Kirkland & Ellis City banking partner Philip Crump has left the firm to join Gibson Dunn & Crutcher.

Crump, who started at Kirkland as a partner in 2007, will join the firm's finance practice in London.

The move will reunite him with banking partner Stephen Gillespie, who left Kirkland in December to join Gibson Dunn. In April he was promoted to co-chair of the firm's global finance practice. 

Ken Doran, chairman and managing partner of Gibson Dunn, said the firm's London arm is "a priority for investment and a growth area", adding: "We have made significant strides in building a top-quality English law transactional practice, consisting of cross-border M&A, private equity, corporate, real estate and finance. Phil will add to our depth and strength in finance and restructuring."

Crump's departure comes in the same week as Kirkland announced the hire of Weil Gotshal & Manges' tax head, Jonathan Kandel.

It is also the latest in a string of recent exits from the firm. These include high-yield partner Ward McKimm, who left last week for Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, and corporate partner James Howe, who joined Proskauer Rose earlier this month.

In May Kirkland also lost three London private funds partners to Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson.

The partners – Mark Mifsud, Kate Downey and Alexandra Conroy – followed in the footsteps of former Kirkland London senior partner Graham White, who moved to Fried Frank to lead its City practice in December.

However, Kirkland has also hired two Linklaters partners in London this year: competition head Paula Riedel in May and corporate partner Matthew Elliott in January.