The future of Willkie Farr & Gallagher's formal alliance with Dickson Minto has been called into question after it emerged that the US firm is considering a push into private equity work in London.

Legal Week has learned that the New York-headquartered firm has in recent months held recruitment discussions with at least one high-profile UK-qualified private equity partner in London.

While those talks are understood to have fallen through, the firm's Paris-based European chair Daniel Hurstel confirmed that Willkie is considering a move into UK private equity, as well as finance, funds and arbitration work.

"Clearly there has been a change in the last 24 months," said Hurstel, who also takes the lead for Willkie's recruitment in Europe.

"We want to develop the London office for obvious reasons, but we are looking very seriously at the options and exercising them when it is in line with the overall strategy."

One Willkie partner acknowledged the move would lead to "complications" with its relationship with the private equity-focused Scottish firm, with which it entered into a strategic alliance in 2008 to collaborate on a number of areas, with a particular focus on European cross-border transactions.

According to its website, Dickson Minto works with Willkie's European and US practices on private equity, M&A, acquisition finance, capital markets, investment funds, financial services and restructuring work.

"The relationship is reciprocal, and we are happy with the alliance," Hurstel told Legal Week.

 A spokesperson for Willkie said:"Willkie is committed to the London market and has successfully grown the London office with the addition of restructuring, insurance and white collar practices. This growth has expanded the opportunities to work with Dickson Minto. The firm will continue to consider additional opportunities for the London office."

Dickson Minto did not return several requests for comment.

However, one former Dickson Minto lawyer said he would be "surprised" if Willkie was not thinking of splitting from the arrangement. "The alliance goes in Dickson Minto's favour entirely," he added.

The Scottish firm also has an informal relationship with Latham & Watkins for a large amount of US-facing financing work carried out in London on behalf of marquee clients BC Partners and Charterhouse.

In recent years, Willkie has taken steps to build out its London office, the size of which was cited as a reason for the Dickson Minto tie-up in 2008.

In 2011, it hired legacy Herbert Smith investigations and corporate crimes head Peter Burrell, followed by insurance duo Joseph Ferraro and Nicholas Bugler, and tax partner Judith Harger, all of whom joined from Dewey & LeBoeuf in 2012.

Last September, the office launched a restructuring practice with the hire of Kirkland & Ellis partner Graham Lane.