Our Background

Bramton Gillow Advisors LLC is headed by Christopher Bates, a 30-year veteran of the financial securities industry.  Mr. Bates started his career at treasury and foreign exchange functions with Chiquita Brands Company and Chemical Bank in New York.   At Chemical Bank Mr. Bates traded FX, FX options, and coordinated client foreign exchange strategies.  In 1990 Mr. Bates relocated to Portland as a founding partner of Bates Private Capital, along with his father John Bates.  Bates Private Capital was engaged mainly in securities litigation and consulting, and while there Christopher Bates designed and programmed the system that produced account analysis and exhibits for arbitrations and trials.  The standard analysis format eventually came to be known as the "Bates Exhibit".  Mr. Bates consulted to attorneys preparing for litigation and examined hundreds of investment accounts for breaches of fiduciary duty, trading strategies and irregularities, etc.  

After 2005 Mr. Bates has primarily been engaged in co-managing the investment strategies of a family office in Portland.  Additionally, from 2016 to 2019 Mr. Bates worked as an analyst at Government Portfolio Advisors assisting in the management of fixed income portfolios of public entities.  

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Mr. Bates holds the Finra Series 65 License and also holds the CFIP designation, Certified Fixed Income Practitioner.

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Mr. Bates was also active in Masters Athletics for a time and holds an American Record in the indoor pentathlon, and an unofficial World Best in the decathlon hurdles for men 45-50.