UBS is taking on poachers; Philip Morris bids $2 billion for Canadian cigarette maker Rothmans; Tullett Prebon talking merger with GFI

UBS asks High Court to block client poaching - The TImes of London

UBS will today mount an extraordinary legal challenge to prevent departing executives from poaching valuable clients.

The embattled Swiss bank is seeking a temporary High Court injunction against Vestra Wealth, a new wealth manager, as well as its founder, David Scott, and four senior fund managers....

Philip Morris bids $2bn for Canada’s Rothmans - The Times of London 

Philip Morris, the world’s largest tobacco company, has offered C$2 billion (£99 million) for Rothmans, Canada’s second biggest cigarette maker.
 
  The offer was conditional on Rothmans reaching an agreement with the Canadian government related to a cigarette smuggling investigation. Earlier today, Rothmans admitted to aiding smugglers in court and paid a $100 million fine....

Tullett Prebon in Talks to Combine With GFI Group - Bloomberg

Tullett Prebon Plc, the second- biggest broker of transactions between banks, is in talks to merge with GFI Group Inc. to expand its derivatives broking business in the U.S.

Talks are at ``an early stage and there can be no certainty that they will result in a transaction,'' the London-based company said in a PR Newswire statement today. New York-based GFI, the largest interdealer broker of credit derivatives, also said in a separate statement it's in discussions with Tullett....