Institutional broker dealer BTIG LLC hired five new sales traders for its growing London-based team to expand its event-driven product and European sales and trading platform. The new hires are: Adrian Maydew, Raphael Levy, Paul Benton, Greg Levett and Alex Clegg have joined BTIG in London to enhance its event-driven product and European sales and trading platform.

"Adrian, Raphael, Paul, Greg and Alex bring significant knowledge and experience to our London team in both event-driven and pan-European sales and trading," stated Gray Hayes, CEO of BTIG in Europe, who leads the London office. "As we continue to extend our product offerings in Europe, these new hires will provide our institutional clients with valuable event-driven expertise and insight," Hayes further stated.

Maydew joins from ABN Amro/RBS after seven years as a director in the event-driven proprietary trading team. His team managed EUR.2.4 billion investing in merger arbitrage, dual listings, share classes and long/short equity trading.

Levy joins BTIG from Pali International where he was a director specializing in equity sales-trading to large institutions. Levy has also held various positions with Bancaire Privee (UBP) in Geneva and Societe Generale Group.

Benton joins BTIG as an event driven trader from Pali International where he was as a sales trader in the European event driven product. Prior to that, he was a proprietary trader at Bear Stearns and ING Bank.

Levett joins BTIG as an an event driven trader from Pali International where he spent two-and-a-half years as a sales trader developing the event-driven product. Prior to that, he was a proprietary trader at Bear Stearns and ING Bank.

Clegg joins BTIG after nearly five years at Pali International as a sales trader on the event driven team. Clegg had previously worked at Mirabaud in London.

Hayes, who heads the London office, is a 25-year industry veteran and former managing director at Merrill Lynch in both London and New York. BTIG's London office ws opened in December 2008 and now has 25 professionals. The new hires are part of a coordinated global growth initiative at BTIG.