The SEC recently commenced administrative proceedings against an investment adviser that allegedly received undisclosed fees for channeling over $80 million into SJK Investment Management, LLC (SJK).  As previously reported in the Hedge Fund Law Report, on January 6, 2011, the SEC filed an emergency civil injunctive action charging SJK and its principal, Stanley Kowalewski, with securities fraud, and obtained a temporary restraining order and asset freeze against SJK and Kowalewski.  See “Thirteen Important Due Diligence Lessons for Hedge Fund Investors Arising Out of the SEC’s Recent Action against a Fund of Funds Manager Alleging Misuse of Fund Assets,” Hedge Fund Law Report, Vol. 4, No. 3 (Jan. 21, 2011).  The order in this administrative proceeding (Order) is interesting to hedge fund and hedge fund of funds managers primarily in helping clarify the circumstances in which managers may and may not claim to be “independent.”  The facts alleged by the SEC are rather egregious, and thus the Order itself does not make noteworthy new law.  However, the Order does raise close and interesting questions regarding the language of representations that hedge fund of fund managers and other investment advisers may make to investors with respect to independence; the channels through which such representations are made (including websites); how to approach disclosure with respect to conflicts and independence in Form ADV; and how to move client assets from one investment manager to another without breaching fiduciary duties or running afoul of the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws.