Jefferies & Co, the US middle market investment bank and securities firm, has hired Curtis Schade for its high-yield sales team based in New Jersey.

He joins from Birch Advisors, a financial consulting firm specialising in debtor and creditor advisory work. Before that he was a managing director in high yield at Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette, the investment bank bought by Credit Suisse First Boston two years ago. Schade has also worked for Bear Stearns and First Boston before it became part of the Credit Suisse Group.