FINANCE
Banking
Up for grabs: Lehman's top bankers
Last Updated: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 | 3:36 PM ET
By Anita Raghavan Forbes
(Forbes.com) Lehman Brothers' move to file for bankruptcy protection is likely to result in pink slips for the investment bank's 25,000 employees. But not everyone will sweat.
The most-actively pursued will likely be Lehman Brothers bankers, coveted for their close ties to companies across corporate America and Europe. Credit Suisse and Morgan Stanley are among the banks looking to poach. Here's a short-list of Lehman's 11 most wanted:
Hugh E. "Skip" McGee III hails from Texas. Global head of the investment banking division and a member of the company's executive committee, he was a point-man in Lehman's recent efforts to find a buyer for the company and is valued for his close ties to the energy patch. Friends say McGee is eager to return to his home in Houston.
Mark Shafir heads global mergers and acquisitions. He is known for his technology expertise and enjoys close ties with Cisco. Well regarded at Lehman, the former Thomas Weisel Partners executive handled the investment bank's own merger deals, executing, for instance, the purchase of asset manager Neuberger Berman a few years back. His brother Rob works at Credit Suisse.
Christian Meissner, co-chief executive officer, Europe and the Middle East, joined Lehman a few years ago from Goldman Sachs. A capital markets banker, he is known for his close relationships in corporate Germany that include ties to heavyweights like Siemens.
William Vereker recently promoted to run Europe, is regarded as a brilliant banker with an expertise in utilities.
Felix G. Rohatyn, a senior advisor to Lehman Chairman Richard Fuld, is known as Mr. Europe in the banking world. The former ambassador to France sits on the boards of a number of European companies, including LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton.
Grant Porter, a veteran energy banker, is known for his close ties to Chevron and Qatargas.
Joseph Gatto, who joined Lehman from Goldman Sachs, co-heads corporate finance and is a well-regarded consumer banker.
Stuart Francis, based in Menlo Park, Calif., is known for his strong relationship with Qualcomm.
Andy Taussig, who joined Lehman from Credit Suisse, is a retail banker with strong ties to Home Depot.
Ros Stephenson heads corporate finance with Gatto, and is known for her close links to Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. With the private equity business in a slump Stephenson may not find work at a Wall Street investment bank, but her ties to the financial sponsor community are so strong she's likely to be picked up by one of her clients.
Marc Katz, a media banker who led Lehman in its efforts helping Yahoo! thwart a takeover offer from Microsoft earlier this year. He succeeded; Microsoft walked away. He is also close to media giant Time Warner.
