The UK financial services group Evolution wants to speed up its acquisition talks with Williams de Broe, the UK private client and instituti...

The UK financial services group Evolution wants to speed up its acquisition talks with Williams de Broe, the UK private client and institutional stockbroking firm. At Evolution’s annual general meeting its chairman Martin Gray said the firm hopes to bring discussions about the purchase of Williams de Broe from ING to a conclusion very shortly. Earlier this month, Evolution said it had entered exclusive talks with Williams de Broe and is believed to have bid £30 million ($56.1 million) for the brokerage group. Evolution is likely to be interested in Williams de Broe’s private client business and could merge this business with Christows, Evolution’s private client stockbroker group. Last year ING uncovered accounting irregularities at Williams de Broe which led to the dismissal of chief executive John Millar and chief operating officer David Whistance. As a result of the scandal, ING was forced to make a provision of £56 million and is expected to offer an indemnity against any related losses that emerge after a sale.