BRETT OLSHER DEUTSCHE BANK

In a deal which could rake in a combined £1.4bn, Deutsche Bank, JPM Caz, Goldman Sachs and UBS are the advisers behind the Anglo-Xstrata mining talks.

The latter was advised by co-head of M&A Brett Olsher, head of natural resources M&A for EMEA Nigel Robinson and Charlie Foreman of Deutsche Bank.

Olsher, a long-standing adviser of Xstrata, also assisted on its $18.1bn (£10bn) acquisition of Canadian nickel producer Falconbridge.

JPM Caz is also advising Xstrata on the talks. It will come as no surprise to hear that Ian Hannam is also involved in the talks.  The heavyweight is tipped to be the big beast of 2009’s bonus pool, having reeled in most of the company’s big deals.

For Anglo, Goldman Sachs and UBS are advising.  UBS’ star James Hartop will be leading the deal. The turning point in his career was an eight-way merger which created the South African miner AngloGold in 1998. Aged 24, Hartop was left to run the deal alone.