In re Titan Fund Management
Titan Fund Management, LLC violated the SEC’s custody rule and Form ADV disclosure requirements by failing to timely distribute GAAP-compliant audited financial statements to investors in its private funds TD I and TD II and delaying updates to its Form ADV, resulting in a cease-and-desist order, censure, and a $95,000 civil penalty.
Titan Fund Management, LLC, a registered investment adviser, violated Section 206(4) and Rule 206(4)-2 of the Investment Advisers Act by failing to distribute audited financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP to investors in its private funds, Titan Development Real Estate Fund I LP and Titan Development Real Estate Fund II LP, within the required 120-day window under the Audited Financials Alternative. It also violated Section 204(a) and Rule 204-1(a) by not promptly updating its Form ADV to reflect the status of fund audits, including a five-month delay in amending its response regarding the unqualified audit opinion for TD I issued on August 13, 2019. As a result, Titan consented to a cease-and-desist order, formal censure, and a $95,000 civil penalty without admitting or denying the findings.
Titan Fund Management, LLC, a registered investment adviser with approximately $239 million in regulatory assets under management, violated the SEC’s Investment Advisers Act by failing to timely distribute GAAP-compliant audited financial statements to investors in its two private funds, Titan Development Real Estate Fund I LP and Titan Development Real Estate Fund II LP, as required under the Audited Financials Alternative of Rule 206(4)-2(b)(4). Titan was deemed to have custody of the funds’ assets due to its related party’s role as general partner, triggering obligations to ensure annual independent audits and prompt distribution of results within 120 days. Additionally, Titan failed to promptly update its Form ADV to reflect the status of these audits, notably delaying the amendment concerning the unqualified audit opinion for TD I—issued on August 13, 2019—until January 10, 2020, a five-month violation of Rule 204-1(a). These failures constituted willful breaches of Sections 204(a) and 206(4) of the Advisers Act, undermining investor transparency and regulatory compliance. Without admitting or denying the findings, Titan consented to an SEC order instituting administrative and cease-and-desist proceedings. The Commission imposed a $95,000 civil penalty, a formal censure, and a cease-and-desist order, requiring Titan to implement compliance measures to prevent future violations.
Extracted insights
- $239.00M $239 million $100M–$1B
- $95K $95,000 $10K–$100K
- person annual audited financial statements
- person delaware limited partnership
- person forms adv
- agency Securities and Exchange Commission
- company titan fund management, llc
- Securities And Exchange Commission instituted Administrative And Cease-And-Desist Proceedings
- Titan Fund Management, Llc submitted Offer Of Settlement
- Securities And Exchange Commission accepted Offer Of Settlement
- Titan Fund Management, Llc failed to distribute Annual Audited Financial Statements
- Titan Fund Management, Llc failed to update Forms Adv
- Titan Fund Management, Llc violated Section 206(4) Of The Advisers Act
- Titan Fund Management, Llc violated Rule 206(4)-2
- Titan Fund Management, Llc violated Section 204(a)
- Titan Fund Management, Llc violated Rule 204-1(a)
- Titan Fund Management, Llc reported $239 Million In Regulatory Assets Under Management
- Titan Development Real Estate Fund I Lp formed as Delaware Limited Partnership
- Titan Development Real Estate Fund Ii Lp formed as Delaware Limited Partnership
- Titan Fund Management, Llc served as investment adviser to Titan Development Real Estate Fund I Lp
- Titan Fund Management, Llc served as investment adviser to Titan Development Real Estate Fund Ii Lp
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Before the
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
INVESTMENT ADVISERS ACT OF 1940
Release No. 6112 / September 9, 2022
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDING
File No. 3-21049
In the Matter of
Titan Fund Management, LLC
Respondent.
ORDER INSTITUTING ADMINISTRATIVE
AND CEASE-AND-DESIST PROCEEDINGS,
PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 203(e) AND
203(k) OF THE INVESTMENT ADVISERS
ACT OF 1940, MAKING FINDINGS, AND
IMPOSING REMEDIAL SANCTIONS AND
A CEASE-AND-DESIST ORDER
I.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) deems it appropriate and in the
public interest that public administrative and cease-and-desist proceedings be, and hereby are,
instituted pursuant to Sections 203(e) and 203(k) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940
(“Advisers Act”) against Titan Fund Management, LLC (“Titan” or “Respondent”).
