As Clinton Group faces up to poor performance, Hall finds himself battling to save his firm - again.
By Carolyn Sargent
George Hall, founder of Clinton Group, has a history of coming back from long odds. As a young man, he was diagnosed with a tumor near his ear, and despite a poor prognosis, fought his way to a full recovery. About five years ago, Hall saved himself again, salvaging his firm - once one of the largest hedge fund groups in the United States - following a run of poor returns and accusations, not ever proven, that Clinton was massaging valuations.
Today, Hall's fierce determination is being tested anew. His flagship fund, Clinton Multistrategy, lost an estimated 35% in 2007 and was down another 40% in the first few months of this year as the value of the portfolio's asset-backed securities and bank loans plunged, according to people familiar with the firm....