Todd Johnson, co-head international prime brokerage at Deutsche Bank, outlines how a prime broker can be effective for any start-up fund
The relationship between a hedge fund and its prime broker is a critical one and therefore the selection of a prime services provider is a decision that should be considered carefully by the hedge fund start-up.
As the European hedge fund industry has evolved and a greater number of service providers have emerged, there is a perception (rightly or wrongly) that the product offering is becoming commoditised and, therefore, the selection of a prime broker can be made based on a few simple factors. The reality is that there are still many elements of the prime brokerage service that are differentiating factors between firms. Therefore, a hedge fund start-up should make sure that they have a comprehensive understanding of their own requirements so that the prime broker they ultimately...