Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) global head of private equity Raymond McKeeve has left to join Jones Day in a coup for the US firm's London office.

McKeeve has spent four years at BLP after joining as private equity head in 2009, just a year after leaving Kirkland & Ellis in 2008, during which time he worked as an investment professional for property tycoon Robert Tchenguiz.

McKeeve spent two years at Kirkland after a high-profile move from Linklaters alongside the magic circle firm's private equity chief Graham White in 2006. His practice focuses on advising major private equity houses, sovereign wealth funds and their investee companies in the UK and international markets including the Middle East and northern and sub-Saharan Africa.

At Jones Day, McKeeve will report to UK private equity head Adam Greaves, who said the former BLP man would help Jones Day's clients to look beyond traditional markets to high-growth and emerging economies.

"With Raymond's wealth of experience advising the private equity community both in the UK and internationally, he will be an exceptional asset to our global private equity client base, especially in this changing and increasingly complex deal environment", added John Phillips, partner-in-charge of Jones Day's London office.

BLP is currently in the process of identifying a candidate to replace McKeeve as global head of private equity. The departure is the most high-profile for the firm this year, and comes after the conclusion of a widespread redundancy programme that has seen 102 jobs lost.

The UK top 20 firm, which recently reported a 5% dip in revenues for 2012-13, has so far remained silent on profits per equity partner (PEP), although partners have suggested that the figure has fallen by around 40% to less than £400,000, down from £660,000 last year.