Barclays Capital, the investment banking arm of the UK bank, has won its first role in four years as a bookrunner on a convertible bond issue, with the €295m ($348m) deal for Essilor, the French optical products firm.

Barclays Capital and Crédit Agricole Indosuez Lazard are joint lead managers and bookrunners. Both have existing relationships with Essilor. CAI Lazard was the bookrunner on a €726m secondary share sale for Essilor in November 2000. Essilor is also a client of Barclays Capital.