De La Rosa Taps Raul Amezcua As Head of Investment Banking

SAN FRANCISCO - De La Rosa & Co. has named Raul Amezcua as head of investment banking.

"Given that the firm has grown significantly in the last couple years and we expect more growth going forward, we thought someone should manage the banking side," Amezcua said Friday.

Founder and president Edward De La Rosa will focus on the firm's strategic direction, while Amezcua will focus more on day-to-day management of investment banking.

The Los Angeles-headquartered firm has 14 bankers in Los Angeles and San Francisco. It expects to add more bankers this year, Amezcua said, and also increase the sales and trading staff headed by Ben Stern.

The subprime meltdown that has created problems for global investment banking firms - highlighted by the collapse of Bear, Stearns & Co. and UBSe_SSRqwithdrawal from the muni business - has created opportunities for firms like De La Rosa, Amezcua said.

The firm has significantly grown its bond remarketing business, increasing its variable-rate portfolio to $2.8 billion from $2.3 billion this year, he said.

"We think the future is bright for firms like ours both in terms of adding new people and being able to add new business and clients," he said.

The firm was founded in 1989 and continues to focus on California clients.

It ranked 11th in Thomson Reuters' ranking of California underwriters in 2007, credited with $1.4 billion in senior-managed business.

Amezcua joined the firm in 2003, after working at Salomon Smith Barney and CS First Boston.

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