Peter Kiernan, the former investment banker who withdrew his candidacy for director general of the UK Takeover Panel in the wake of Kraft Foods' controversial takover of Cadbury, has returned to banking six months after leaving Lazard.

Kiernan, 51 years old, has re-emerged as vice chairman of Hawkpoint, the corporate finance advisory firm that is part of brokerage Collins Stewart Hawkpoint, according to a Hawkpoint statement today.