Credit Suisse said it has blocked an attempt by Jefferies to lure a number of its senior bankers. Of eight bankers who had agreed to move to Jefferies, five are remaining at the Swiss bank, said Credit Suisse spokeswoman Nicole Sharp. They include Jonathan Moneypenny, who had agreed to join Jefferies to co-head its global leveraged finance capital markets business, Reuters reported earlier.

Moneypenny has reversed his decision and will remain at the Swiss bank, Sharp said. Jeb Slowik, who had also been hired by Jefferies to co-head leveraged finance originations, will also remain at Credit Suisse. A number of other Credit Suisse senior loan team members, including Joseph Kieffer, John Bown and Brad Capadona, are joining Jefferies, Reuters reported earlier.

Credit Suisse is trying to protect its leveraged finance franchise, which is among the most active on Wall Street, as Jefferies tries to rebuild its own. Jefferies had also agreed to hire three senior investment bankers from Credit Suisse's real estate investment banking business. All three will now stay at Credit Suisse, including Dean Decker, who had been hired to co-head Jefferies' global real estate, gaming and lodging banking business. A Jefferies spokesman did not respond to requests for comment. The spat is the second time Jefferies has tried to lure a number of Credit Suisse bankers in recent months. Last year, a group of five Credit Suisse technology investment bankers left for Jefferies, prompting a court case.

Copyright Reuters, 2017