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efta-efta01075132DOJ Data Set 9Other06/04/2011 09:37
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06/04/2011 09:37
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exactly the SEC's investigation of Highbridge
21
entailed?
A.
I do not believe it was on
22
investigation; I believe it was o routine
examination. My only reference point as to what
23
actually occurred was contained in a lawsuit from
Highbridge's former general counsel that was filed
24
in New York State court.
Q.
That's the Carol Rubin file?
25
A.
Yes.
Q.
But you haven't seen the letter that
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01:49:50
2
Highbridge received from the SEC regarding its
subadvisory role with Zwirn?
3
A.
No, I never sow such o letter.
Q.
By the way, one of the things that
4
Mr. Metz mentions -- and it's covered in the third
star from the bottom, right above a star that
5
says, What is JCX? Do you see that that star that 01:50:20
says, Can you explain the various liquidity
6
redemption options that investors hove in
different funds, including key dates?
7
A.
Okay.
Q.
It says, What I want to focus on is how
8
much do you know about what people ore going to do
on September 1st. Remind us again why September
9
1st Matters so much.
Do you know what he's referring to?
10
MR. O'BRIEN: There's another sentence. 01:50:52
MR. SUSMAN: I don't wont to ask about
11
that.
A.
A majority of the investors were in a
12
redemption option called one year plus liquidity,
which was the same option that Travis Metz
13
personally was in os an investor in the onshore
fund. The notice requirement for redemption at
14
the end of the year was 120 days. Therefore
September 1st was an important date to know how
15
many people and dollar amounts were going to
01:51:24
redeem under that option.
16
MR. ARFFA: I hadn't realized until now
he was an investor. So again we'd ask for
17
confidential treatment of that.
(Exhibit 81, DESCRIPTION, marked for
18
identification.)
Q.
I show you Exhibit 81. Did you
19
participate in the negotiation of this agreement
between DSAM and the D.B. 2wirn entities?
20
A.
Yes, I did.
01:52:04
Q.
Why is it that Mr. Zwirn
I'm sorry,
21
Mr. Dubin and Mr. Swteco were being bought out of
the management company?
22
A.
It was a demand being made in
conjunction with the payment of the incentive fee
23
that was owed by Highbridge to O.B. Zwirn & Co.
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Q.
In other words, in order for Highbridge
Z4
there was -- strike that.
There was an incentive fee or
25
management fee that was owed to the management
01:52:44
company from the Highbridge managed account; is
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2
that right?
A.
Yes.
3
Q.
I understand you're saying Mr. Dubin
Said in order for you to get paid that fee from
4
Highbridge you have to buy me out of the
management company?
5
A.
That's not how he phrased it.
01:53:01
Q.
How did he phrase it?
6
A.
Meeting in Glenn's conference room
sometime in June of 2007, Glenn had a prepared
7
script which he seemed to be reading or
paraphrasing from where he said that he would
8
agree to hove Highbridge pay their incentive
fees -- and I can't remember exactly what the
9
conditions were for that -- and in addition you
will buy me out of my interest in D.O. Zwirn for
10
130 million. And if you don't agree to my
01:53:36
conditions. I will sue you.
11
Q.
Did he soy what he would sue you for?
A.
No.
12
Q.
Well, wos one of the conditions for
payment of the fee from Highbridge that you let
13
Highbridge's assets go, in effect?
MR. O'BRIEN: Objection to farm.
14
A.
I think the agreement is self-evident
in terms of how the managed account would be
15
managed. So we weren't letting them go; we were
01:54:07
still managing the assets, but subject to their
16
direction.
Q.
You entered into -- at the same time
17
you entered into Exhibit 81, right, you entered
into Exhibit -- what I'll mark as Exhibit 82.
18
(Exhibit 82, DESCRIPTION, marked for
identification.)
19
Q.
You were involved in negotiating
Exhibit 82?
20
A.
Yes.
01:54:52
Q.
And Exhibit 82 is the settlement
21
agreement in effect between Highbridge -- the
entity thot owned the Highbridge managed account
22
and D.B. Zwirn; right?
A.
Correct.
23
MR. ARFFA: Objection to form.
Q.
And that agreement calls for a
24
liquidation of the Highbridge managed account and
payment, and as well there's a provision that
25
talks about Highbridge will in turn pay the
01:55:15
management company the incentive fees and
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82
1
NONCERTIFIED ROUGH DRAFT - CONFIDENTIAL
2
management fees that are owed.
A.
Yes.
3
Q.
Right?
It doesn't tie -- Exhibit 82 does not
4
tie payment of the management fees or incentive
fees to buying Mr. Dubin out of the management
5
company; correct?
01:55:36
A.
Correct.
6
Q.
But you're saying in a meeting
Mr. Dubin effectively tied the two together?
7
A.
I believe he did.
Q.
Did Mr. Dubin explain why he thought he
8
was entitled to be bought out of the management
company?
9
A.
No.
Q.
