BTIG Expands Into Fixed Income And Equity Capital Markets – Hires Industry Veterans Sean Dougherty and Marc Blazer to Lead Initiatives

New York – May 11, 2010 – BTIG LLC, a broker dealer specializing in institutional trading and related brokerage services, today announced its expansion into fixed income and equity capital markets. The strategic expansion will allow BTIG to offer issuers a range of solutions across their entire balance sheet and complements BTIG’s existing lines of business, while leveraging its distribution platform and the deep experience and relationships of its sales and trading professionals.

BTIG has hired Sean Dougherty to lead its fixed income capital markets group and Marc Blazer to head its equity capital markets group.

“Our strong institutional relationships and distribution capabilities make an expansion into fixed income and equity capital markets the logical next step in our ambitious growth plan,” said Steven Starker, Co-Founder of BTIG. “Sean and Marc have proven track records building successful capital markets businesses and will be instrumental in the continued development and growth of BTIG.”

Prior to joining BTIG, Dougherty was at Morgan Stanley, where he managed a team focused on originating, structuring and investing in leveraged transactions for middle market and large-cap issuers. Dougherty began his career in the investment banking division of Bear Stearns and has spent the last ten years investing in and originating leveraged transactions.

Blazer, who previously launched and built Cantor Fitzgerald’s successful investment banking initiative as Global Head of Investment Banking, joins BTIG after leading NYSE/AMEX listed Overture Acquisition Corp. for the last three years. While at Cantor Fitzgerald, Blazer was named one of Investment Dealers’ Digest Magazine’s 40-under-40, and was instrumental in launching that firm’s efforts in shipping, REITs, life sciences, and technology banking and research sectors, as well as emerging markets efforts in India and China.

“There is a tremendous culture of teamwork at BTIG, which allows us to bring comprehensive capital markets solutions to our clients, by working seamlessly across the firm’s various groups. We can harness capabilities up and down the capital stack, and provide unique solutions in equities, equity derivatives, high grade and high yield fixed income, and convertibles, in both public and private capital markets,” Dougherty said.

Blazer added, “In addition to originating our own deal flow, we expect to offer our global institutional sales platform to advisory firms, which have strong corporate relationships, but lack the distribution and institutional sales capabilities we bring.”

Joining Dougherty in the fixed income capital markets group is Francesco Del Vecchio, Peter Burton and Rishi Shrivastava.

Del Vecchio joined BTIG from Natixis, where he evaluated and managed leveraged loan investments and worked on several restructurings. Prior to Natixis, he worked at Citigroup and Goldman Sachs in both London and New York originating, structuring and executing financings for both middle market and large-cap corporate and private equity clients.

Burton joined BTIG from Emporia Capital Management. While at Emporia, he was responsible for sourcing, screening, investing and managing a portfolio of middle-market leveraged loan investments. He began his career in the investment banking analyst program at JP Morgan Chase and Co.

Shrivastava joined BTIG from Morgan Stanley, where he worked in its leveraged finance group and investment banking division. He primarily focused on the structuring and origination of high yield bonds and leveraged loans for corporate and private equity clients in a variety of sectors.

Joining Blazer in BTIG’s equity capital markets group is former Cantor Fitzgerald colleague, Anish Malhotra. Malhotra headed up Cantor Fitzgerald’s India investment banking practice, and, prior to joining BTIG, was a member of the Board at Bloomberg Tradebook.

BTIG has taken significant steps recently to continue to build its global franchise, including hiring additional senior professionals in its London, Hong Kong and Australian offices, opening an office in Singapore, launching an equity research group, and expanding its fixed income team in the US Additionally, BTIG has added its entire product offering to all ten of its US offices. BTIG is built around a broad and experienced group of professionals who are leaders and experts in their respective fields.

About BTIG
BTIG LLC is a premier institutional brokerage and fund services company. Founded in 2002, BTIG, including through its affiliates, employs more than 400 professionals. BTIG serves customers from all over the world and offers services from seven divisions: Equity Trading, Fixed Income, Convertible Securities, Prime Brokerage, Outsource Trading, Direct Market Access, Capital Markets, Equity Research and Corporate Access. BTIG has domestic offices in New York, San Francisco, Dallas, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Greenwich, Red Bank, Aspen and Orinda. The firm also has affiliates in London, Hong Kong, Singapore and Sydney.

BTIG LLC is a member of FINRA and SIPC

BTIG Australia Limited is a member of ASIC and ASE

BTIG Hong Kong Limited is an SFC approved broker dealer

BTIG Ltd is a member of the LSE and is authorized and regulated by the FSA

BTIG Singapore Pte. Ltd is registered and licensed with MAS

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Caroline Harris at 212.279.3115, ext 222, [email protected]
Kelsea Michael at 212.279.3115, ext. 231, [email protected]
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