Macfarlanes in corporate recruit drive

Macfarlanes is to expand its corporate finance department, which has handled advisory work for companies such as BET, Cordiant, David Lloyd and Asprey.

Corporate finance partner Robert Sutton said the firm is highly selective in its recruitment policy and new people are not taken on "unless we have plenty of work on our books".

"We may be a medium-sized City firm, but clients like us because we can offer competitive rates and quality services," he commented.

Sutton was disappointed that business services group BET failed to face down a hostile takeover bid from Rentokil last month. "The whole defence worked very well together - there really was a good rapport with management," he said.

"Taking into account that many wrote BET off when the bid was launched, we did well to turn things around in the closing weeks. It was a closer call than many anticipated."