US investment banking boutique Moelis & Co has embarked on an Asia-Pacific push after choosing Sydney as the venue for its first office in the region and hiring two senior bankers from JP Morgan to spearhead the drive.

Chris Wyke and Julian Biggins, both senior bankers in JP Morgan's Sydney operation, have joined Moelis & Co along with three others as the firm makes its first moves into the Asia-Pacific region, just under a year after the opening of its first non-US office in London.