Former Kirkland & Ellis London chief Jim Learner is returning to the firm's City base almost exactly three years after it emerged he was leaving to join a buyout house in the US.

He will rejoin the firm next month as a corporate partner after two years with California based private equity house HGGC, where he was a managing partner and member of the executive committee.

Learner had been a 25 year veteran of Kirkland before moving to the US in 2012. He had spent 12 years in the firm's London office after relocating from Chicago in 2000.

In London, as well as serving as office head, he led the firm's European operations and served as a member of the firm's global executive committee.

His work principally involved representing private equity firms in their leveraged buyout and growth capital investing and in their fund formation activities, acting for key client Bain Capital, as well as other private equity houses including Apax Partners, Apollo Management and Towerbrook Capital Partners.

"Jim was instrumental to helping our London office grow from 14 lawyers to more than 115 lawyers during his 12 years there, and in institutionalizing many of our important client relationships," said Jeffrey Hammes, chairman of Kirkland's executive committee. "We are thrilled to welcome our friend and colleague back to the firm."

Learner said he will continue to advise HGGC on its transactions, bringing "a new perspective on the private equity business" for Kirkland's clients.

News of Learner's return to Kirkland follows the recent exits of two senior London partners. In December former Allen & Overy banking partner Stephen Gillespie quit to join the City arm of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, while in October private equity partner and de facto London head Graham White joined Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson to lead that firm's local office.