Brought Over The Wall

A situation where an employee in the research department of an investment bank - usually a research analyst - is brought over to work for the underwriting department in order to focus on a particular company. The purpose of such a transfer is to add a knowledgeable opinion to the underwriting process, thereby adding value to it.

Also known as "brought over the Chinese Wall".

The Chinese Wall refers to the division between the analysts of an investment bank and the bank's underwriting department. The division is meant to prevent the exchange of inside information between the two departments. Once the underwriting process is complete, the research employee who has been brought over "the wall" is not allowed to comment on any information learned in the underwriting process until it has become public knowledge.