Linklaters' former head of capital markets, Nick Eastwell, has joined Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) firm Kinstellar as a senior consultant to set up a base in the City.

Eastwell will work part-time for the CEE outfit, which was founded by a group of former Linklaters equity partners in November 2008 when the magic circle firm split from its offices in Budapest, Bratislava, Bucharest and Prague.

Eastwell's brief will be to forge ties with banks and corporates in London, while also working on capital market transactions for the firm.

Kinstellar has no plans to set up a full-scale London operation, and Eastwell will be the only fee earner in what is intended to be a small representative office.

The firm maintains a 'best friends' relationship with Linklaters.

Kinstellar managing partner Jason Mogg commented: "Banks and corporates generally run their CEE operations out of London so it makes sense for us to be plugged in there."

Eastwell announced his retirement from Linklaters in March this year and is set to leave the firm at the end of October. He will take up his new role at Kinstellar in the new year.

In 2007 he stood unsuccessfully against Simon Davies for the firmwide managing partner post and had previously held roles as capital markets practice CEE managing partner and head of the Hong Kong finance group.

Last week Kinstellar recruited former Linklaters banking partner Charles Dunn as a partner in its Prague office.