TOKYO, JAPAN - BARCLAYS said it would launch equity sales and research operations in Japan by hiring 100 people from Lehman Brothers.

Barclays, which bought the US business of bankrupt Lehman Brothers, has hired Mr Kazutoshi Ohkubo, who was head of equity sales at Lehman in Japan, to lead Barclays' equity sales operations, Barclays said on Tuesday.

The UK bank also hired Mr Koichiro Chiwata from Lehman to head equity research operations.

The move comes after Japan's Nomura Holdings, which outbid rivals to buy Lehman's Asian business, completed taking over the operations of Lehman in Asia, including Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, India and Australia.

Barclays has also hired strategists and analysts from Lehman, including chief strategist Hidenao Miyajima, Masahiro Maruo, who covers utilities stocks, banking analyst Junsuke Senoguchi, and Mikiya Yamada, an analyst for chemicals.