RBC Capital Markets today announced the formation of a London-based team within the firm’s investment banking division. The team will focus on the smaller quoted companies on the Official List and the Alternative Investment Market (AIM). RBC Capital Markets is in the process of seeking approval as a nominated advisor.

The team will provide corporate finance, sales, research and market-making services to a client base that includes natural resources, energy and technology companies.

Andrew Smith, who leads the new team, joins from Collins Stewart where he focused on the mining sector. Smith has worked in corporate finance since 1993 and is a chartered accountant, a member of the AIM advisory group of the London Stock Exchange and former chairman of the Quoted Companies Alliance. Smith reports to Patrick Meier, managing director and head of RBC Capital Markets’ European investment banking division.

Martin Eales, who also joins the team from Collins Stewart, has over eight years of experience advising companies in the mining and technology sectors. Both Smith and Eales have worked on a number of Official List and AIM transactions in the mining and technology sectors.

Mark Naughton joins RBC Capital Markets from Merrill Lynch where he was a market-maker focused on smaller UK companies. His focus is on market-making for AIM-listed stocks. The firm plans to add two further members to the team to cover sales and research.

“The strength of the natural resources sector has led to more firms looking to list on AIM. In addition to those choosing AIM as their primary listing, a substantial number of non-UK listed companies, notably from Australia and North America, are looking to AIM as a secondary listing,” said Doug McGregor, global head of investment banking at RBC in Toronto. “This level of activity, combined with recent changes to strengthen the AIM regulatory environment, make this a timely and natural move for us.”

Patrick Meier, managing director and head of investment banking, Europe, said, “AIM continues to grow and is here to stay. Our new team has over 30 years of combined experience, which our clients will benefit from immediately.”