II.
In anticipation of the institution of these proceedings, Respondent has submitted an Offer
of Settlement (the “Offer”) which the Commission has determined to accept. Solely for the
purpose of these proceedings and any other proceedings brought by or on behalf of the
Commission, or to which the Commission is a party, and without admitting or denying the findings
herein, except as to the Commission’s jurisdiction over it and the subject matter of these
proceedings, which are admitted, Respondent consents to the entry of this Order Instituting
Administrative and Cease-and-Desist Proceedings Pursuant to Sections 203(e) and 203(k) of the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940, Making Findings, and Imposing Remedial Sanctions and a
Cease-and-Desist Order (“Order”), as set forth below.
2
III.
On the basis of this Order and Respondent’s Offer, the Commission finds
1
that:
Summary
1. Titan, a registered investment adviser, is an investment adviser to private funds.
This matter concerns Titan’s violations of the federal securities laws in connection with the financial
statement audits of private funds that Titan advised. Titan failed to timely distribute annual audited
financial statements prepared in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
(“GAAP”) to investors in certain private funds that it advised. In addition, Titan did not promptly
update its Forms ADV as new events regarding those audits occurred. These failures resulted in
violations of Section 206(4) of the Advisers Act and Rule 206(4)-2 thereunder, commonly referred
to as the “custody rule,” and Section 204(a) and Rule 204-1(a) thereunder, which required Titan to
update certain information about Titan’s private fund audits in its Forms ADV.
Respondent
2. Titan Fund Management, LLC (“Titan”) is a Delaware limited liability company
with its principal place of business in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Titan has been registered with
the Commission as an investment adviser since December 2017. On its Form ADV dated May 11,
2022, Titan reported that it had approximately $239 million in regulatory assets under management,
all of which is managed in pooled investment vehicles.
Other Relevant Entities
3. Titan Development Real Estate Fund I LP (“TD I”) is a private fund formed as a
Delaware limited partnership. At all relevant times, an affiliate under common control with Titan
was the general partner of TD I. Titan has been the investment adviser to TD I since October 2017.
4. Titan Development Real Estate Fund II LP (“TD II” and, collectively with TD I, the
“Funds”) is a private fund formed as a Delaware limited partnership. At all relevant times, an
affiliate under common control with Titan was the general partner of TD II. Titan has been the
investment adviser to TD II since October 2020.
Titan Failed to Distribute Required Audited Financial Statements
5. The custody rule requires that registered investment advisers who have custody of
client funds or securities implement an enumerated set of requirements to prevent the loss, misuse,
or misappropriation of those assets.
1
The findings herein are made pursuant to Respondent’s Offer and are not binding on any other person or entity in
this or any other proceeding.
3
6. An investment adviser has custody of client assets if it holds, directly or indirectly,
client funds or securities, or if it has the ability to obtain possession of those assets. See Advisers
Act Rule 206(4)-2(d)(2). A related person of Titan has served as the managing member or general
partner of the Funds at all relevant times, and has had the authority to make decisions for, and act
on behalf of, the Funds. Titan is therefore deemed to have custody of each Funds’ assets as
defined in Advisers Act Rule 206(4)-2.
7. An investment adviser with custody of client assets must, among other things:
(i) ensure that a qualified custodian maintains the client assets; (ii) notify the client in writing of
accounts opened by the adviser at a qualified custodian on the client’s behalf; (iii) have a
reasonable basis for believing that the qualified custodian sends account statements at least
quarterly to clients, except if the client is a limited partnership or limited liability company for
which the adviser or a related person is a general partner or managing member, the account
statements must be sent to each limited partner or member; and (iv) ensure that client funds and
securities are verified by actual examination each year by an independent public accountant at a
time chosen by the accountant without prior notice or announcement to the adviser. See Advisers
Act Rule 206(4)-2(a)(1)-(5).
