that Seeded Accounts will invest in some of the same securities as client accounts. It is our policy
to trade Seeded Accounts after all other accounts. In cases where the rotation consists only of Free
Block Accounts and Seeded Accounts, there will be no blocking between the two accounts, and,
in such cases, Seeded Accounts will transact only after the Free Block Accounts have received
their full allocation. As Seeded Accounts are not normally included in Investment Action block
trades to the same extent as client accounts, the price they receive may be better or worse than the
price received by client accounts. Please refer to “Trading Procedures for Investment Actions”
under Item 12 – Brokerage Practices for additional information.
Trade Errors
“Trade errors” are mistakes discovered pre- or post-settlement that have had a financial impact to
client accounts. In this regard, a Trade Error Committee has been established, comprised of
experienced staff members representing relevant functional groups within the firm to address the
resolution of trade errors that may arise, from time to time. We attempt to resolve trade errors
caused by Sands Capital as soon as reasonably practicable after discovery so that the affected
clients will not suffer a loss. Trades will be adjusted as needed in order to put the client in such a
position, as reasonably practical, as if the error had never occurred. If we are at fault for the trade
error, the client will retain any profit when the trade is reversed. If we are at fault for a trade error
and it is at a loss, we generally will reimburse or make clients whole for any material losses. We
will not use one client’s account to correct a trade error in another client’s account and we will not
use future brokerage to compensate a broker either directly or indirectly for absorbing the cost of
correcting a trade error in and earlier transaction.
When a trade error involves more than a single buy or sell, gains/losses owed to a client from an
error will typically be determined on a net basis. When a third party is at fault for a mistake that
caused negative financial impact, Sands Capital may, in its sole discretion, assist to facilitate the
reimbursement on behalf of the impacted client. We do not use soft dollars to resolve trade errors.
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Item 13 – Review of Accounts
Account Review
Sands Capital’s staff members review (at least quarterly) all client accounts on a regular
basis. Most accounts will be reviewed more often, for example when cash flows or Investment
Actions occur. Reviewers will evaluate the composition of a client’s account to that of the
appropriate strategy model, taking into consideration any client specific restrictions or
prohibitions, investment objectives, types of securities owned, investment process, performance,
and similar matters.
Accounts are under continuous review as far as examining the fundamentals of each security
owned in an account. Accounts are reviewed after initial setup. Additional account reviews are
conducted periodically by various teams within Sands Capital for compliance, cash flows, security
weightings, and restrictions to ensure adherence to client guidelines, restrictions, or limitations.
Accounts are also be reviewed upon the occurrence of certain circumstances necessitating a
review, including changes in economic or market conditions, changes in information about a
specific issuer, purchases or sales of securities, or changes in staff members at Sands Capital. At
any time, a client is able request a review of its account.
Client Reporting
Clients or their designated intermediaries typically receive a quarterly report of their accounts
showing each asset and its cost, market value, and percent of total portfolio along with the total
market value. Sands Capital’s year-end record of gains and losses may or may not agree with the
client’s custodian statement. Upon request, we will provide commentary about the investment
strategy and additional details related to transactions, performance, attribution, or other
information on a monthly or other interim basis.
In addition to the reporting provided to all investors, Sands Capital expects to provide certain
investors with additional or more frequent information that other investors will not receive (e.g.
under a side letter, investment management agreement, or in response to diligence or other
requests).
Item 14 – Client Referrals and Other Compensation
Sands Capital relies primarily on the business development activities of our staff members to
solicit new business.
Some of Sands Capital’s clients use consultants to evaluate and recommend investment advisers
and their services, including Sands Capital. Sands Capital is not affiliated with any consultant.
These consultant firms represent multiple clients and prospects and, therefore, have frequent
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interactions with Sands Capital and its affiliates. In addition, Sands Capital and its affiliates may
engage and pay fees to consultants to attend consultant sponsored conferences or purchase
analytical services and other research offered by them.
Sands Capital pays nominal fees to be listed and include information about our investment
strategies in consultant registries or databases that describe services provided by investment
managers including Sands Capital. Sands Capital pays third-party platforms to make Sands
Capital Global Growth Fund (for additional information please see Item 7 Types of Clients Advised
and Sub-Advised Pooled Vehicles) and SCM UCITS Funds (for additional information please see
Item 7 Types of Clients Advised and Sub-Advised Pooled Vehicles) available on their platforms.
From time to time, Sands Capital enters into written referral agreements that involve the payment
of a fee for introductions to prospective clients that lead to an investment mandate. In the event
Sands Capital enters into such an arrangement terms, including the fee structure, will be disclosed
to all affected prospective clients prior to the execution of an investment management agreement
and in accordance with applicable law.
