In 2009 London-based GAM, the alternatives arm of Zürich-based asset management firm GAM Holding, finally regained its independence after a decade of ownership when it severed ties with Swiss bank Julius Baer Holding, which bought its stake from UBS in 2005. That year also marked an interesting time for global markets. The 2008 financial crisis had rattled the global economic stage and presented the investing universe with opportunities that GAM seized through the introduction of several new funds…