Saturday, April 21, 2012

Carlyle Group's Lawsuits

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549


Amendment No. 7
to
Form S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933


The Carlyle Group L.P.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
From time to time we are involved in various legal proceedings, lawsuits and claims incidental to the conduct of our business. Our businesses are also subject to extensive regulation, which may result in regulatory proceedings against us.
In September 2006 and March 2009, we received requests for certain documents and other information from the Antitrust Division of the DOJ in connection with the DOJ’s investigation of alternative asset management firms to determine whether they have engaged in conduct prohibited by U.S. antitrust laws. We have fully cooperated with the DOJ’s investigation. There can be no

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assurance as to the direction this inquiry may take in the future or whether it will have an adverse impact on the private equity industry in some unforeseen way.
On February 14, 2008, a private class-action lawsuit challenging “club” bids and other alleged anti-competitive business practices was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. (Police and Fire Retirement System of the City of Detroit v. Apollo Global Management, LLC). The complaint alleges, among other things, that certain alternative asset management firms, including Carlyle, violated Section 1 of the Sherman Act by, among other things, forming multi-sponsor consortiums for the purpose of bidding collectively in certain going private transactions, which the plaintiffs allege constitutes a “conspiracy in restraint of trade.” The plaintiffs seek damages as provided for in Section 4 of the Clayton Act and an injunction against such conduct in restraint of trade in the future. While Carlyle believes the lawsuit is without merit and is contesting it vigorously, it is difficult to determine what impact, if any, this litigation (and any future related litigation), together with any increased governmental scrutiny or regulatory initiatives, will have on the private equity industry generally or on Carlyle.
Along with many other companies and individuals in the financial sector, Carlyle and one of our funds, CMP I, are named as defendants in Foy v. Austin Capital, a case filed in June 2009, pending in the State of New Mexico’s First Judicial District Court, County of Santa Fe, which purports to be a qui tam suit on behalf of the State of New Mexico. The suit alleges that investment decisions by New Mexico public investment funds were improperly influenced by campaign contributions and payments to politically connected placement agents. The plaintiffs seek, among other things, actual damages, actual damages for lost income, rescission of the investment transactions described in the complaint and disgorgement of all fees received. In May 2011, the Attorney General of New Mexico moved to dismiss certain defendants including Carlyle and CMP I on the ground that separate civil litigation by the Attorney General is a more effective means to seek recovery for the State from these defendants. The Attorney General has brought two civil actions against certain of those defendants, not including the Carlyle defendants. The Attorney General has stated that its investigation is continuing and it may bring additional civil actions. We are currently unable to anticipate when the litigation will conclude, or what impact the litigation may have on us.
In July 2009, a former shareholder of Carlyle Capital Corporation Limited (“CCC”), claiming to have lost $20.0 million, filed a claim against CCC, Carlyle and certain of our affiliates and one of our officers (Huffington v. TC Group L.L.C. et al.) alleging violations of Massachusetts “blue sky” law provisions and related claims involving material misrepresentations and omissions allegedly made during and after the marketing of CCC. The plaintiff seeks treble damages, interest, expenses and attorney’s fees and to have the subscription agreement deemed null and void and a full refund of the investment. In March 2010, the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts dismissed the plaintiff’s complaint on the grounds that it should have been filed in Delaware instead of Massachusetts, and the plaintiff subsequently filed a notice of appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. The plaintiff has lost his appeal to the First Circuit and has filed a new claim in Delaware state court. Defendants are awaiting a ruling on a motion for summary judgment. The defendants are vigorously contesting all claims asserted by the plaintiff.
In November 2009, another CCC investor instituted legal proceedings on similar grounds in Kuwait’s Court of First Instance (National Industries Group v. Carlyle Group) seeking to recover losses incurred in connection with an investment in CCC. In July 2011, the Delaware Court of Chancery issued a decision restraining the plaintiff from proceeding in Kuwait against either Carlyle Investment Management L.L.C. or TC Group, L.L.C., based on the forum selection clause in the plaintiff’s subscription agreement, which provided for exclusive jurisdiction in Delaware courts. In September 2011, the plaintiff reissued its complaint in Kuwait naming CCC only, but, in December 2011, expressed an intent to reissue its complaint joining Carlyle Investment Management L.L.C. as a defendant. We believe these claims are without merit and intend to vigorously contest all such allegations.
The Guernsey liquidators who took control of CCC in March 2008 filed four suits in July 2010 against Carlyle, certain of its affiliates and the former directors of CCC in the Delaware Chancery Court,

