Career moves

Emerging markets investment manager Gramercy has opened an office in London.

Law firm Nixon Peabody has named veteran partner Craig Mills as head of its global finance practice, which it plans to expand, the firm said today.

Global securities and investment banking firm Jefferies hired James Fadel as a managing director and head of European structured debt capital markets in London.

Dechert hired Wolfgang Kissner for its financial services and investment management group as a national partner in Munich.

In a further exodus of the Obama administration's economic team, Diana Farrell, the White House National Econmic Committee's deputy director and Michael Barr, the Treasury assistant secretary for financial institutions, said Tuesday they are resigning their posts.

Credit Agricole appointed Gordon Kingsley as head of Latin America debt and credit markets (DCM) - origination.

Meredith Whitney, the former Oppenheimer & Co. analyst who famously predicted the banking crisis, announced last week that she plans to transform her boutique advisory firm into a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO) that will rate muni and other kinds of debt and compete with Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s Investors Service.

Real estate asset investor Cole Real Estate Investments hired Mitchell Sabshon as executive vice president and chief operating officer.

Specialized asset management firm Dock Street Capital Management (DSCM) has opened an office in Hong Kong.

Western Asset Management, the fixed-income affiliate of Legg Mason, has made three new additions to its team, meant to “broaden the firm’s lines of business and deepen its professional staff.”

StormHarbour Partners said Thursday it accelerated the build out of its alternative asset management business with an agreement to acquire Fortrinn Partners, a U.K. alternative investment fund manager that specializes in volatility trading strategies.

Voit Real Estate Services hired Darren Tappen as a commercial real estate broker. Tappen specializes in industrial, office and land acquisition, disposition and development in the Phoenix metropolitan area, according to a press statement.

Distressed credit private investment firm Tennenbaum Capital Partners (TCP) hired Lee Landrum as managing director.

Fannie Mae Chief Financial Officer David Johnson plans to leave the company by yearend, according to a regulatory filing Tuesday.

Among the mortgage market risks Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) chair Sheila Bair has her eye on are recent foreclosure concerns, interest rates, mortgage underwriting and government reallocation away from housing—the last being something she sees advantages to but also acknowledges some potential problems with.

Commercial real estate investment banking firm George Smith Partners has hired Eric Hamermesh as senior vice president of the firm and director of business development.

The White House announced Friday that it intends to nominate Joseph Smith, the commissioner of banks for North Carolina, as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).

As the chief executive of Royal Bank of Canada's U.S. wealth management business, John Taft works in Minneapolis and reports to Toronto. But now, as a leading voice of the securities industry lobby, he will be devoting much more of his time to Washington.

Douglas Kelly has been appointed the next president of fixed-income investment management firm Merganser Capital Management, part of the firm’s succession plan to replace Edward Bedrosian, the Annaly Capital Management subsidiary said today.

Venable hired five lawyers to its real estate group, led by three partners based in Washington DC, New York and Baltimore. The group was formerly at WilmerHale and has a combined 42 years of experience.