Latham & Watkins is to lose the co-head of its London projects practice with the news that Joseph Blum is leaving the US firm to join a private equity fund.

Blum, who has been with Latham for more than 20 years, is set to join Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) on 1 July as a partner and general counsel. He will be based in GIP's City office.

GIP, which also has branches in New York and Hong Kong, invests in global infrastructure assets in the energy, transport and water sectors. The group was set up as a joint venture between Credit Suisse and GE Infrastructure and, together with insurance group AIG, took over London City Airport at the end of last year in a deal valued at around £750m.

Blum's experience includes advising sponsors and financial institutions on cross-border project development and financings, as well as joint ventures and privatisations. His clients have included ExxonMobil, Qatar Petroleum, Chevron and Suez Energy as well as financial institutions Lehman Brothers, ABN Amro and Morgan Stanley.

Commenting on the appointment, GIP chairman and managing partner Adebayo Ogunlesi said: "[Blum's] vast experience in both developed and developing markets and the recognition he has gained across various infrastructure sectors distinguish him as a legal expert and we believe that his significant experience will be an asset for GIP and its limited partners."

Blum added: "The global reach of the company and diversity of asset classes it targets makes it an exciting prospect from a legal perspective."