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Organization and Nature of Operations | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2012
Organization and Nature of Operations | 1. ORGANIZATION AND NATURE OF OPERATIONS The Formation Transaction Cohen Brothers, LLC (“Cohen Brothers”) was formed on October 7, 2004 by Cohen Bros. Financial, LLC (“CBF”). Cohen Brothers was established to acquire the net assets of CBF’s subsidiaries (the “Formation Transaction”): Cohen Bros. & Company, Inc.; Cohen Frères SAs; Dekania Investors, LLC; Emporia Capital Management, LLC; and the majority interest in Cohen Bros. & Toroian Investment Management, Inc. The Formation Transaction was accomplished through a series of transactions occurring between March 4, 2005 and May 31, 2005. The Company From its formation until December 16, 2009, Cohen Brothers operated as a privately owned limited liability company. On December 16, 2009, Cohen Brothers completed its merger (the “Merger”) with a subsidiary of Alesco Financial Inc. (“AFN”) a publicly traded real estate investment trust (“REIT”). As a result of the Merger, AFN received 10,343,347 or 66.2% of the membership interests in Cohen Brothers. Of the 66.2% of Cohen Brothers received by AFN, 38.5% was received in the form of units issued directly by Cohen Brothers. The remaining 27.7% was acquired by AFN from Cohen Brothers’ members in exchange for the issuance of AFN common stock to those members. The remaining 5,283,556 membership interests, or 33.8% of Cohen Brothers was held by Daniel G. Cohen (31.9%) and other members (1.9%). The equity interest in Cohen Brothers that is not held by AFN has certain redemptive features which are described in detail in note 19. Therefore, the members of Cohen Brothers at the time of the Merger received 61.5% of the total ownership interests in the combined entity (33.8% remained as members of Cohen Brothers and 27.7% exchanged their interest in Cohen Brothers for AFN stock). In accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP), the Merger was accounted for as a reverse acquisition, and Cohen Brothers was deemed to be the accounting acquirer primarily because the owners of Cohen Brothers at the time of the Merger received the majority interest in the merged entity as previously described. As a result, all of AFN’s assets and liabilities were required to be revalued at fair value as of the acquisition date. Subsequent to the Merger, AFN was renamed Cohen & Company Inc. In January 2011, it was renamed again as Institutional Financial Markets, Inc. (“IFMI”). Effective January 1, 2010, the Company ceased to qualify as a REIT. The Company trades on the NYSE MKT LLC (formerly known as the NYSE Amex LLC) under the ticker symbol “IFMI.” The Company is a financial services company specializing in credit related fixed income investments. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had $6.3 billion in assets under management (“AUM”) of which 95.7%, or $6.1 billion, was in collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”). In these financial statements the “Company,” refers to IFMI and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis; “IFMI, LLC” (formerly Cohen Brothers, LLC), or the “Operating LLC” refers to the main operating subsidiary of the Company; “Cohen Brothers,” refers to the pre-Merger Cohen Brothers, LLC and its subsidiaries; “AFN” refers to the pre-Merger Alesco Financial Inc. and its subsidiaries; When the term, “IFMI” is used, it is referring to the parent company itself, Institutional Financial Markets, Inc. “JVB Holdings” refers to JVB Financial Holdings, L.L.C.; “JVB” refers to JVB Financial Group LLC, a broker dealer subsidiary; “CCFL” refers to Cohen & Company Financial Limited (formerly known as EuroDekania Management LTD), a subsidiary regulated by the Financial Services Authority in the United Kingdom; “CCPRH” refers to C&Co/PrinceRidge Holdings LP (formerly known as PrinceRidge Holdings LP) and its subsidiaries; “PrinceRidge GP” refers to C&Co/PrinceRidge Partners LLC, formerly known as PrinceRidge Partners LLC. “PrinceRidge” refers to CCPRH together with PrinceRidge GP; and “CCPR” refers to C&Co/PrinceRidge LLC (formerly known as The PrinceRidge Group LLC), a broker dealer subsidiary. The Company’s business is organized into three business segments: Capital Markets: The Company’s Capital Markets business segment consists primarily of credit-related fixed income securities sales, trading, and financing, as well as new issue placements in corporate and securitized products and advisory services. The Company’s fixed income sales and trading group provides trade execution to corporate, institutional investors, and other smaller broker-dealers. The Company specializes in a variety of products, including but not limited to: corporate bonds and loans, asset backed securities (“ABS”), mortgage backed securities (“MBS”), commercial