Blackstone to open Menlo Park office

NEW YORK, Sept 3 (Reuters) - Private equity firm Blackstone Group (BX.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) said on Wednesday it has hired a top technology banker at Citigroup to open an office in the technology-concentrated area of Menlo Park, California.

It hired Ivan Brockman, previously co-head of West Coast Technology Investment Banking at Citigroup (C.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), to become a senior managing director and to open the office.

Blackstone said on its Web site that since the firm was founded in 1985, its M&A advisory unit had advised on more than $325 billion of deals.

High profile technology M&A it has been involved with includes advising Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) on its pursuit of Yahoo Inc (YHOO.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz).

John Studzinski, head of Blackstone's advisory businesses, said in a statement that the firm's technology advisory group was now "well anchored" with Brockman on the West Coast and Chris Pasko heading up its East Coast effort. (Reporting by Megan Davies)