OUR PHILOSOPHY

Our 30 years of opportunistic credit and special situation investment experience, broad global network, and considerable legal and workout expertise provides us with a competitive edge. The Contrarian team actively seeks to invest in complex capital structures and “off-the-run” opportunities that are less heavily trafficked by larger credit funds.

Experience and continuity of senior management
One of Contrarian’s most distinctive features is the stability and continuity of its founding partners. Contrarian is an opportunistic credit and special situation investment platform with one of the most stable portfolio management teams in the industry. Jon and Janice have been managing portfolios of opportunistic credit investments together since 1986 (joined by Gil in 1993). Portfolio Manager Xiao Song joined the firm in 2003 and has been managing the Emerging Markets strategy since inception in 2006. This continuity of senior management provides Contrarian with a competitive edge in sourcing and analyzing investment opportunities, as well as navigating the portfolio through multiple business cycles.

Extensive, comprehensive in-house research capabilities
Contrarian performs all research in-house. To the extent analysts receive information from outside sources, they always undertake independent evaluation utilizing a team approach to analysis, so that ideas are rigorously dissected by multiple investment professionals from different perspectives. Results are continuously shared, reviewed and challenged, ultimately leading to greater confidence in the final recommendation. The process is designed to ensure that errors in fundamental analysis are kept to an absolute minimum.

Investing in “off-the-run” opportunities
We often search for “off-the-run” investment opportunities and have particular expertise in privately-traded instruments with significant barriers to entry (e.g., trade claims). Our team is large enough to thoroughly investigate virtually any opportunity, yet we believe we have carefully managed the size of our portfolios, so that these positions can have a meaningful impact on performance.

Ability to efficiently allocate capital throughout the market cycle
Our team approach to investing provides for efficient and effective sourcing and vetting of ideas and allows us to quickly identify parts of the asset class with the greatest opportunity at any point in time. With deep expertise in all phases of opportunistic credit and special situation investing (performing secured debt, trade claims, active restructurings, bespoke capital solutions, real estate, equity, etc.) we are uniquely positioned to capture returns throughout an entire market cycle.

Geographic reach
Our approach provides dedicated efforts to opportunities worldwide, with the ultimate goal of investing in the most attractive risk/reward investments around the world. Investment professionals are located in affiliated offices in Greenwich (CT), London and Hong Kong. Language capabilities include French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Cantonese, and Mandarin.

Restructuring experience
Contrarian routinely becomes actively involved in restructurings when circumstances warrant (i.e. when we believe that we can add value to the process and realize significant returns for our investors). All of Contrarian’s partners and portfolio managers have strong experience in sitting on and/or running creditor committees, boards of directors, ad hoc committees, etc., and in successfully directing corporate restructurings.