La Compagnie Benjamin de Rothschild, a Geneva-based unit of Edmond de Rothschild, has opened its doors in London to serve clients and consultants in the UK and Europe.

Charles Goodman, managing director of the new London office, currently leads a team of six, although the firm said it plans to increase this figure to about 10 through local hires by the end of the year. Goodman has been with La Compagnie Benjamin de Rothschild since 1994, most recently as head of institutional sales in Geneva.  

The group already manages some £1.1 billion ($1.7 billion) from London, but plans to lift this total to £2 billion by the end of 2013. The current £1.1 billion represents primarily transferred business, as well as new clients the firm said would not have been possible to acquire without a London presence.

The Edmond de Rothschild Group was established in 1953 by Baron Edmond de Rothschild. The group is now controlled by his son, Baron Benjamin de Rothschild, who founded La Compagnie Benjamin de Rothschild in 1989.

While the group has, historically, focused on continental Europe, it said it is currently expanding its footprint in the UK. It also has a presence in Asia, South America and the Middle East.