A group of Bank of America bankers is leaving the company to start an independent private-equity firm, BofA has confirmed. The group, led by Travis Hain, will split from BAML Capital Partners, BofA’s and Merrill Lynch’s combined private-equity unit, this summer. The new firm will raise cash from outside investors, but also will manage about $1.4bn of BofA’s private-equity portfolio, bank spokeswoman Jackie Fitzgerald says.