Goldman Sachs has made an investment in BTIG, an equity trading and brokerage firm that caters to the hedge fund community.

Merrill Lynch’s prime brokerage has lost a capital introduction veteran in Asia.

HSBC Holdings is luring hedge funds spooked by the credit crisis and its possible impact on prime brokers.

Merrill Lynch has launched Merrill Open Minds, a service that provides alternative research products and services to hedge funds, mutual funds and other investors.

Conifer Securities, which specializes in providing middle- and back-office services to hedge funds, has agreed to purchase Morgan Stanley’s Outsourced Trading business.

Prime brokerage and agency execution firm Shoreline Trading Group has added industry veteran Donald Marigliano to its prime brokerage sales team.

Agency brokerage firm JonesTrading Institutional Services has expanded its offerings to include distressed debt trading.

Prime brokerage firm NorthPoint Trading Partners has hired Keith Milko as director of client services. Before joining NorthPoint, Milko served as a vice president at Bank of America’s prime brokerage unit.

Ron Suber has joined Merlin Securities, a broker-dealer specializing in technology driven prime brokerage services, as head of global sales and marketing.

The Bank of New York Mellon’s Alternative Investment Services business has topped $200 billion in assets under administration.