Item 15 – Custody
Sands Capital does not act as custodian of any client account and does not have physical possession
of any client’s funds or securities. Clients with separately managed accounts engage custodians
directly to maintain custody of their funds and securities. Sands Capital is neither party to, nor
responsible for the terms of any contract between a client and their custodian.
Except as mentioned below, Sands Capital does not have custody of client assets.
By virtue of its relationship with the SCM Private Funds, Sands Capital is deemed to have custody
of the funds and securities of the SCM Private Funds. The SCM Private Funds’ cash and securities
are held with one or more “qualified custodians” as defined under the Advisers Act, (generally a
bank or broker dealer) independent of Sands Capital. Investors in the SCM Private Funds receive
custodial statements from these “qualified custodians”. Furthermore, the SCM Private Funds are
subject to annual audits in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles by an
independent public accountant that is registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight
Board and the audited financial statements are distributed to investors within 120 days of the end
of the applicable fund’s fiscal year.
In limited circumstances, Sands Capital is deemed to have custody of clients’ assets who invest
directly in a private company or in investment vehicles (“Private Investment Funds”) sponsored
and/or managed by Sands Capital or its affiliates. Clients investing in Private Investment Funds
will receive quarterly statements directly from the custodian of the Private Investment Fund or, if
such fund is subject to annual audit, audited financial statements prepared in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles. In cases of direct private company investments, the
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relevant securities will be held at the client’s qualified custodian. These client accounts are
required to undergo surprise examinations by an independent public accountant.
Sands Capital has been deemed to have custody of certain other client assets by virtue of having
been granted the authority to directly debit Sands Capital’s investment management fees from such
clients’ accounts. In these arrangements, a client expressly authorizes Sands Capital to instruct
the client’s custodian to periodically deduct the agreed investment management fees directly from
the client’s account and to pay the fees to Sands Capital.
Sands Capital seeks to confirm annually with its separately managed account clients’ custodians
that clients are receiving custodial statements directly from their custodians for accounts in which
authority has been granted to debit Sands Capital’s investment management fees. Clients should
receive, at least quarterly, statements from the broker-dealer, bank, or other qualified custodian
that holds and maintains their investment assets. We urge clients to carefully review their
statements and compare official custodial records to the account statements that we provide. Our
statements could vary from custodial statements based on accounting procedures, reporting dates,
or valuation methodologies of certain securities. Please refer to Item 13 – Review of Accounts for
additional information.
Item 16 – Investment Discretion
We typically accept accounts where we are given full investment discretion (permission to make
investment decisions for the account without prior consultation with the client). In certain cases,
our discretionary authority regarding investments is subject to certain client limitations. These
limitations are recognized as the individual investment policies and restrictions placed by the client
on investments in certain businesses, industries, and/or securities. All such limitations are to be
agreed upon in writing.
Client accounts that are subject to limitations, or have temporarily or partially removed Sands
Capital’s discretionary authority, may not be able to participate in aggregated trades as transactions
for these accounts may be effected only after compliance with applicable limitations has been
established. As a result, these accounts may receive a less favorable execution on portfolio
transactions. Please refer to Item 12 – Brokerage Practices for additional information.
Item 17 – Voting Client Securities
We have adopted policies and procedures with respect to the voting of proxies relating to securities
held in client accounts. When a client has delegated responsibility for voting proxies to us, we
evaluate and vote proxies in a manner consistent with the client’s best interests and in a manner
that is consistent with our fiduciary duties. We may consider certain environmental, social and
governance factors when evaluating proxy matters so that all financial and non-financial risks and
56
opportunities that may materially impact the outcome of an investment are appropriately
considered.
Before voting a particular proxy, our policy is to conduct a reasonable investigation of the
associated matter(s), including, where appropriate, by considering our proxy voting guidelines to
ensure that our voting determination is in the best interests of the relevant clients and is not based
on materially inaccurate or incomplete information. We do not automatically support
management; however, we believe that the recommendation of management on any issue should
be given substantial weight in determining how proxy issues are resolved. Furthermore, there can
be times when we determine that refraining from voting a proxy is in a client’s best interest, such
as when the cost of voting exceeds the expected benefit to the client.