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the Royal Court of Guernsey, the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and the Supreme Court of New York, New York County, (Carlyle Capital Corporation Limited v. Conway et al.) seeking $1.0 billion in damages. They allege that Carlyle and the CCC board of directors were negligent, grossly negligent or willfully mismanaged the CCC investment program and breached certain fiduciary duties allegedly owed to CCC and its shareholders. The Liquidators further allege (among other things) that the directors and Carlyle put the interests of Carlyle ahead of the interests of CCC and its shareholders and gave priority to preserving and enhancing Carlyle’s reputation and its “brand” over the best interests of CCC. The defendants filed a comprehensive motion to dismiss in Delaware in October 2010. In December 2010, the Liquidators dismissed the complaint in Delaware voluntarily and without prejudice and expressed an intent to proceed against the defendants in Guernsey. Carlyle filed an action in Delaware seeking an injunction against the Liquidators to preclude them from proceeding in Guernsey in violation of a Delaware exclusive jurisdiction clause contained in the investment management agreement. In July 2011, the Royal Court of Guernsey held that the case should be litigated in Delaware pursuant to the exclusive jurisdiction clause. That ruling was appealed by the Liquidators, and in February 2012 was reversed by the Guernsey Court of Appeal, which held that the case should proceed in Guernsey. Carlyle intends to seek review of that ruling pursuant to an application for special leave to the Privy Council. Carlyle will also request a stay of further proceedings, pending consideration of the appeal application, from the Privy Council. Also, in October 2011, the plaintiffs obtained an ex parte anti-anti-suit injunction in Guernsey against Carlyle’s anti-suit claim in Delaware. That ruling has been affirmed by the Guernsey Court of Appeal, although a written judgment has not yet been released. Carlyle anticipates that it will seek a further appeal before the Privy Council on the anti-anti-suit injunction order. The Liquidators’ lawsuits in New York and the District of Columbia were dismissed in December 2011 without prejudice. We believe that regardless of where the claims are litigated they are without merit and we will vigorously contest all allegations. We recognized a loss of $152.3 million in 2008 in connection with the winding up of CCC.
In June 2011, August 2011, and September 2011, three putative shareholder class actions were filed against Carlyle, certain of our affiliates and former directors of CCC alleging that the fund offering materials and various public disclosures were materially misleading or omitted material information. Two of the shareholder class actions, (Phelps v. Stomber, et al.) and (Glaubach v. Carlyle Capital Corporation Limited, et al.), were filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. The most recent shareholder class action (Phelps v. Stomber, et al.) was filed in the Supreme Court of New York, New York County and has subsequently been removed to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The two original D.C. cases were consolidated into one case, under the caption of Phelps v. Stomber, and the Phelps named plaintiffs have been designated “lead plaintiffs” by the Court. The New York case has been transferred to the D.C. federal court and the plaintiffs have requested that it be consolidated with the other two D.C. actions. The defendants have opposed and have moved to dismiss the case as duplicative. The plaintiffs in all three cases seek all compensatory damages sustained as a result of the alleged misrepresentations, costs and expenses, as well as reasonable attorney fees. The defendants have filed a comprehensive motion to dismiss. We believe the claims are without merit and will vigorously contest all claims.
From 2007 to 2009, a Luxembourg portfolio company owned by Carlyle Europe Real Estate Partners, L.P. (CEREP I) received proceeds from the sale of real estate located in Paris, France. CEREP I is a real estate fund not consolidated by us. The relevant French tax authorities have asserted that such portfolio company had a permanent establishment in France, and have issued a tax assessment seeking to collect €97.0 million, consisting of taxes, interest and penalties. We understand that the matter has been referred to the French Ministry of Justice, which may appoint a prosecutor to conduct an investigation.
During 2006, CEREP I completed a reorganization of several Italian portfolio companies. Such Italian portfolio companies subsequently completed the sale of various properties located in Italy. The Italian tax authorities have issued revised income tax audit reports to various subsidiaries of CEREP I. The tax audit reports proposed to disallow deductions of certain capital losses claimed with respect to the reorganization of the Italian portfolio companies. As a result of the disallowance

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of such deductions, the audit reports proposed to increase the aggregate amount of Italian income tax and penalties owed by subsidiaries of CEREP I by approximately €50.0 million. It is possible that the Italian Ministry of Justice could appoint a prosecutor to conduct an investigation.
CEREP I and its subsidiaries and portfolio companies are contesting the French tax assessment and also intend to contest the proposed Italian income tax adjustments. Settlement opportunities are also being explored. Although neither CEREP I nor the relevant portfolio companies is consolidated by us, we may determine to advance amounts to such nonconsolidated entities or otherwise incur costs to resolve such matters, in which case we would seek to recover such advance from proceeds of subsequent portfolio dispositions by CEREP I. The amount of any unrecoverable costs that may be incurred by us is not estimable at this time.