From OpalesqueTV Bill Collins is Founder, CIO, and CEO of event-driven hedge fund Brencourt Advisors. Bill started on Wall Street in 1976 and began managing his first hedge fund in 1993, overseeing ING Furman Selz’s $1 billion portfolio before launching Brencourt in 2001. In this Opalesque.TV interview Bill discusses the “survival instincts” that have propelled the success and longevity of certain top hedge fund managers. Most managers that survive market downturns and “black swan events” almost without fail will be in position to capitalize on the most lucrative future market opportunities. However, key to that success is maintaining active risk management; one that is both defensive in the short-term, but offensive in the long-term. In addition, learn about the following: • Key event-driven lessons learned from 35 years of market cycles: -Hunt Silver Crisis: Power of asymmetrical trades -Friday the 13th mini-crash: Shift from a merger to restructuring cycle -Summer of 2002 accounting scandals: Focus on sum of the parts analysis, restructuring, liabilities • Avoiding performance dilution through the discipline of knowing when to close a fund • The challenges of 2008 in combatting elements of “game theory” as managers sold the same assets • The value of discipline to never put up gates or block redemptions • Global macro uncertainties, hedge out beta exposure and avoid directional strategies • Where are the best event-driven opportunities?