For routine matters (e.g., those matters that are not expected to measurably change the structure,
management, control or operation of the company and are consistent with customary industry
standards and practices, and the laws of the state of incorporation of the applicable company),
Sands Capital will vote in accordance with the recommendation of management, unless, in Sands
Capital’s opinion, such recommendation is not conducive to long term value creation or otherwise
in the best interest of its clients. Non-routine matters (e.g., those matters relating to directors’
liability and indemnity proposals; executive compensation plans; mergers, acquisitions, and other
restructurings submitted to a shareholder vote; anti-takeover and related provisions; and
shareholder proposals) require company-specific and a case-by-case review and analysis. Sands
Capital’s staff members are responsible for notifying the Director of Stewardship or the Chief
Compliance Officer of any potential conflict of interest that may impair Sands Capital’s ability to
vote proxies in an objective manner. The Director of Stewardship and the Chief Compliance
Officer will review each potential conflict and notify the Proxy Committee if they determine there
is a conflict of interest with respect to the proxy vote. The Proxy Committee will determine
whether the conflict is material to that proposal. If the Proxy Committee determines that a conflict
is not material, then Sands Capital may vote the proxy. If the Proxy Committee determines that it
is material, Sands Capital will vote or abstain from voting per the determination of the Proxy
Committee. Prior to voting, Sands Capital may: (i) contact an independent third party for its
recommendation on how to vote and consider voting in accordance with that recommendation; or
(ii) fully disclose the nature of the conflict to clients and obtain their consent as to how we intend
to vote.
If a client participates in a securities lending program, Sands Capital will not be able to vote the
proxy for shares out on loan. Sands Capital will generally not seek to recall for voting the client
shares on loan. However, under rare circumstances, for voting issues that may have a particularly
significant impact on the investment, Sands Capital may request a client to recall securities that
are on loan if Sands Capital determines that the benefit of voting outweighs the costs and lost
revenue to the client and the administrative burden of retrieving the securities.
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Voting proxies of issuers may give rise to a number of administrative or operational issues that
may cause Sands Capital to determine that voting such proxies are not in the best interest of its
clients or that it is not reasonably possible to determine whether voting such proxies will be in the
best interests of its clients. While not exhaustive, the following list of considerations highlights
some potential instances in which a proxy vote might not be entered.
• Sands Capital may receive meeting notices without enough time to fully consider the proxy
or after the cut-off date for voting.
• Sands Capital may be unable to enter an informed vote in certain circumstances due to the
lack of information provided in the proxy statement or by the issuer or other resolution
sponsor.
• A market may require Sands Capital to provide local agents with a power of attorney or
consularization prior to implementing Sands Capital’s voting instructions.
• Proxy materials may not be available in English and require a translator or may require
traveling to a foreign country to vote the security in person.
• Proxy voting in certain countries may require “share blocking.” In such cases, shareholders
wishing to vote their proxies must deposit their shares shortly before the date of the meeting
with a designated depositary. During this blocking period, shares that will be voted at the
meeting cannot be sold until the meeting has taken place and the shares are returned to the
client’s custodian banks. Absent compelling reasons to the contrary, Sands Capital believes
that the benefit to the client of exercising the vote is outweighed by the cost of voting (i.e.,
not being able to sell the shares during this period). Accordingly, if share blocking is
required, Sands Capital generally elects not to vote those shares. The applicable Research
Team member, in conjunction with the Proxy Committee, retains the final authority to
determine whether to block the shares in the client’s portfolio.
visiting
our
website
at
www.sandscapital.com
or
We utilize a third-party service platform that provides vote execution, reporting, and
recordkeeping services. We also engage independent proxy research providers that specialize in
providing a variety of fiduciary-level proxy-related services that include in-depth research, global
issuer analysis, and voting recommendations. While we review these providers’ recommendations,
we vote all proxies based on our own proxy voting policies and in the best interests of clients.
Clients can obtain information regarding how we voted proxies relating to securities held in their
accounts, and/or request a copy of our proxy voting policies and procedures, by contacting the
Compliance Team at (703) 562-4000, writing to 1000 Wilson Blvd., Suite 3000, Arlington, VA
22209,
to
emailing
complianceteam@sandscap.com. Certain voting records are also available on our website.
Class Actions and Other Litigation Matters
In the event a class action is brought to the attention of Sands Capital, and such action may have a
material impact on the financial position of a fund sponsored and advised by Sands Capital, Sands
58
Capital will use reasonable efforts to timely complete administrative class-action processes
necessary to allow participation. For all other clients, Sands Capital will gather and provide any
requisite information it has regarding class action matters at the client’s request, to enable the client
to file the class action. Sands Capital does not take proactive measures to monitor for class actions
in which its clients may be able to participate. All attorneys’ fees, third-party fees, and expenses
related to the class action will be borne by the respective client, including any fund advised by
Sands Capital if applicable.
Item 18 – Financial Information
Registered investment advisers with discretionary authority are required to disclose any financial
commitment that is reasonably likely to impair their ability to meet contractual commitments to
clients. We have no such commitments or any other information to disclose pursuant to this item.
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