Damien Hatfield, the well-known hedge fund industry figure, is to set up a hedge fund research and marketing business with Daniel Liptak, an experienced hedge fund researcher.

The new business, Hatfield Liptak Advisers, will be launched about mid-March. Hatfield resigned from Pengana Capital last week while Liptak will leave Suncorp,where he had been in the alternatives area since leaving ICAP a couple of months ago. Liptak is a former head of alternatives research at ASSIRT (now part of Standard & Poor’s) who set up a hedge fund performance survey and publications business, LCA, which was acquired by ICAP. Hatfield, sometimes referred to as the “godfather” of hedge funds in Australia, has been a pioneer of alternative investments. He launched the Deutsche hedge fund business in Australia in the 1990s, followed by the Colonial First State hedge fund business several years ago before moving to Pengana. Hatfield said yesterday that the three major opportunities he would explore with the new business were: . Taking Australian hedge fund managers with two-three years experience to international investors as well as the Australian retail market . Bringing some offshore managers to Australian investors, and . Advising international and Australian investors, such as offshore family offices which are big hedge fund investors, on the Australian market and products. “But we are going to be fairly selective,” he said. “We’re only looking for a small clientele.” Hatfield Liptak Advisers has been funded by a private equity firm. Hatfield and Liptak are also shareholders.