8. The custody rule provides an alternative to complying with the requirements of
Advisers Act Rule 206(4)-2(a)(2), (3) and (4) for investment advisers to limited partnerships or
other types of pooled investment vehicles. The custody rule provides that an investment adviser
“shall be deemed to have complied with” the independent verification requirement and is not
required to satisfy the notification and accounts statements delivery requirements with respect to a
fund if the fund is subject to audit at least annually and “distributes [the fund’s] audited financial
statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles to all limited
partners . . . within 120 days of the end of [the fund’s] fiscal year” (“Audited Financials
Alternative”). See Advisers Act Rule 206(4)-2(b)(4). The accountant performing the audit must
be an independent public accountant that is registered with, and subject to regular inspection by,
the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”). See Advisers Act Rule 206(4)-
2(b)(4)(ii). An investment adviser to a limited partnership that fails to meet the requirements of the
Audited Financials Alternative to timely distribute audited financial statements prepared in
accordance with GAAP would need to satisfy all of the requirements of Rule 206(4)-2(a)(2)-(4) in
order to avoid violating the custody rule.
9. In 2017 and 2018, with respect to TD I, Titan purported to rely on the Audited
Financials Alternative in order to comply with the custody rule, but Titan failed to timely deliver
the audited financials to TD I’s investors. Accordingly, Titan did not satisfy the requirements of
the Audited Financials Alternative in Rule 206(4)-2(b)(4) for TD I. It was therefore obligated to
comply with Advisers Act Rule 206(4)-2(a)(2), (3) and (4), which Titan also failed to do.
10. In 2020, with respect to TD II, Titan purported to rely on the Audited Financials
Alternative in order to comply with the custody rule, but Titan failed to timely deliver the audited
financials to TD II’s investors. Accordingly, Titan did not satisfy the requirements of the Audited
Financials Alternative in Rule 206(4)-2(b)(4) for TD II. It was therefore obligated to comply with
Advisers Act Rule 206(4)-2(a)(2), (3) and (4), which Titan also failed to do.
4
Titan Failed to Promptly Amend Information
In Its Forms ADV Concerning the Private Fund Audits
11. Item 7.B of Form ADV, Part 1A requires an investment adviser to state whether it
is an adviser to any private fund. In that case, the adviser must also complete Section 7.B.(1) of
Form ADV, Part 1A, Schedule D.
12. Section 7.B.23.(a) requires an investment adviser to disclose the following
information for each private fund managed by the adviser: (i) whether the private fund’s financial
statements are subject to an annual audit (Section 7.B.23.(a)(1)); (ii) whether those financial
statements, if annually audited, are prepared in accordance with GAAP (Section 7.B.23.(a)(2));
(iii) an identification of the auditing firm and whether the firm is an independent public accountant
registered with the PCAOB that is subject to the PCAOB’s regular inspection (Section 7.B.23.(a),
(b), (d), (e), and (f)); and (iv) whether the private fund’s audited financial statements for the most
recently completed fiscal year have been distributed to fund investors (Section 7.B.23.(g)).
13. Last, Section 7.B.23.(h) requires an investment adviser to state whether all of the
audit reports prepared by the auditing firm for each of its advised funds, since the adviser’s last
annual updating amendment, contained unqualified audit opinions. In Section 7.B.23.(h), the
private fund investment adviser must state “Yes,” “No,” or “Report Not Yet Received.”
14. Section 204(a) of the Advisers Act and Rule 204-1(a) thereunder require a
registered investment adviser to amend its Form ADV at least annually, and more frequently as
required by the instructions to Form ADV. In addition, the instructions to Form ADV, Part 1A,
Schedule D, Section 7.B.23.(h) state that “If you check ‘Report Not Yet Received,’ you must
promptly file an amendment to your Form ADV to update your response when the report is
available.”
15. In its Form ADV filing dated March 16, 2019, Part 1A, Schedule D, Section 7.B.,
paragraph 23(h), concerning TD I, Titan stated “Report Not Yet Received” to the question, “Do all
of the reports prepared by the auditing firm for the private fund since your last updating
amendment contain unqualified opinions?” Titan received an audit opinion for TD I on August 13,
2019. However, Titan did not update or revise its Form ADV until January 10, 2020
(approximately 5 months after receiving the audit opinion).
Violations
16. As a result of the conduct described above, Titan willfully
2
violated Sections 204(a)
and 206(4) of the Advisers Act and Rules 204-1(a) and 206(4)-2 thereunder.
