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Merrill Lynch hires six placement professionals to replace defectors

Merrill Lynch has replaced six of the seven placement professionals that left the firm in February to join financial services boutique Lazard Freres & Co. The firm's business was put on hold following the defections but will now be resumed.

Christian Dummet was the first to be recruited to the London office in March, from UK bank Abbey National's private equity unit. Courtney Zierdon, a former high-yield finance professional for Merrill Lynch, will join the firm in New York.

Other recent hires to the New-York office include Lisa Chavez, formerly of Pacific Corporate Group and David Whitehouse, who joined Merrill Lynch from Morgan Stanley's structured products division.

Ed Ho, who previously worked in Merrill Lynch's fund of funds division and Juan Jimenez, who worked in the origination department, have also recently joined the placement team.

The Merrill Lynch placement agency is currently helping Doughty Hanson raise its E3bn buy-out fund. Other clients include Guy Hand's Terra Firma, Intermediate Capital, TDR Capital and Charterhouse Group International.

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