Sandler O'Neill thinks big

With the first anniversary of September 11 approaching, Sandler O'Neill & Partners, which lost 66 of 171 employees in the World Trade Center attack, continues its rebuilding efforts. The latest hire:Robert Albertson, former head of Goldman Sachs' bank research team, who will cover such large-cap bank stocks as Citigroup, Deutsche Bank,
HSBC and J.P. Morgan Chase. Albertson's job didn't exist before September 11; Sandler, riding a wave of good feelings about its resilient performance following the tragedy, has actually begun to expand. The firm's new focus will be upmarket from its traditional middle-tier client base. Albertson will also chair a soon-to-be-formed investment policy committee. Sandler's September 11 losses remain palpable, says Albertson, who started at the firm's new Midtown offices last month. "There's a terrific amount of camaraderie" that resulted from the ordeal, he says. "It makes everyone feel it's important that Sandler survive and prosper. They've rebuilt, but they also want to take it to a new level. I feel immensely proud to be a part of it."