mortgage backed securities (“CMBS”), residential mortgage backed securities (“RMBS”), CDOs, collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”), collateralized bond obligations (“CBOs”), collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”), municipal securities, to-be-announced securities (“TBAs”) contracts, Small Business Administration (“SBA”) loans, U.S. government bonds, U.S. government agency securities, brokered deposits and CDs for small banks, hybrid capital of financial institutions including trust preferred securities (“TruPS”), whole loans, and other structured financial instruments. The Company also offers execution and brokerage services for equity products. The Company had offered execution and brokerage services for equity derivative products until December 31, 2012 when the Company sold its equity derivatives brokerage business to a new entity owned by two of the Company’s former employees. See note 5. The Company carries out its capital market activities primarily through its subsidiaries: JVB and PrinceRidge in the United States, and CCFL in Europe. Asset Management: The Company’s Asset Management business segment manages assets within CDOs, permanent capital vehicles, managed accounts, and investment funds (collectively referred to as “Investment Vehicles”). A CDO is a form of secured borrowing. The borrowing is secured by different types of fixed income assets such as corporate or mortgage loans or bonds. The borrowing is in the form of a securitization, which means that the lenders are actually investing in notes backed by the assets. In the event of a default, the lenders will have recourse only to the assets securing the loan. The Company’s Asset Management business segment includes its fee-based asset management operations which include ongoing base and incentive management fees. Principal Investing: The Company’s Principal Investing business segment is comprised primarily of our investments in Investment Vehicles it manages, as well as investments in structured products, and the related gains and losses that they generate. The Company generates its revenue by business segment primarily through the following activities: Capital Markets:
| • |  | trading activities of the Company, which include execution and brokerage services, securities lending activities, riskless trading activities as well as gains and losses (unrealized and realized) and income and expense earned on securities classified as trading;
| • |  | new issue and advisory revenue comprised primarily of (i) origination fees for corporate debt issues originated by the Company; (ii) revenue from advisory services; and (iii) new issue revenue associated with arranging and placing the issuance of newly created debt, equity, and hybrid financial instruments;
Asset Management:
| • |  | asset management fees for the Company’s on-going asset manager services provided to these Investment Vehicles, which may include fees both senior and subordinate to the securities in the Investment Vehicle; and incentive management fees earned based on the performance of the various Investment Vehicles;
Principal Investing:
| • |  | gains and losses (unrealized and realized) and income and expense earned on securities (primarily in investments in Investment Vehicles the Company manages) classified as other investments, at fair value; and
| • |  | income or loss from equity method affiliates.
The activities noted above are carried out through the following main operating subsidiaries:
1. | Cohen & Company Financial Management, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company and acts as asset manager and investment advisor to the Alesco I through IX CDOs. It also served until February 22, 2013 as a service provider to the manager of the Alesco X — XVII CDOs. Alesco CDOs invest in bank and insurance company TruPS as well as insurance company subordinated debt.
2. | Dekania Capital Management, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company and acts as asset manager and investment advisor to the Company’s Dekania and pre-2007 Dekania Europe CDOs. Dekania CDOs invest primarily in insurance TruPS and insurance company subordinated debt denominated in U.S. Dollars. Dekania Europe CDOs invest primarily in TruPS and insurance company subordinated debt denominated in Euros.
3. | Cira SCM, LLC (formerly Strategos Capital Management, LLC) (“Cira SCM”), is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company and acts as asset manager and investment advisor to the Company’s CDOs that invest primarily in high grade and mezzanine asset backed securities. In addition, Cira SCM is a party to a revenue share arrangement with Strategos Capital Management, LLC, a third party asset manager founded by former Company employees, related to a series of closed-end distressed debt funds and separately managed accounts previously managed by the Company. See note 5.
