Activity Report 2014

Year in Review

Summary

Luxembourg has set an ambitious agenda to attract Private Equity houses to provide more middle-office related services from Luxembourg, in particular with regard to increasing substance requirements and AIFMD-related
regulatory standards.

Out of the 10 largest Private Equity houses worldwide, 9 are doing business out of Luxembourg. Most have started by leveraging the advantages that Luxembourg holding companies provide when structuring Private Equity acquisitions. But business interests have since driven more substance to Luxembourg. This originally discrete business with little local presence in Luxembourg has fundamentally changed as Private Equity houses have been enhancing their presence in Luxembourg by establishing or ramping up operations and other capabilities.

A clear trend toward enhanced transparency and regulation drove Luxembourg to respond by introducing the regulated private equity and venture capital vehicle SICAR in 2004 and the SIF in 2007 which, in retrospect,
anticipated many of the legal requirements that were introduced in the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (“AIFMD”) in July 2013.

Combining flexibility in legal and tax structuring, a reputable and stable financial environment and efficient infrastructure has brought hundreds of Private Equity participants, both established and emerging, to set up some or all of their Private Equity structures in Luxembourg.
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