2
“Willfully,” for purposes of imposing relief under Section 203(e) of the Advisers Act “‘means no more than that the
person charged with the duty knows what he is doing.’” Wonsover v. SEC, 205 F.3d 408, 414 (D.C. Cir. 2000)
(quoting Hughes v. SEC, 174 F.2d 969, 977 (D.C. Cir. 1949)). There is no requirement that the actor “also be aware
that he is violating one of the Rules or Acts.” Tager v. SEC, 344 F.2d 5, 8 (2d Cir. 1965). The decision in The Robare
Group, Ltd. v. SEC, which construed the term “willfully” for purposes of a differently structured statutory provision,
5
IV.
In view of the foregoing, the Commission deems it appropriate and in the public interest to
impose the sanctions agreed to in Respondent Titan’s Offer.
Accordingly, pursuant to Sections 203(e) and 203(k) of the Advisers Act, it is hereby
ORDERED that:
A. Respondent cease and desist from committing or causing any violations and any
future violations of Sections 204(a) and 206(4) of the Advisers Act and Rules 204-1(a) and 206(4)-2
thereunder.
B. Respondent is censured.
C. Respondent shall, within 10 days of the entry of this Order, pay a civil money
penalty in the amount of $95,000 to the Commission for transfer to the general fund of the United
States Treasury, subject to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 Section 21F(g)(3). If timely
payment is not made, additional interest shall accrue pursuant to 31 U.S.C. §3717.
Payment must be made in one of the following ways:
(1) Respondent may transmit payment electronically to the Commission, which
will provide detailed ACH transfer/Fedwire instructions upon request;
(2) Respondent may make direct payment from a bank account via Pay.gov
through the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov/about/offices/ofm.htm; or
(3) Respondent may pay by certified check, bank cashier’s check, or United
States postal money order, made payable to the Securities and Exchange
Commission and hand-delivered or mailed to:
Enterprise Services Center
Accounts Receivable Branch
HQ Bldg., Room 181, AMZ-341
6500 South MacArthur Boulevard
Oklahoma City, OK 73169
Payments by check or money order must be accompanied by a cover letter identifying
Titan as a Respondent in these proceedings, and the file number of these proceedings; a copy of the
cover letter and check or money order must be sent to Kimberly L. Frederick, Assistant Regional
does not alter that standard. 922 F.3d 468, 478-79 (D.C. Cir. 2019) (setting forth the showing required to establish that
a person has “willfully omit[ted]” material information from a required disclosure in violation of Section 207 of the
Advisers Act).
6
Director, Denver Regional Office, Securities and Exchange Commission, 1961 Stout Street, Suite
1700, Denver, CO 80294.
D. Amounts ordered to be paid as civil money penalties pursuant to this Order shall be
treated as penalties paid to the government for all purposes, including all tax purposes. To
preserve the deterrent effect of the civil penalty, Respondent agrees that in any Related Investor
Action, it shall not argue that it is entitled to, nor shall it benefit by, offset or reduction of any
award of compensatory damages by the amount of any part of Respondent’s payment of a civil
penalty in this action (“Penalty Offset”). If the court in any Related Investor Action grants such a
Penalty Offset, Respondent agrees that it shall, within 30 days after entry of a final order granting
the Penalty Offset, notify the Commission’s counsel in this action and pay the amount of the
Penalty Offset to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such a payment shall not be deemed
an additional civil penalty and shall not be deemed to change the amount of the civil penalty
imposed in this proceeding. For purposes of this paragraph, a “Related Investor Action” means a
private damages action brought against Respondent by or on behalf of one or more investors based
on substantially the same facts as alleged in the Order instituted by the Commission in this
proceeding.
By the Commission.
Vanessa A. Countryman
Secretary
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Before the
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
INVESTMENT ADVISERS ACT OF 1940
Release No. 6112 / September 9, 2022
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDING
File No. 3-21049
In the Matter of
Titan Fund Management, LLC
Respondent.
