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The Limits Of Hedge Fund Activism, Robert Thompson

Robert Thompson

Abstract Hedge funds have burst on to the corporate governance scene. Not just as one player among many, but one with the potential to be the long-sought shareholder champion who can effectively discipline management in a world where ownership is separated from control. The argument has been made, with some justification, that these investors face different economic incentives than do traditional institutional investors such as mutual funds or public or private pension funds. The business plan of a typical hedge fund is more compatible with shareholder activism and they lack some of the conflicts of interests that have deterred traditional …