NYCERS bans placement agents

The action came a week after Thompson announced he would ask the five NYC Pension Funds to suspend the use of placement agents (www.globalpensions.com: 23/04/09).

Thompson said: "The trustees recognise that this is the wisest course of action at this time, given the type of egregious conduct detailed in the recent indictment and felony complaint by the New York attorney general and complaints filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission concerning the New York State Common Retirement Fund."

Last week, Thompson asked the New York State Attorney General to look into whether the city retirement systems were "intentionally misled or deceived" as to the identities of any placement agents involved in an investment by the city systems in the Quadrangle Group. Thompson's request was prompted by media reports indicating that Hank Morris and Searle & Company had received a placement fee.

Thompson and his office plan to ask the other four New York City Pension Funds to approve a similar suspension in the coming weeks.

Trustees of the Pension Funds include NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg, his commissioners, and representatives and appointees from labor unions. The funds are the: New York City Employees' Retirement System, Teachers' Retirement System, New York City Police Pension Fund, New York City Fire Department Pension Fund, and Board of Education Retirement System.

Yesterday, the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) said it planned to ask for more transparency from managers on the use of placement agents (www.globalpensions.com: 28/04/09).

Thompson's office said other large pension funds across the country were considering the ban of placement agents.