Career moves

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.

Cole Real Estate Investments hired Eric Costa as director in the asset management and dispositions group as announced by Marc Nemer, the firm's president.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) said it fined Goldman Sachs $650,000 for failing to disclose that two of its registered representatives had received Wells Notices, which indicate that investigations of operating practices are under way.

Broker dealer BTIG expanded its U.S. fixed-income sales and trading platform by hiring Robert Hannigan as a director in high yield and distressed sales.

DBRS hired Mike Babick for its structured finance group as a senior vice president effective Nov. 1.

Fannie Mae has named investment banker John Nichols chief risk officer for its capital markets division.

ABCP conduit professional Mary Logan has opted to take a package from Barclays Capital the last week of October to take a career break.

SL Green Realty Corp announced the appointment of James Mead to be the company’s chief financial officer , effective December 1, 2010.

Structured finance advisory firm Paladin Advisors hired Steve Campo as a managing partner in advisory services. Campo has over 30 years of experience as an accountant, issuer, financial guarantor and advisor in the ABS industry.

Rep. Ed Royce's underdog campaign to chair the House Financial Services Committee rests on two primary points: that he has been consistently right on a myriad of financial services issues, and that he could more effectively go toe to toe with Rep. Barney Frank and other Democrats.