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Financial Services

Form ADV Parts 1 and 2

Preparing Form ADV Parts 1 and 2 manually requires gathering information across multiple sources, researching current SEC requirements, and ensuring compliance with both federal and state regulations. Investment advisers and compliance officers spend 8+ hours drafting, cross-referencing official guidance, and formatting these critical registration documents, all while risking errors that could delay approval or trigger regulatory scrutiny.

Automation ROI

Time savings at a glance

Manual workflow18 hoursAverage time your team spends by hand
With CaseMark25 minutesDelivery time with CaseMark automation
EfficiencySave 42.5x time with CaseMark

The Problem

Investment advisers spend 15-20 hours manually drafting Form ADV Parts 1 and 2, navigating complex SEC regulations while ensuring plain English client disclosures. The process requires coordinating multiple data sources, cross-referencing regulatory requirements, and maintaining consistency across structured Part 1 responses and narrative Part 2 brochures. Annual updates and material change amendments add recurring compliance burdens that divert resources from client service.

The CaseMark Solution

CaseMark automates Form ADV preparation by intelligently structuring your firm information into SEC-compliant Part 1 responses and plain English Part 2 brochures. Our AI analyzes your inputs to generate comprehensive disclosures covering advisory services, fee structures, conflicts of interest, investment strategies, and risk factors while ensuring consistency across all sections. Generate complete filings with brochure supplements in under 30 minutes, ready for IARD submission.

Key benefits

How CaseMark automations transform your workflow

Generate complete Form ADV Parts 1 and 2 in 12 minutes with AI-powered automation

Automatically cite and verify SEC regulations from official sources like sec.gov

Extract firm-specific data from uploaded documents using intelligent RAG technology

Ensure compliance with current federal and state registration requirements

Reduce preparation time by 97% compared to manual drafting processes

What you'll receive

Part 1A: Firm Information
Part 1A: Employees and Clients
Part 1A: Participation in Client Transactions
Part 1B: State-Specific Information
Part 2A: Firm Brochure (Items 1-18)
Part 2A: Item 8 - Methods of Analysis and Risk
Part 2A: Item 11 - Code of Ethics
Part 2B: Brochure Supplement (Individual Advisers)

Document requirements

Required

  • Firm Information Sheet
  • Assets Under Management Data
  • Fee Schedule and Compensation Details
  • Supervised Person Information

Optional

  • Regulatory and Disciplinary History
  • Code of Ethics
  • Soft Dollar and Brokerage Arrangements
  • Investment Strategy Documentation
  • Financial Statements
  • Previous Form ADV Filing

Perfect for

SEC-registered investment advisers preparing initial registration
State-registered investment advisers filing with state securities regulators
RIA compliance officers managing annual ADV updates
Investment advisory firms transitioning from state to SEC registration
Newly formed investment advisory firms establishing regulatory compliance
Law firms representing investment adviser clients
Compliance consultants serving RIA clients

Also useful for

This workflow is applicable across multiple practice areas and use cases

Venture capital and private equity fund managers must register as investment advisers and file Form ADV to comply with SEC regulations governing their advisory activities.

Most VC and PE firms meet the definition of investment advisers under the Investment Advisers Act and require Form ADV registration, making this workflow directly applicable to their regulatory compliance needs.

Investment advisory firms being formed as new entities require Form ADV preparation as part of their initial regulatory compliance setup alongside corporate formation documents.

Newly formed investment advisory businesses must register with SEC or state regulators immediately upon formation, making Form ADV preparation a critical component of the corporate formation process for RIAs.

Investment advisory firms must maintain current Form ADV disclosures as part of their ongoing corporate governance obligations, including annual updates and material change amendments.

Form ADV Part 2 serves as the firm's primary disclosure document to clients and regulators, making it a core corporate governance document that requires regular updates to reflect changes in firm operations, conflicts of interest, and business practices.

M&A transactions involving investment advisory firms require updated or new Form ADV filings to reflect ownership changes, successor entities, or combined operations post-acquisition.

Acquisitions of RIAs trigger regulatory filing requirements including amended Form ADV submissions to reflect new ownership structures, making this workflow valuable for M&A practitioners in the financial services sector.

Frequently asked questions

Q

How does CaseMark ensure Form ADV compliance with current SEC regulations?

A

CaseMark's Form ADV generator is built on the latest SEC requirements under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and incorporates guidance from Rules 204-1 and 204-3. The system prompts for all required disclosures, flags missing information, and structures responses according to current IARD filing specifications. Our AI is regularly updated to reflect regulatory changes and SEC examination priorities, ensuring your filings meet current compliance standards.

Q

Can CaseMark help with both initial Form ADV registration and annual updates?

A

Yes, CaseMark supports both initial Form ADV filings for new investment advisers and annual updating amendments for existing firms. For annual updates, you can upload your previous Form ADV and the system will identify sections requiring updates, generate a summary of material changes, and ensure consistency with prior disclosures. The platform handles both SEC-registered and state-registered adviser requirements, including state-specific Part 1B supplemental information.

Q

Does the AI write Part 2 brochures in plain English as required by the SEC?

A

Absolutely. CaseMark generates Part 2A firm brochures and Part 2B brochure supplements using clear, accessible language that complies with SEC plain English requirements. The AI avoids legal jargon, uses active voice, employs short sentences, and organizes information logically with descriptive headings. All disclosures are written to be understandable by retail clients while maintaining the technical accuracy required for regulatory compliance.

Q

What happens if my firm has complex conflicts of interest or disciplinary history?

A

CaseMark handles complex disclosure scenarios including soft dollar arrangements, affiliated broker-dealers, performance fees, principal transactions, and regulatory proceedings. The system prompts for detailed information about conflicts and disciplinary events, then drafts comprehensive disclosures that meet SEC standards for materiality and transparency. For particularly complex situations, the AI provides guidance on disclosure best practices while allowing you to customize language to fit your specific circumstances.

Q

How does CaseMark maintain consistency between Part 1 and Part 2 responses?

A

The platform uses intelligent cross-referencing to ensure information disclosed in Part 1's structured responses aligns perfectly with Part 2's narrative disclosures. When you input data about assets under management, fee structures, services offered, or disciplinary history, CaseMark automatically populates both parts with consistent information. The system flags any discrepancies and ensures that numerical data, service descriptions, and material facts match across all sections of your Form ADV filing.