Global hedge funds managers have crowned Morgan Stanley the top prime brokerage in Alpha magazine’s second annual awards, edging out Goldman Sachs, which took the top prize in fund administration, and Banc of America Securities in third. Admiral Administration and Morgan Stanley came in a distant second and third in the fund administration category. Chicago-based BDO Seidman was ranked the top accounting firm in every client category: audit, client service, hedge fund expertise, regulatory and compliance and tax. The only Big Four accounting firm to place in the top tier was Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, at No. 3. The law firm Olgier was named best offshore law firm, while Sidley Austin took the honors in the onshore category. In technology, Goldman Sachs was No. 1 for trade order management; Backstop Solutions Group for investor relations management; Citco Fund Services for portfolio management and accounting; and RiskMetric Group for risk management. The survey represented the choices of more than 1,000 HF management companies, representing a total of more than $1 trillion.
