Dresdner Kleinwort has been hit by the latest in a string of senior defections to Société Générale from its equity business, bringing to four the number of staff hired by the French bank from its German rival in just over three months.

Andrew Lapthorne, Dresdner Kleinwort's top global quantitative strategist, has quit the bank to join SG, following its global equity strategist James Montier, who left the top-ranked strategy team earlier this month.