4. | CCS is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company and was a securities broker-dealer that was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and was a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”) until it filed a Form BDW in September 2012 seeking to withdraw all of its registrations with the SEC and each jurisdiction in which it was licensed or registered as a securities broker-dealer as well as its membership in FINRA, the NASDAQ Stock Market and the International Securities Exchange. CCS’ withdrawal from all such regulatory authorities became effective in November 2012. CCS has conducted no securities-related business activities since May 2011.
5. | Cohen & Company Capital Markets, LLC (“CCCM”), formerly Fairfax I.S. (US) LLC, was a securities broker-dealer which the Company acquired effective in September 2010. See note 4. In May 2011, the equity ownership interests of CCCM were contributed by the Company to PrinceRidge, along with certain other assets, in exchange for an approximate 70% interest in PrinceRidge. Effective May 31, 2011, CCCM became a wholly-owned subsidiary of PrinceRidge. In February 2012, PrinceRidge merged its broker-dealer subsidiary, CCCM into its broker-dealer subsidiary, CCPR. See note 6 listed below.
6. | PrinceRidge is a majority owned subsidiary of the Company acquired by the Company in May 2011. See note 4. PrinceRidge provides trade execution to predominantly institutional investors including broker-dealers, commercial banks, asset managers, and other financial institutions and specializes in the following products: corporate bonds and loans, ABS, MBS, CMBS, RMBS, CDOs, CLOs, CBOs, TBAs, SBA loans, U.S. government bonds, U.S. government agency securities, brokered deposits and CDs for small banks, hybrid capital of financial institutions including TruPS, whole loans, and other structured financial instruments. PrinceRidge carries out these activities primarily through its wholly owned subsidiary, CCPR. CCPR is a member of FINRA and the SIPC.
7. | JVB is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company acquired by the Company effective January 1, 2011. JVB is a securities broker-dealer registered with the SEC and is a member of FINRA and the SIPC. JVB provides trade execution to broker-dealers and institutions and specializes in the following products: high grade corporate bonds, high yield corporate bonds, municipal securities, ABS, MBS, CMBS, RMBS, CMOs, U.S. government bonds, U.S. government agency securities, whole loans, and other structured financial instruments.
8. | Cohen Asia Investments Ltd. owns 50% of Star Asia Management, Ltd. (“Star Asia Manager), which is the external manager of Star Asia Finance, Ltd. (“Star Asia”) and earns management fees and incentive fees related to this entity. Star Asia invests in Asian commercial real estate structured finance products, including CMBS, corporate debt of REITs and real estate operating companies, B notes, mezzanine loans and other commercial real estate fixed income investments.
9. | CCFL is a Financial Services Authority (“FSA”) Regulated Firm in the United Kingdom and acts as the external manager of EuroDekania Limited (“EuroDekania”) and earns management fees and incentive fees related to this entity. EuroDekania invests primarily in hybrid capital securities of European bank and insurance companies, CLOs, CMBS, RMBS, and widely syndicated leverage loans.
Since 2007, CCFL has acted as asset manager and investment advisor to the Company’s 2007 and later Dekania Europe CDOs. Dekania Europe CDOs invest primarily in TruPS and insurance company subordinated debt denominated in Euros. CCFL also carries out our Capital Markets business segment activities in Europe including brokerage, advisory, and new issue services.
10. | Cohen & Compagnie SAS (formerly Cohen Fréres SAS), the Company’s French subsidiary, acts as a credit research advisor to Dekania Capital Management, LLC and CCFL in analyzing the creditworthiness of insurance companies and financial institutions in Europe with respect to all assets included in the Dekania Europe CDOs.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for the nature of an entity's business, the major products or services it sells or provides and its principal markets, including the locations of those markets. If the entity operates in more than one business, the disclosure also indicates the relative importance of its operations in each business and the basis for the determination (for example, assets, revenues, or earnings). + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 275 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6927468&loc=d3e6003-108592 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Statement of Position (SOP) -Number 94-6 -Paragraph 10 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. + Details
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