Schroder Salomon Smith Barney (SSSB) is working on its first mergers and acquisitions advisory mandate for BNP Paribas, which has just secured the acquisition of Consors, the German electronic broker, for €287m ($259m).

BNP Paribas has used a variety of financial advisers recently on its crossborder acquisitions. Last year, the French bank called on outside advisers twice when it made acquisitions in the US, where it does not have any financial institutions corporate financiers. In December, BNP Paribas used Lehman Brothers when it acquired United California Bank, and last May the French bank used Merrill Lynch when it acquired the 55% it did not already own of US-based BancWest.