Two Sigma founders face new arbitration battle

Two Sigma's billionaire co-founders, David Siegel and John Overdeck, are embroiled in new arbitration battles as a contentious dispute over the hedge fund's governance and management continues to intensify, Bloomberg reported. Two separate arbitration matters were detailed in a recent investor letter: one stemming from issues related to a former employee's claims and another involving disagreements over the firm's management structure.

The Siegel family-linked case was referred to arbitration on August 17th. The entities associated with Siegel claim that co-founder Overdeck had undisclosed conflicts of interest related to a prior dispute involving a former Two Sigma employee who was owed severance and deferred compensation after leaving the firm two years prior.

Siegel's family entities maintain that Overdeck mishandled the situation and that Carter Lyons, co-CEO appointed by Overdeck, failed to approve any counterclaims against the former employee, violating fiduciary duties to the fund's owners. Neither Overdeck nor Lyons have yet addressed these allegations. A second arbitration proceeding centers on the makeup of Two Sigma's management committee, following the resignation of Scott Hoffman, whom Siegel had chosen to share leadership duties.

Hoffman stepped down last year, citing ongoing governance troubles, and was subsequently replaced by Seth Platt in a two-person management committee. However, the parties are at odds over whether Platt's appointment makes him co-CEO alongside Lyons. Platt filed an arbitration demand on August 18th to resolve the issue. These latest disputes are the latest chapter in a deteriorating relationship between Siegel and Overdeck, who founded Two Sigma in 2001 and grew it into one of the world's largest quantitative investment firms.