Domestic and foreign regulators have historically afforded differing levels of protection to retail investors as opposed to sophisticated investors, such as hedge funds, based on their presumptively differing levels of financial knowledge and abilities to conduct due diligence on prospective investments.  Sophisticated investors have been permitted to invest in more complicated financial products based on their presumed ability to understand and conduct due diligence on such investments.  However, the flip side of enhanced access is diminished investor protection, as evidenced by a recent court decision holding that sophisticated investors have a duty to investigate publicly available information in arms-length transactions.