He just demanded it and sold. If you
10
don't do it, I'm not going to -- or implied if you 01:56:05
don't do it you won't get paid your fees from
11
Highbridge?
MR. ARFFA: Objection to form.
12
A.
My inference was yes.
Q.
Well, did you hove any discussion with
13
Mr. Dubin about why he felt entitled to be bought
out of the management company?
14
A.
With Mr. Dubin? No.
Q.
Oid in fact the management company use
15
the management fees or incentive fees that
01:56:32
Highbridge paid it to fund the payments to
16
Mr. Dubin?
A.
In port. Money's fungible.
17
Q.
In fairness, who did the -- you
negotiated Exhibit 81; right? Strike that.
18
Was there any effort to conceal the
existence of Exhibit 81 from Highbridge, to your
19
knowledge? Exhibit 81 is the agreement with
Mr. Dubin.
20
A.
To conceal?
01:57:04
Q.
Yeah.
21
A.
No.
Q.
Highbridge know that both agreements
22
were being entered into at the same time; correct?
A.
Well, Bob Caruso was the CFO of
23
Highbridge. Bob Caruso was the counterporty from
the business side with whom I negotiated.
24
Q.
Both agreements?
A.
Yes.
25
Q.
bid Mr. Caruso ever link the payment of 01:57:27
the Highbridge management fees to Mr. -- to the
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2
buyout of Mr. Dubin from the management company?
A.
Not explicitly.
3
Q.
Under Exhibit 81 Mr. Dubin -- not
Mr. Dubin, Mr. Dubin Swteca asked that management
4
is supposed to be paid 530 million in o series of
payments.
5
A.
Correct.
01:58:01
Q.
Were those payments all made?
6
A.
No.
Q.
Now much of it was paid?
7
A.
Let me look of the payment schedule.
Q.
It's probably in paragraph 2(b), the
8
first page, the very bottom.
A.
The 3.12 million was paid. The 17 --
9
the 9.5 was paid. The 17.5 nos not paid.
Q.
Was it ever paid? It wasn't paid on
10
time, but was it paid at all?
01:58:42
A.
NO.
11
Q.
Has there been ony sort Of resolution
of that outstanding payment?
12
A.
Yes. It's my understanding that as of
I believe May 1, 2009, DSAM relinquished all
13
claims to any future payments with regard to this
agreement.
14
Q.
Was there an agreement that
memorialized that?
15
A.
There nos a letter, I believe.
01:59:08
Q.
And what was the background that led to
16
05AM agreeing in May of 2009 to any of these
future payments?
17
MR. O'BRIEN: I just caution you not
18
Q.
Strike that. Sorry.
Wes the May 1, 2009, ogreement
19
connected to the acquisition or takeover by
Fortress?
20
MR. ARFFA: Objection to form.
01:59:32
A.
I don't know if it was connected, but
21
it did occur coincidently at the some time.
Q.
Is it your understanding it was
22
designed to facilitate Fortress taking over
management of the funds?
23
A.
Without their relinquishment, I don't
believe the transactions could hove occurred.
24
Q.
By the way, there is on Exhibit 81 the
necked "whereas" clause. It says, whereas DSAM
2S
does not receive through its interest any fees
02:00:03
accruing from D92 L.P.'s management of HCN/Z
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2
Special Opportunities LLC.
Was that on accurate recitation?
3
A.
I believe so.
Q.
Well, except I think -- didn't you just
4
tell we in some of the money from Highbridge deal
was used to pay for the interests?
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5
A.
Once again, money is fungible. Their
02:00:35
capital accounts hod a special allocation to
6
exclude amounts earned from the Highbridge managed
account.
7
Q.
In Exhibit 81 there's provisions about
OSAM releasing alt of its interests in any DEC
8
entity. Did that include Mr.
personal
interest in the fund, do you know one way or the
9
other? Is that what the intent was?
A.
No. His personal interest in the
10
onshore fund and I believe in the tax-exempt fund
02:01:15
were completely segregated from this agreement.
11
Q.
Now, let's talk briefly about Exhibit
82, the Highbridge agreement.
12
A.
Okay.
Q.
I'll tell you what, to give you o
13
little background, let's just go through this real
fast.
14
(Exhibit 83, DESCRIPTION, marked for
identification.)
15
Q.
I show you Exhibit 83. Exhibit 83 is
02:01:55
the letter that you referred to that you received
16
in late January '07 from Highbridge, Or Series of
letters?
17
A.
Yes.
Q.
So from this -- from the time after you
18
received this letter, was the relationship with
Highbridge adversarial?
19
A.
In terms of actual day-to-day
interactions, they were quite cordial. But the
20
presumption was that we were adversaries.
02:02:29
(Exhibit 84, DESCRIPTION, marked for
21
identification.)
Q.
Exhibit 84. Do you recall receiving or
22
seeing a copy of Exhibit 84 an April 11, 2007,
letter to Larry Cutler?
23
A.
Yes.
Q.
