Rothschild & Co Group, one of the world's leading independent financial advisory groups, today announced that James M. ("Jimmy") Neissa, one of the industry's eminent M&A professionals, will join the group as Head of Rothschild & Co North America.  Neissa will lead the continued development of the North American business primarily focusing on Rothschild Global Advisory.  The group also announced that Lee LeBrun, a widely respected M&A banker, will join Rothschild Global Advisory as Head of M&A in North America.  Both Jimmy Neissa and Lee LeBrun will assume their positions in September.

Announcing the appointments, Robert Leitão, Head of Rothschild Global Advisory, said: "We see a lot of opportunities to grow Rothschild & Co's North American presence, building on our record performance in the most recent fiscal year. Jimmy Neissa is one of the finest bankers in the industry and his experience, knowledge and vision will serve our clients well.  He brings broad industry expertise and a robust track record of developing successful investment banking businesses in the United States, Europe and Latin America.  We are delighted that Jimmy is continuing his career with Rothschild & Co.

"On behalf of Rothschild & Co,"  Leitão continued, "I thank Steve Ledoux for his many contributions to the group, in particular the recent transformation of our North American M&A business.  Steve has asked to take a well-deserved break to spend more time with his family, and we hope that he will rejoin the group in a leadership position in the near future."

Neissa said, "I am thrilled and humbled to join Rothschild & Co, which for more than 200 years has provided its clients with unparalleled capabilities and perspective. The group's guiding principles mirror my personal business philosophy and I look forward to working with my new colleagues as we continue to deliver differentiated services in the North American market, while making a meaningful difference in the world of business and wealth.  In doing so, we will build upon Rothschild & Co's position as a leading independent financial advisory firm in North America."

Over the last several years, the North American office has advised on a number of high profile transactions, including Intel's US$16.7bn acquisition of Altera; Solera's US$6.5bn sale to Vista Equity Partners; Hostess Brands' US$2.3bn merger with Gores Holdings; Alpha Natural Resources' $3.9 billion chapter 11 restructuring process; Visteon's $3.6bn sale of its 70% stake in Halla Visteon Climate control; Discovery Communications' €491m acquisition of the remaining 49% interest it did not already own in Eurosport from TF1 Group.

Neissa joins Rothschild & Co after more than 20 years as an M&A professional at UBS Investment Bank (UBS) and Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ).  While at UBS, he was most recently Joint Global Head of Investment Banking and a member of the Global Executive Committee.  Prior to these roles, Mr. Neissa was Co-Head of Global M&A at UBS, based in London and New York, where he helped build a leading M&A franchise in the U.S.

Rothschild & Co is a family-controlled and independent business that has been at the centre of the world's financial markets for over 200 years. It is one of the world's largest independent financial advisory groups, employing approximately 2,800 people in 40 countries around the world.