NEW YORK and BOCA RATON, Fla., June 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cohen & Company Securities, LLC (“Cohen Securities”), an indirect, controlled subsidiary of Cohen & Company Inc. (NYSE American: COHN) (“Cohen & Company” or the “Company”), today announced the opening of its new office in Charlotte, North Carolina, expanding the firm’s sales and trading presence.
The Charlotte office will be led by Sean Ladley, Managing Director of Cohen Securities. Mr. Ladley is a fixed income veteran with more than 28 years of industry experience, previously holding senior leadership roles at Wells Fargo and Hilltop Securities. He will be supported by Mike Stevens and Barry Scoville, seasoned executives with deep expertise in preferred securities, who will oversee Cohen Securities’ preferred sales and trading team.
Lester Brafman, Chief Executive Officer of Cohen & Company, said, “Entering the Charlotte market represents a compelling opportunity in one of the nation’s premier financial centers. With access to exceptional talent and a strong financial services community, the Charlotte office will accelerate the growth of our sales and trading franchise and enable us to better serve our clients.”
George Holstead, Head of Middle Markets at Cohen Securities, said, “Opening our new Charlotte office marks an important milestone in the growth of our sales and trading group. Charlotte has become a major hub for financial services, and with access to additional resources and expertise, the office is poised to become a cornerstone of our sales and trading operation. Sean’s leadership, combined with the skillsets of Mike and Barry, gives us a strong foundation for growth as we look to capitalize on new market opportunities.”
The Charlotte office is the latest step in the strategic expansion of Cohen Securities’ sales and trading businesses. The firm has also established a fully staffed office in Memphis, including its SBA and government-guaranteed loan trading team led by Hailey Layrock, while continuing to grow its Boca Raton and New York City operations.
Today, Cohen Securities’ sales and trading operation provides expertise across preferred securities, mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”), to-be-announced securities and other forward agency MBS contracts, structured products, SBA and government-guaranteed loans, municipal securities, U.S. government agency securities, corporate bonds and loans, SPAC equity, brokered deposits and certificates of deposit for small banks, and hybrid capital of financial institutions including whole loans and other structured financial instruments.
For additional information on Cohen Securities, please visit www.cohensecurities.com.
About Cohen Securities
Cohen Securities (member FINRA, SIPC), an indirect, controlled subsidiary of Cohen & Company, specializes in sales, trading, gestation repo financing, new issue placements in corporate and securitized products, underwriting, and advisory services. A division of Cohen Securities, Cohen & Company Capital Markets (“CCM”) is a full-service boutique investment bank providing capital markets and SPAC advisory services to corporations, financial sponsors, investors, and institutions. Cohen Securities’ mission is to be the premier distribution platform to its customers, providing trusted advice, intelligent solutions, and superior execution.
About Cohen & Company
Cohen & Company is a financial services company specializing in an expanding range of capital markets and asset management services. Cohen & Company’s operating segments are Capital Markets, Asset Management, and Principal Investing. The Capital Markets segment consists of sales, trading, gestation repo financing, new issue placements in corporate and securitized products, underwriting, and advisory services, operating primarily through Cohen & Company’s subsidiaries, Cohen Securities in the United States and Cohen & Company Financial (Europe) S.A. in Europe. A division of Cohen Securities, CCM is the Company’s full-service boutique investment bank providing capital markets and SPAC advisory services to corporations, financial sponsors, investors, and institutions. The Capital Markets business segment also includes investment returns on financial instruments that the Company has received as consideration for investment banking and new issue services provided by CCM. The Asset Management segment manages and services assets through investment funds, managed accounts, joint ventures, and collateralized debt obligations. As of March 31, 2026, the Company had approximately $1.3 billion of assets under management in primarily fixed income assets in a variety of asset classes including European bank and insurance trust preferred securities, debt issued by small and medium sized European, U.S., and Bermudian insurance and reinsurance companies, and servicing commercial real estate loans. The Principal Investing segment is comprised primarily of investments the Company has made for the purpose of earning an investment return rather than investments made to support its trading or other capital markets business activity. For more information, please visit www.cohenandcompany.com.
Contact: Investors - Media -Cohen & Company Inc. Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer KatcherJoseph W. Pooler, Jr. Joseph Sala / Zach GenirsExecutive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer212-355-4449215-701-8952 [email protected]