ORDER INSTITUTING ADMINISTRATIVE
AND CEASE-AND-DESIST PROCEEDINGS,
PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 203(e) AND
203(k) OF THE INVESTMENT ADVISERS
ACT OF 1940, MAKING FINDINGS, AND
IMPOSING REMEDIAL SANCTIONS AND
A CEASE-AND-DESIST ORDER
I.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) deems it appropriate and in the
public interest that public administrative and cease-and-desist proceedings be, and hereby are,
instituted pursuant to Sections 203(e) and 203(k) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940
(“Advisers Act”) against Titan Fund Management, LLC (“Titan” or “Respondent”).
II.
In anticipation of the institution of these proceedings, Respondent has submitted an Offer
of Settlement (the “Offer”) which the Commission has determined to accept. Solely for the
purpose of these proceedings and any other proceedings brought by or on behalf of the
Commission, or to which the Commission is a party, and without admitting or denying the findings
herein, except as to the Commission’s jurisdiction over it and the subject matter of these
proceedings, which are admitted, Respondent consents to the entry of this Order Instituting
Administrative and Cease-and-Desist Proceedings Pursuant to Sections 203(e) and 203(k) of the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940, Making Findings, and Imposing Remedial Sanctions and a
Cease-and-Desist Order (“Order”), as set forth below.
2
III.
On the basis of this Order and Respondent’s Offer, the Commission finds1 that:
Summary
1. Titan, a registered investment adviser, is an investment adviser to private funds.
This matter concerns Titan’s violations of the federal securities laws in connection with the financial
statement audits of private funds that Titan advised. Titan failed to timely distribute annual audited
financial statements prepared in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
(“GAAP”) to investors in certain private funds that it advised. In addition, Titan did not promptly
update its Forms ADV as new events regarding those audits occurred. These failures resulted in
violations of Section 206(4) of the Advisers Act and Rule 206(4)-2 thereunder, commonly referred
to as the “custody rule,” and Section 204(a) and Rule 204-1(a) thereunder, which required Titan to
update certain information about Titan’s private fund audits in its Forms ADV.
Respondent
2. Titan Fund Management, LLC (“Titan”) is a Delaware limited liability company
with its principal place of business in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Titan has been registered with
the Commission as an investment adviser since December 2017. On its Form ADV dated May 11,
2022, Titan reported that it had approximately $239 million in regulatory assets under management,
all of which is managed in pooled investment vehicles.
Other Relevant Entities
3. Titan Development Real Estate Fund I LP (“TD I”) is a private fund formed as a
Delaware limited partnership. At all relevant times, an affiliate under common control with Titan
was the general partner of TD I. Titan has been the investment adviser to TD I since October 2017.
4. Titan Development Real Estate Fund II LP (“TD II” and, collectively with TD I, the
“Funds”) is a private fund formed as a Delaware limited partnership. At all relevant times, an
affiliate under common control with Titan was the general partner of TD II. Titan has been the
investment adviser to TD II since October 2020.
Titan Failed to Distribute Required Audited Financial Statements
5. The custody rule requires that registered investment advisers who have custody of
client funds or securities implement an enumerated set of requirements to prevent the loss, misuse,
or misappropriation of those assets.
1 The findings herein are made pursuant to Respondent’s Offer and are not binding on any other person or entity in
this or any other proceeding.
3
6. An investment adviser has custody of client assets if it holds, directly or indirectly,
client funds or securities, or if it has the ability to obtain possession of those assets. See Advisers
Act Rule 206(4)-2(d)(2). A related person of Titan has served as the managing member or general
partner of the Funds at all relevant times, and has had the authority to make decisions for, and act
on behalf of, the Funds. Titan is therefore deemed to have custody of each Funds’ assets as
defined in Advisers Act Rule 206(4)-2.
7. An investment adviser with custody of client assets must, among other things:
(i) ensure that a qualified custodian maintains the client assets; (ii) notify the client in writing of
accounts opened by the adviser at a qualified custodian on the client’s behalf; (iii) have a
reasonable basis for believing that the qualified custodian sends account statements at least
quarterly to clients, except if the client is a limited partnership or limited liability company for
which the adviser or a related person is a general partner or managing member, the account
statements must be sent to each limited partner or member; and (iv) ensure that client funds and
securities are verified by actual examination each year by an independent public accountant at a
time chosen by the accountant without prior notice or announcement to the adviser. See Advisers
Act Rule 206(4)-2(a)(1)-(5).
