Linklaters has made a key addition to its City investment management group, with the hire of Latham & Watkins investment funds co-head Tom Alabaster.

Alabaster, a specialist private equity fund formation lawyer, has been at Latham since 2014, when he joined from the Carlyle Group. He will join Linklaters next month.

At the private equity firm he was a senior counsel, working in both London and New York, focusing on issues such as fund formation, marketing and structuring, as well as various EMEA regulatory and compliance matters. He was also previously an associate at Slaughter and May and Debevoise & Plimpton.

He has a particular focus on advising US institutions operating in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

The hire of Alabaster is part of a new strategic focus on financial sponsors and funds for Linklaters.

Investment management head Matthew Keogh said: “Tom is one of the UK’s brightest young private equity fund formation lawyers, with specialist global expertise that sits squarely at the heart of the private equity and financial sponsor sectors.

“His cross-Atlantic experience and global outlook make him a perfect addition to our team, supporting our continual prioritisation of financial sponsors and investors.”

Other recent London lateral hires for Linklaters include Ropes & Gray restructuring partner James Douglas, who the firm hired in May, and Goldman Sachs restructuring lawyer, who joined the firm as a partner in March.

The firm recently launched a client committee chaired by banking head Tony Bugg to coordinate the work it does for its biggest key clients, a move described by managing partner Gideon Moore as “one of the cornerstones” of the firm’s new strategy.