California Code, Government Code - GOV § 7513.8

(1) A person who is seeking to be, or is, retained by a board or an investment vehicle to manage a portfolio of securities or other assets for compensation.

(2) A person who manages an investment fund and who offers or sells, or has offered or sold, an ownership interest in the investment fund to a board or an investment vehicle.

(c)(1) “Investment fund” means a private equity fund, public equity fund, venture capital fund, hedge fund, fixed income fund, real estate fund, infrastructure fund, or similar pooled investment entity that is, or holds itself out as being, engaged primarily, or proposes to engage primarily, in the business of investing, reinvesting, owning, holding, or trading securities or other assets.

(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), an investment company that is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. Sec. 80a-1 et seq.) and that makes a public offering of its securities is not an investment fund.

(f)(1) “Placement agent” means any person directly or indirectly hired, engaged, or retained by, or serving for the benefit of or on behalf of, an external manager or an investment fund managed by an external manager, and who acts or has acted for compensation as a finder, solicitor, marketer, consultant, broker, or other intermediary in connection with the offer or sale to a board or an investment vehicle either of the following:

(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), an individual who is an employee, officer, director, equityholder, partner, member, or trustee of an external manager and who spends one-third or more of his or her time, during a calendar year, managing the securities or assets owned, controlled, invested, or held by the external manager is not a placement agent.