Amias Berman & Co, a fixed-income advisory, origination and brokerage firm set up by two veteran Citigroup bankers, has been given the green light to start trading by the UK’s financial regulator, the latest of a slew of new independent firms launched this year.

In a statement yesterday, Amias Berman & Co said the Financial Services Authority had approved its international activities based in London and that it will immediately commence operations. It added that its sister company Amias Berman (Hong Kong), is seeking approval from the Securities and Futures Commission in Hong Kong.