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Rogue trader Nick Leeson gets Irish partnership as financial adviser

By Reuters

  • 08 Apr 2013
Rogue trader Nick Leeson gets Irish partnership as financial adviser

Nick Leeson, the former rogue trader who brought down Britain's oldest investment bank, has a new job as a partner in an Irish firm advising borrowers struggling to make loan repayments.

Leeson, whose $1.4-billion loss as a Singapore-based junior derivatives trader led to the 1995 collapse of Barings Bank, has joined GDP Partners, the company said in a statement on Monday.

"His experience and background will add significant value to what we are trying to achieve on behalf of our clients," GDP Partners said in the statement.

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The Dublin-based company assists borrowers with non-performing debts of more than 1 million euros.

"There might be wry smiles from people when they think of me walking into a bank to negotiation on their behalf," Leeson, 46, told Irish national broadcaster RTE on Monday.

"(But) there is a certain degree of empathy with what people are facing. It's daunting when people are facing something they don't understand."

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After spending three-and-a-half years in a Singapore jail, Leeson wrote a book called "Rogue Trader" which was later made into a film with Ewan McGregor in the title role.

Leeson has lived in Ireland for a decade, during which time he acted as chief executive at Irish soccer club Galway United.

Since he arrived the Irish economy has unravelled under the weight of a massive property bubble and the country's banks are struggling to deal with a mountain of bad debt.

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Leeson will advise clients on new bankruptcy laws and a new non-judicial system of settling secured and unsecured debts of up to 3 million euros.

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