CREDIT SUISSE
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Walter Rotondo |
Led globally by Walter Rotondo, Credit Suisse won accolades from investors and managers particularly for writing capital protection on various European funds of funds and single managers. On one such deal last year, Credit Suisse teamed up with one of the largest fund of funds--the name of the manager could not be determined--to structure capital protection around a new launch targeted at European retail investors. The firm worked with regulators, fund managers and investors in order to passport the structure into eight European countries and also to prepare it for sale outside of Europe. More recently, fund-linked officials noted the firm's partnership with the Permal Group, a USD35 billion asset manager, and the launch of Permal Silk Road Fund, which tapped into investor interest in emerging markets. The fund of funds focuses on emerging markets, with a focus on the geographical area which made up the Silk Road.
The firm was also active in Asia, where it drew attention among other deals for placing a large-scale fund-linked structure with Korean retail investors. The structure was an open-ended trust that referenced the Tremont Investable Hedge Index. In Japan it scored another industry first by designing a rainbow payoff for hedge fund sector indices, which included a yearly look-back feature to rebalance the sector weightings.
Other Nominees:
* Barclays Capital * BNP Paribas * Lehman Brothers