Carlyle will break new ground in the US private equity industry on Wednesday when it announces the appointment of a top Washington lawyer to manage its dealings with regulators and politicians around the world.

The appointment of David Marchick, a partner at Covington & Burling, underlines how the expansion of Carlyle, which now holds more than 50 per cent of its investments outside the US, is forcing the Washington-based firm to confront a host of regulatory and political issues in numerous jurisdictions.