In the letter Highbridge specifically
24
accuses you of having promised to transfer the
shares of GAGFAH on February 15th and then
25
essentially reneging on that promise: right. The
02:03:15
first poragroph, if you're confused, says, David
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2
Lee assured us at that meeting that the improper
activities were under investigation and that Zwirn
3
would immediately begin to transfer assets to us,
such as the GAGFAH shares, which were reason ply
4
liquid. Further, since February 15th meeting
David Lee has advised us that Zwirn would transfer
5
the GAGFAH shares to us provided we put the
02:03:44
request in writing. We cannot tolerate you taking
6
positions in writing that are in conflict with
reassurances made to us verbally.
7
Right?
A.
I remember this very well.
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8
Q.
Their position was you told them that
you'd give them the shares if they put it in
9
writing. They did. The fund responded by saying
they're not going to do it. And they wrote this
10
letter to you. Right?
02:04:09
A.
My recollection -- this is pretty
11
vivid -- is I felt it was bald-faced lying and I
had other witnesses in that meeting that
12
corroborated I never mode such assurances.
(Exhibit 85, DESCRIPTION, marked for
13
identification.)
Q.
Look at Exhibit -- I show you Exhibit
14
85. This was a letter that you were sent in
connection with the audit of Highbridge from
15
August 10th, 2007, and what it says is that the
02:04:48
NAV of the Highbridge monoged account was $580
16
million os of December 31, 2806. Do you see that?
A.
Yes.
17
Q.
This one -- did you send back anything
to confirm whether this was correct or not?
18
A.
I believe we hod discussions with
Highbridge and with PwC to help assist in the
19
completion of their audit. I don't recall us
sending o letter that addressed this letter
20
specifically but that it was more of a process.
02;05:44
Q.
All right. So let's just -- I wont to
21
walk through some of the numbers, Exhibit 85. It
Says there's an NAY of 580 million. But then
22
there's a paragraph below it that says subsequent
to year end we received redemption proceeds of 146
23
million, roughly, which ore not included in the
NAV as detailed below -- above.
24
A.
Okay.
Q.
Does that mean that the NAV of the
25
Highbridge managed account was roughly $720
02:06:14
million as of December 31, '06?
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2
A.
I don't know because the ownership in
CG Holdings was a liquid stock that hod
3
significant volatility. So that value could have
been materially lower or materially higher.
4
Q.
CG Holdings is what held the GAGFAH
shares?
5
A.
The GAGFAH shares.
02:06:53
Q.
Does the number of 700 million sound
6
about right as of December 31, '06?
A.
i don't recall.
7
Q.
You don't. Okay. Suffice it to say
sometime after December 31 Highbridge got $146
8
million out of the managed account; right?
A.
Yes.
9
Q.
If we could, let's look of Exhibit 82.
A.
Okay.
10
Q.
Do you know os of the time you quit
02:07:33
working at 002 whether there was still any money
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11
in the Highbridge managed account or had it al/
been distributed?
12
A.
My recollection was that there were
still assets in the Highbridge managed account os
13
of May 31, 2010.
Q.
How significant in size?
14
A.
I don't know.
Q.
Now, if you turn to page 2 --
15
MR. O'BRIEN: We're on Exhibit 82?
02:08:10
Q.
-- of Exhibit 82, there's paragraph D,
16
additional payments.
A.
Okay.
17
Q.
It says essentially it calls COI' the
repayment of the loan from the onshore -- to the
18
onshore account; correct?
A.
Yes.
19
Q.
Did that loan get repaid?
A.
There are essentially two loans. The
20
50 million loon from October of '06 that was
02:08:39
documented was repaid. This is referring to the
21
amount of intercompany or interfund poyables to
the Highbridge account that we did not have a
22
definitive answer to because it was pending the
completion of the 2006 audits.
23
Q.
So by the time of the agreement of
Exhibit 82, had the Highbridge -- the 150 million
24
Highbridge loon been repaid in full?
A.
The loan that was referred to and
25
documented in October '06 had been repaid.
02:09:21
Q.
Okay. And then this -- the interfund
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2
balances that were not reconciled, I guess, as of
the time of this agreement, were they ultimately
3
reconciled and repaid to Highbridge by the end of
2007?
4
A.
There was a reconciliation. I can't
remember when it was paid down.
Q.
And do you know how much money,
02:09:52
naughty, was paid out to Nighbridge from the
6
managed account from the time of Exhibit 82 until
you stopped working of 082 8 Co.?
7
A.
I don't know offhand.
Q.
Do you know if it was hundreds of
8
millions of dollars? Any idea?
MR. ARFFA: Objection to form.
9
A.
I don't recall.
Q.
Do you have any ballpark of what
10
percentage of the Highbridge account was actually
02:10:26
liquidated and paid out to Highbridge?
11
A.
No.
MR. SUSMAN: Let's take a quick break.
12
THE VIOEOGRAPHER: We're off the
record. The time is 2:10.
13
(Recess taken from 2:10 to 2:19.)
THE V1DEOGRAPHER: We're bock on the
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