SJ Berwin funds partner Josyane Gold has stepped down from the partnership after 25 years to take up a new role as non-executive director at Electra Private Equity.

Gold, who will remain as a consultant at the firm, has been a partner since 1988 and is a founding member of the firm's marquee funds practice.

She will take up her new role at Electra with immediate effect, but will continue to work at SJ Berwin three days a week after stepping down from the firm's partnership last month.

A firm spokesperson for SJ Berwin said: "Josyane continues in her role managing key client relationships. She has a particular focus on the integration of the global funds team along with a number of management and mentoring roles which include overseeing the management of the Milan and Luxembourg offices. We are very proud of Josyane's appointment as a NED for Electra."

In 2011 funds partners Nigel van Zyl and Oliver Rochman left the firm to join US firm Proskauer Rose's London office, along with a team of around six associates. Funds partner Mark Hainsworth also left the firm in the same year. 

SJ Berwin made up four associates in its City investment funds practice outside the firm's normal partner promotions cycle in 2011 in an effort to boost the practice.

SJ Berwin's highly-rated funds practice has long proved attractive to rivals, with Kirkland & Ellis taking three partners Mark Mifsud, Richard Watkins and Justin Dolling in 2007.

SJ Berwin signed a merger agreement with Sino-Australian firm King & Wood Mallesons at the end of July, creating a firm with four profit pools. The merger is set to go live in November.