8. The custody rule provides an alternative to complying with the requirements of
Advisers Act Rule 206(4)-2(a)(2), (3) and (4) for investment advisers to limited partnerships or
other types of pooled investment vehicles. The custody rule provides that an investment adviser
“shall be deemed to have complied with” the independent verification requirement and is not
required to satisfy the notification and accounts statements delivery requirements with respect to a
fund if the fund is subject to audit at least annually and “distributes [the fund’s] audited financial
statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles to all limited
partners . . . within 120 days of the end of [the fund’s] fiscal year” (“Audited Financials
Alternative”). See Advisers Act Rule 206(4)-2(b)(4). The accountant performing the audit must
be an independent public accountant that is registered with, and subject to regular inspection by,
the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”). See Advisers Act Rule 206(4)-
2(b)(4)(ii). An investment adviser to a limited partnership that fails to meet the requirements of the
Audited Financials Alternative to timely distribute audited financial statements prepared in
accordance with GAAP would need to satisfy all of the requirements of Rule 206(4)-2(a)(2)-(4) in
order to avoid violating the custody rule.
9. In 2017 and 2018, with respect to TD I, Titan purported to rely on the Audited
Financials Alternative in order to comply with the custody rule, but Titan failed to timely deliver
the audited financials to TD I’s investors. Accordingly, Titan did not satisfy the requirements of
the Audited Financials Alternative in Rule 206(4)-2(b)(4) for TD I. It was therefore obligated to
comply with Advisers Act Rule 206(4)-2(a)(2), (3) and (4), which Titan also failed to do.
10. In 2020, with respect to TD II, Titan purported to rely on the Audited Financials
Alternative in order to comply with the custody rule, but Titan failed to timely deliver the audited
financials to TD II’s investors. Accordingly, Titan did not satisfy the requirements of the Audited
Financials Alternative in Rule 206(4)-2(b)(4) for TD II. It was therefore obligated to comply with
Advisers Act Rule 206(4)-2(a)(2), (3) and (4), which Titan also failed to do.
4
Titan Failed to Promptly Amend Information
In Its Forms ADV Concerning the Private Fund Audits
11. Item 7.B of Form ADV, Part 1A requires an investment adviser to state whether it
is an adviser to any private fund. In that case, the adviser must also complete Section 7.B.(1) of
Form ADV, Part 1A, Schedule D.
12. Section 7.B.23.(a) requires an investment adviser to disclose the following
information for each private fund managed by the adviser: (i) whether the private fund’s financial
statements are subject to an annual audit (Section 7.B.23.(a)(1)); (ii) whether those financial
statements, if annually audited, are prepared in accordance with GAAP (Section 7.B.23.(a)(2));
(iii) an identification of the auditing firm and whether the firm is an independent public accountant
registered with the PCAOB that is subject to the PCAOB’s regular inspection (Section 7.B.23.(a),
(b), (d), (e), and (f)); and (iv) whether the private fund’s audited financial statements for the most
recently completed fiscal year have been distributed to fund investors (Section 7.B.23.(g)).
13. Last, Section 7.B.23.(h) requires an investment adviser to state whether all of the
audit reports prepared by the auditing firm for each of its advised funds, since the adviser’s last
annual updating amendment, contained unqualified audit opinions. In Section 7.B.23.(h), the
private fund investment adviser must state “Yes,” “No,” or “Report Not Yet Received.”
14. Section 204(a) of the Advisers Act and Rule 204-1(a) thereunder require a
registered investment adviser to amend its Form ADV at least annually, and more frequently as
required by the instructions to Form ADV. In addition, the instructions to Form ADV, Part 1A,
Schedule D, Section 7.B.23.(h) state that “If you check ‘Report Not Yet Received,’ you must
promptly file an amendment to your Form ADV to update your response when the report is
available.”
15. In its Form ADV filing dated March 16, 2019, Part 1A, Schedule D, Section 7.B.,
paragraph 23(h), concerning TD I, Titan stated “Report Not Yet Received” to the question, “Do all
of the reports prepared by the auditing firm for the private fund since your last updating
amendment contain unqualified opinions?” Titan received an audit opinion for TD I on August 13,
2019. However, Titan did not update or revise its Form ADV until January 10, 2020
(approximately 5 months after receiving the audit opinion).
