In the latest chapter of the European investment banking talent wars, Bank of America Merrill Lynch is expected to announce the hiring of Nomura M&A honcho Adrian Mee, Deal Journal has learned. At BofA, Mee is to take up the role of head of international M&A, according to people familiar with the matter.

The hiring will be one of the most high-profile yet for Christian Meissner, who BofA brought over from Nomura this year to rebuild its investment banking ranks, which were depleted in the tumultuous months following Bank of America's acquisition of Merrill Lynch at the height of the financial crisis. Both Meissner and Mee are veterans of Lehman Brothers' London operations, which were turned over to Nomura after Lehman's collapse.