Chris Lucas has jumped to Deutsche Bank's par desk as a director and desk analyst from Highland Capital Management. Lucas joins Alex Bici, a v.p., who was transferred internally from the bank's portfolio group about a month ago, to fill slots left vacant when Michael Curry and Kevin Dooley, both vice presidents, became part of the par loan sales team (LMW, 6/30). Lucas and Bici report to Clay Desjardine, head of Deutsche Bank's par loan trading. Desjardine confirmed the changes.
Desjardine said he has always been keen on having desk analysts to keep up with the credits the desk is trading, to identify new opportunities and value, and to analyze stressed names. Lucas and Bici fit seamlessly with the existing team, he added. At Highland, Lucas was a portfolio manager, responsible for managing the firm's bank loan and high-yield investments in the automotive and transportation sectors. He reported to Mark Okada, Highland's chief investment officer. Calls to James Dondero, president of Highland, were not returned by press time. Okada was out of the office and could not be reached.