Answer: When considering an investment in a reporting issuer, we often get questions on whether the early warning reporting (EWR) requirements apply and whether a report is required under National Instrument 62-104 Take-Over Bids and Issuer Bids or National Instrument 62-103 The Early Warning System and Related Take-Over Bid and Insider Reporting Issues (NI 62-103). Typically, a purchaser must promptly issue a news release and file an early warning report in the prescribed form within two business days of a purchase exceeding the thresholds. However, NI 62-103, in certain instances, may allow a portfolio manager to rely on the alternative monthly reporting (AMR) regime to report the beneficial ownership of, or control or direction over, voting or equity securities (or convertible securities) of the reporting issuer in question within 10 days of each month-end in which a report is required to be made. A separate insider report may also be required to be filed on SEDI under applicable securities regulations with respect to such investment in the reporting issuer unless an exemption is available. In addition to the early warning and insider reports, a portfolio manager should also consider other rules, including whether consent for a purchase of securities would be required under National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations (NI 31-103). For example, NI 31-103 prohibits a registered adviser from causing an investment portfolio it manages (including an investment fund) to purchase a security of an issuer in which a responsible person (as defined in NI 31-103) is a partner, officer or director unless the written consent of the client (which means the unitholders of a fund if the client is a fund) is obtained before the purchase.
There are also other conflict of interest issues to consider in these instances. For example, where the purchase in question is by an investment fund, particularly of larger positions, portfolio managers should consider whether such transaction would be prohibited by conflict of interest rules such as those found in subsection.111(2) of the Securities Act (Ontario). This provision prohibits an investment fund from making an investment in any person or company in which the fund, alone or together with one or more related investment funds, is a substantial security holder (generally, beneficial ownership of voting securities to which are attached more than 20% of the voting rights attached to all of the issuer’s voting securities). The calculation to determine whether the issuer owns 20% or more of a reporting issuer is different for the purposes of s.111 of the OSA and or the purposes of the EWR and AMR regime in NI 62-103.
These rules require careful consideration and can be complex, including with respect to determining a person’s ownership percentage of securities of a reporting issuer. If you have any questions with respect to these requirements, please do not hesitate to contact us.
February 26, 2021