Book excerpt: This unique and detailed Handbook provides a comprehensive source of analysis and research on alternative investment funds in the EU, the US and other leading jurisdictions. Expert contributors offer an unparalleled perspective on the contemporary alternative funds industry, the main areas of regulatory policy concern surrounding its activities, and the role that alternative funds have played in recent financial crises, as well as an account of the rules governing their operation in selected jurisdictions. Providing insight and analysis of the contemporary investment funds industry at a time of crisis and transition, the Research Handbook on Hedge Funds, Private Equity and Alternative Investments will be a valuable tool for scholars, practitioners and policymakers alike.