No investment firm that has, or has had, a financial advisory relationship with respect to a new issue of bonds shall acquire as principal either alone or as a participant in a syndicate or other similar account formed for the purpose of purchasing, directly or indirectly, from the issuer all or any portion of the issue, or arrange for the acquisition or participation by a person controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment firm, unless the issue is to be sold by the issuer at competitive bid and the issuer has, prior to the bid, expressly consented in writing to the acquisition or participation. The limitations and requirements set forth in this section also apply to any investment firm controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment firm having a financial advisory relationship. The use of the term “indirectly” in this section does not preclude any investment firm which has a financial advisory relationship with respect to a new issue of bonds from purchasing any of those bonds from an underwriter, either for its own trading account or for the account of its customers, except to the extent that the purchase is made to contravene the purpose and intent of this section.