A Bank of America sign is shown on a building in downtown Los Angeles, California January 15, 2014.Mike Blake/Reuters
Bank of America has hired a veteran investment banker with international experience to lead its Canadian energy banking unit amid expectations that the industry's deal flow will pick up later this year.
The U.S.-based bank has hired Jeffrey Hamilton to lead the Calgary office of Bank of America Merrill Lynch, according to an internal memo seen by Streetwise. He replaces Tim Watson who left B of A early this year.
Mr. Hamilton was most recently the head of Asia-Pacific energy banking for JPMorgan Chase. He has worked on several multibillion-dollar deals, including the merger of Conoco and Phillips in 2001, BP's sale of assets to Apache Corp. in 2010, the North Sea venture involving Talisman Energy Inc. and Sinopec Corp. in 2013, and Sinopec Engineering's initial public offering in 2013.
In 1982, prior to his banking career, he was drafted by the NHL's Buffalo Sabres organization, where he played for four seasons, mostly in Rochester of the American Hockey League.
At B of A, Mr. Hamilton will report to Oscar Brown, head of Americas energy investment banking, and Dan Mida, head of Canada investment banking.
So far this year, mergers and acquisitions in the Canadian oil patch have lagged last year's numbers by a wide margin as depressed oil prices have kept many buyers on the sidelines, although some energy executives and investment bankers have said they expect activity to pick up after the summer.
Mr. Hamilton is scheduled to start in September.
Jeffrey Jones