Kirkland & Ellis has hired its sixth partner from Ropes & Gray this month, with the addition of London investment funds partner Anand Damodaran.

Damodaran joins the US firm's London office as a partner in the investment funds group. He specialises in advising clients on the formation of credit, private equity and real estate funds.

His departure from Ropes makes him the sixth partner to leave the firm for US rival Kirkland in the past two weeks.

Kirkland chairman Jeffrey Hammes said: "Anand is a hugely talented practitioner and an excellent addition to our market-leading investment funds group in London. His extensive experience and knowledge advising fund sponsors across the spectrum of investment strategies, including his particular credit fund strength, will further enhance our global funds offering."

Earlier this month, Kirkland hired a five-partner investigations and government enforcement team from Ropes, including lawyers from four of the firm's offices in the US, UK and Asia.

That team comprised Chicago managing partner and global anti-corruption and international risks co-chair Asheesh Goel, New York securities and futures enforcement co-head Zachary Brez, alongside three other government enforcement partners – Kim Nemirow in Chicago, Marcus Thompson in London and Cori Lable in Hong Kong.

A number of other partners have left Ropes in recent months. In April, a four-partner Hong Kong corporate team led by office managing partner Paul Boltz left for Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, while in London, the firm has seen partners depart for Linklaters, King & Spalding and White & Case, following the exit of former London senior partner Maurice Allen to DLA Piper.

In the US, the firm saw two Boston departures in June, with private equity partner Jason Serlenga joining Kirkland's new office in the city, and real estate investments and transactions co-head Marc Lazar leaving for Goodwin Procter. The firm also recently spun off its 100-lawyer patent prosecution practice into a new firm, Haley Guiliano, which launched earlier this month.