EB5 Investors Magazine Volume 7, Issue 2 | Page 66

TOP CORPORATE AT TORNEYS CLEM G. TURNER CHIESA SHAHINIAN & GIANTOMASI PC Clem G. Turner is a par tner with Chiesa Shahinian & G ia n to m asi P C. H e b r i n g s nearly 25 years of experience advising clients on a broad range of corporate and securities law matters. Since 2010, Turner has counseled hundreds of clients raising capital through the EB -5 program on matters of structuring, strategy, securities law and corporate law. He has handled EB-5 offerings for a large variety of properties. His experience includes EB-5 offerings ranging from direct $1 million raises up to complex $400 million raises and everything in between. In the aggregate, Turner has counseled clients who have raised billions of dollars through the EB-5 program. WHAT TRENDS ARE YOU SEEING IN THE EB-5 INDUSTRY? As a result of the new EB-5 program regulations, which went into effect on Nov. 21, 2019, most long-term trends in the EB-5 market were rendered obsolete. Since the regulations were enacted, we have seen investor returns rise and foreign investors partner with developers and 66 EB5 INVESTORS M AGAZINE companies on a more significant level than in years past. We have seen foreign investors pay above the minimum investment level in exchange for true equity in an underlying project. Furthermore, with the increased participation of Indian investors in the EB-5 program, we have handled several direct EB-5 investments into emerging technology companies. HOW ARE YOU HANDLING THE ISSUE OF REDEPLOYMENT? Redeployment touches on several issues in the corporate, securities and immigration areas. From a corporate perspective, it is critical to understand what rights the EB-5 project manager has and what decisions require consent from the EB-5 investors. If you are requesting an investment decision from EB-5 investors, securities laws require a significant level of accompanying disclosure. EB-5 managers must also navigate the Investment Company Act and Investment Advisors Act, if they are advising investors to redeploy funds in new projects. Advising on investor communications is also essential. EB-5 managers who lack their investors’ trust are more likely to face a lawsuit as a result of their redeployment efforts.