Late Lunchtime Links: Where BNP Paribas plans to hire next

Given BNP's apparent pay paucity, the queue of people lining up to join it may not be as long as it might otherwise have been. However, it's worth remembering that BNP is France's pre-eminent bank, that it nearly doubled full year earnings, and that according to the Wall Street Journal it's among the best managed banks in Europe.

It's interesting, therefore, that BNP appears to want to hire. According to today's results presentation, its 'Action Plan' for the corporate and investment bank in 2010 involves 'growing' its corporate finance business in major European countries, and 'bolstering' its US salesforce and its Asian structured finance positions.

Bob Diamond says people should be 'immensely proud' that Barclays was the top bond trader of 2009. (Guardian)

The consensus seems to be that we bankers are all 25 years old, cocky, rich and mostly foreign. (Guardian)

To maintain profits it is imperative to employ the correct people. They are expensive. Deal with it. (Independent)

It is now extremely difficult to become a partner at a US law firm. (Bloomberg)

Is Pali Capital the canary in the coalmine of boutiques? (Wall Street Journal)

Merrill Lynch Wealth Management has poached someone from Barclays Wealth to spearhead its push into alternatives. (CityWire)

Banker stole $780k from Merrill, bought Ferrari. (NY Daily News)

Positive income shocks have a large positive effect on mental health. (Financial Times)

JP Morgan shows the Volcker rule is all hat and no cat. (Huffington Post)

'BlackBerrys are the only devices to work in a crisis.' (Telegraph)