The Roosevelt Investment Group has closed on a transaction to lift in a highly-regarded international equity team from Mesirow Financial on a cooperative basis.

Led by prominent international equity strategists Leila Heckman, PhD, John Mullin, PhD, and Vijay Chopra, PhD, CFA, the seven-person team manages four international and global equity strategies based on proprietary quantitative research processes.

"We are thrilled to have such a talented, industry-leading group join Roosevelt Investments," says Adam J Sheer, President of Roosevelt. "Leila and her team of experienced professionals are experts in international equity investing, and their time-tested strategies have wide application to both institutional and high net worth investors."

The International Equity Team is also known for its award-winning international equity research on developed and emerging markets, which has been used by premier institutions through the Heckman Global Advisors brand since 1994. Following the merger, the research business will continue at Roosevelt under the Heckman Global Advisors brand.

"Roosevelt Investments is a perfect fit for us and represents a unique growth opportunity," stated Dr. Heckman, who will be Head of Roosevelt's International Equity team. "We will continue to manage our four equity strategies exactly as we did prior to the merger. We are extremely impressed by the caliber of Roosevelt's professionals, including their 15-person sales team."

The transaction represents a key turning point for Roosevelt. "This is a classic 'revenue synergy' combination, pairing an excellent investment team with a well-developed distribution infrastructure," says David A Chalfin, Managing Director of Strategic Planning and Corporate Development for Roosevelt, who structured and negotiated the transaction. "We believe there is tremendous demand for an institutional-quality international equity investment capability, not only in the institutional market, but also in the retail broker-dealer distribution channel," added James C. Rogers, CIMA®, Managing Director and National Sales Manager. "The International Equity Team's flagship products are particularly well-suited for these channels."