Violations
16. As a result of the conduct described above, Titan willfully2 violated Sections 204(a)
and 206(4) of the Advisers Act and Rules 204-1(a) and 206(4)-2 thereunder.
2 “Willfully,” for purposes of imposing relief under Section 203(e) of the Advisers Act “‘means no more than that the
person charged with the duty knows what he is doing.’” Wonsover v. SEC, 205 F.3d 408, 414 (D.C. Cir. 2000)
(quoting Hughes v. SEC, 174 F.2d 969, 977 (D.C. Cir. 1949)). There is no requirement that the actor “also be aware
that he is violating one of the Rules or Acts.” Tager v. SEC, 344 F.2d 5, 8 (2d Cir. 1965). The decision in The Robare
Group, Ltd. v. SEC, which construed the term “willfully” for purposes of a differently structured statutory provision,
5
IV.
In view of the foregoing, the Commission deems it appropriate and in the public interest to
impose the sanctions agreed to in Respondent Titan’s Offer.
Accordingly, pursuant to Sections 203(e) and 203(k) of the Advisers Act, it is hereby
ORDERED that:
A. Respondent cease and desist from committing or causing any violations and any
future violations of Sections 204(a) and 206(4) of the Advisers Act and Rules 204-1(a) and 206(4)-2
thereunder.
B. Respondent is censured.
C. Respondent shall, within 10 days of the entry of this Order, pay a civil money
penalty in the amount of $95,000 to the Commission for transfer to the general fund of the United
States Treasury, subject to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 Section 21F(g)(3). If timely
payment is not made, additional interest shall accrue pursuant to 31 U.S.C. §3717.
Payment must be made in one of the following ways:
(1) Respondent may transmit payment electronically to the Commission, which
will provide detailed ACH transfer/Fedwire instructions upon request;
(2) Respondent may make direct payment from a bank account via Pay.gov
through the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov/about/offices/ofm.htm; or
(3) Respondent may pay by certified check, bank cashier’s check, or United
States postal money order, made payable to the Securities and Exchange
Commission and hand-delivered or mailed to:
Enterprise Services Center
Accounts Receivable Branch
HQ Bldg., Room 181, AMZ-341
6500 South MacArthur Boulevard
Oklahoma City, OK 73169
Payments by check or money order must be accompanied by a cover letter identifying
Titan as a Respondent in these proceedings, and the file number of these proceedings; a copy of the
cover letter and check or money order must be sent to Kimberly L. Frederick, Assistant Regional
does not alter that standard. 922 F.3d 468, 478-79 (D.C. Cir. 2019) (setting forth the showing required to establish that
a person has “willfully omit[ted]” material information from a required disclosure in violation of Section 207 of the
Advisers Act).
http://www.sec.gov/about/offices/ofm.htm
6
Director, Denver Regional Office, Securities and Exchange Commission, 1961 Stout Street, Suite
1700, Denver, CO 80294.
D. Amounts ordered to be paid as civil money penalties pursuant to this Order shall be
treated as penalties paid to the government for all purposes, including all tax purposes. To
preserve the deterrent effect of the civil penalty, Respondent agrees that in any Related Investor
Action, it shall not argue that it is entitled to, nor shall it benefit by, offset or reduction of any
award of compensatory damages by the amount of any part of Respondent’s payment of a civil
penalty in this action (“Penalty Offset”). If the court in any Related Investor Action grants such a
Penalty Offset, Respondent agrees that it shall, within 30 days after entry of a final order granting
the Penalty Offset, notify the Commission’s counsel in this action and pay the amount of the
Penalty Offset to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such a payment shall not be deemed
an additional civil penalty and shall not be deemed to change the amount of the civil penalty
imposed in this proceeding. For purposes of this paragraph, a “Related Investor Action” means a
private damages action brought against Respondent by or on behalf of one or more investors based
on substantially the same facts as alleged in the Order instituted by the Commission in this
proceeding.
By the Commission.
Vanessa A. Countryman
Secretary