Page 305 - James Caan - The Real Deal

30 · Private Equity

‘Honestly? I’d have to say no.’
‘If it was your money, would you give it to someone who isn’t
an expert, or someone who is a specialist?’
‘James, you’re forgetting that those skills can be brought in on
contract. It’s not that other firms don’t use those skills, they just
outsource them.’
‘I thought of that, too, but the problem is I’m not really
prepared to rely on someone I’ve paid a fee to to make such a big
decision for a company they don’t actually work for: that sounds
like a compromise.’
‘I don’t disagree with you.’
After a few more exchanges, he said: ‘You know, James, I think
you’re right. I think your way is better.’
Now I was really excited, and I started thinking about who I
wanted to hire, where I wanted an office and what I was going to
call the company. I had a vision of an old family firm in an
oak-panelled office in Mayfair, something really traditional and, I
suppose, very English. Just as with Alexander Mann, I wanted
people to think this new business had been established for a very
long time. I had in mind a couple of old-fashioned City gents in
bowler hats and I asked myself what I thought they were
called. The names Mr Hamilton and Mr Bradshaw seemed to fit
the bill and that became the name of my new firm: Hamilton
Bradshaw.
I took an office in Stratton Street in Mayfair – close to the Ritz,
near Lazard’s Bank and where the nearest place for a spot of lunch
was Michael Caine’s Langham’s Brasserie. I started having meet-
ings with anyone I thought might be useful, and word got out that
I was up to something. To my amazement, the phone started
ringing and people started offering me deals. It was time to hire
my team. I went back to my notes from all my meetings with other
private equity firms and looked at the job titles and CVs. I decided
the first person I wanted on the team was a banking professional

295