New York firm Kaye Scholer has bolstered its London office with the hire of Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) funds partner Timothy Spangler.

Spangler, who left BLP yesterday (5 October), will join the US firm on Monday (9 October) as global head of the firm's investment funds practice.

The hire will make him Kaye Scholer's first investment funds lawyer and the second partner in its six-lawyer London office headed by partner Guilherme Brafman. The firm already has lawyers doing some investment funds work in its US and Frankfurt offices.

Spangler told Legal Week: "In addition to heading the investment funds practice globally I will be the first person in London. We will be building a primarily UK-qualified team to work closely with Frankfurt and exploit our European offering."

Spangler is both UK and US qualified and has experience of working with a wide range of funds including hedge funds, private equity funds, venture capital funds and funds of funds. His clients include Schroders, Gulf International Bank, Atlas Capital and Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management.

Spangler joined BLP in 2002 from Latham & Watkins where he was a senior associate.