There are thousands of small trading firms out there which are little known. I haven't heard of the names you mentioned either.
Brand name firms
Pro: name recognization, better organized and supported, more opportunity to move laterally, easier to network, lot of resource
Con: more paper work to deal with, lower pay
Small firm
Pro: potentially higher pay, much more freedom to try out ideas, more opportunities to see different roles
Con: harder to move to big firm, limited resource
I feel that once you spend several years at big firms, it's easier to move to more smaller firms for better pay. The reverse is not always easy to do. when you establish some name or experience for yourself, big or small firm is not a big problem. When you just start out, it may be a good idea to try to get into the big banks. However, keep in mind that there are tons of outstanding opportunities at smaller firms which can be worthwhile.
