Candace King Weir founded C.L. King & Associates in 1972. As Founder and President of one of the first woman-owned broker/dealer FINRA-registered firms, she has directed the growth and development of C.L. King into a well-respected institutional research boutique and investment bank. Ms. Weir began her career in 1968 as an associate in corporate finance with Blyth & Co. In 1984, C.L. King began managing money for high-net-worth clients and successful entrepreneurs. Ms. Weir also founded an investment advisory business, Paradigm Capital Management, in 1994. She serves as Director, President and Chief Investment Officer for Paradigm Capital Management. Ms. Weir received her BA from Vassar College.
Steven Zoric joined C.L. King as Chief Operating Officer in 2023. Previously, Steve was Chief Operating Officer, Managing Director and General Counsel of Nomura Corporate Research and Asset Management, Inc., a specialized investment manager in the below-investment grade space with approximately $30 billion under management. He was also a member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Audit Committee of American Century Companies, Inc. from 2016 to 2020. In addition, he was a Managing Director and Senior Counsel of Nomura Holding America Inc., where he focused on the U.S.-based asset managers within the Nomura group of companies as well as special litigation projects, having joined Nomura in 2007.
Prior to joining Nomura, Steve held senior positions in the Man Investments division of Man Group plc and at Morgan Stanley. He began his professional career in private legal practice in Chicago, IL. Mr. Zoric received a B.A. in Political Science from Northwestern University and his J.D. with Honors from DePaul University College of Law.
Rob Benton joined C.L. King in 2001 as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Prior to C.L. King, Mr. Benton was at KeyCorp, lastly as Director of Finance for its Electronic and Technology Services business, having held positions of increasing responsibility in corporate and division finance at the firm since 1986. Before KeyCorp, Mr. Benton was with KPMG. He earned a BS in Accounting and Finance from the University of Vermont and is a CPA.
Head of Fixed Income Syndicate
Over 25 years of fixed income sales and trading experience, joining CL King in 2015.
Former salesperson and trader at Raymond James and First Albany Capital.
BS in Finance from Siena College.
Senior Vice President, Fixed Income Sales & Trading
Over 25 years of fixed income capital markets experience.
Former trader at First Albany Corporation, joining CL King in 2007.
BS in Finance from Siena College.
20 years of mortgage-backed trading experience joining CL King in 2007.
Active in all sectors of MBS market including ABS, CMBS, CMO and Specified Pools.
BA in Economics from Gettysburg College.
Over 36 years municipal underwriting and trading experience joined CL King in 2008
former Underwriter/Trader Dean Witter/Oppenheimer/CIBC/KeyBanc
BA Economics Fairfield University
MBA Finance Baruch College
Series 7,24,53,63
Judd Newkirk joined C.L. King as Senior Vice President of the Fixed Income Group in 2007 and was named Co-Head of the department in January 2022. Prior to C.L. King, he was Vice President of The Middle Markets Municipal Trading Desk at First Albany Corporation where he had been in charge of the department’s taxable municipal and capital appreciation bond positions. Judd earned his Master of Business Administration from The Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder and a BA in Biology from Bowdoin College.
Senior Managing Director, Equity Syndicate, Director of Institutional Trading and Sales
Former Head of Equity Trading at Needham & Co, before joining CL King in 2005.
Held multiple trading positions at Gerald Klauer and Mattison and Furman Selz .
BS in Mechanical Engineering and BA in Business Adm. from Rutgers University .
12-year veteran of Cowen and Needham before joining CL King in 2005
Head position trader making markets in over 100 names.
BS in Mathematics from St. John’s University
Equity Sales trader at C.L. King & Associates for 20 years covering Boston, Canada and other regions.
Prior to C.L. King, worked at George K. Baum and Dain Bosworth as an equity sales trader.
BS in Finance from Northeastern University.
Christine Kenney joined C.L. King as a Managing Director in 2025 after a 21-year career in investment banking at Citigroup. Throughout her career, she specialized in Equity Capital Markets Syndicate, focusing on new issue execution. Christine has played a key role in more than 1,000 transactions—including IPOs, follow-ons, equity-linked convertibles, SPACs, and private offerings—many of which were high-profile deals.
She earned her B.S. in Human Development & Family Studies with a Minor in Business from The Pennsylvania State University.
Joined CL King in 2024.
Former internship experience in IB and research.
BS in Business Admin. with a concentration in Financial Analyst Honors from SUNY Albany.
