Vontobel, the Swiss financial institution best known for its private banking business, has doubled the size of its London equity brokerage team and is planning on expanding further, according to the firm's London chief, who shed light on the difficulties of hiring in a resurgent market.

The firm, which lists the wealthy Vontobel family and the Vontobel Foundation as majority shareholders, announced yesterday that it had added three new hires to its brokerage business in London.