Morgan Stanley South-east Asia banker Khanna said to be leaving

[SINGAPORE] Morgan Stanley South-east Asia investment banker Nehchal Khanna is leaving the firm after more than five years, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Mr Khanna, a managing director focused on dealmaking in Malaysia, resigned on Thursday, one of the people said, asking not to be identified as the information is private. Morgan Stanley had hired Mr Khanna from Deutsche Bank AG in 2010 to lead its Malaysia investment-banking coverage.

The US firm ranked eighth among advisers on South-east Asia mergers and acquisitions last year, up from 13th in 2014, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. It was also a joint global coordinator on the two largest IPOs in Malaysia, Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd's US$3.3 billion offering in 2012 and Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd's US$4.8 billion share sale in 2010, the data show.

A Hong Kong-based spokeswoman for Morgan Stanley said she couldn't immediately comment.

BLOOMBERG