Linklaters Hong Kong corporate partner and Asia technology, media and telecommunications sector leader Samantha Thompson has left the firm to join PwC in London.

She is the latest in a string of partners to leave the firm's Hong Kong base in recent months.

Thompson has been hired by PwC in London as a director and board secretary. She will head PwC's secretariat and work alongside its executive board, supervisory board and public interest body.

She made partner at Linklaters in 2009, focusing on public and private M&A, corporate governance and equities.

Thompson's career began at Slaughter and May in London where she trained and worked as an associate in the firm's corporate department.

She moved to Hong Kong to join independent firm Deacons in 2005 and moved to Linklaters the following year.

Thompson's exit follows a number of high profile departures from the firm's Asian offices this year.

In March Hong Kong capital markets partner David Ludwick left to join Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. He was followed in April by banking and projects partner Thomas Ng, who joined Freshfields in Hong Kong from Linklaters Beijing office.

Also that month Hong Kong corporate partner Peggy Wang left to join White & Case.

In September US firm Kirkland & Ellis hired high profile Linklaters finance partner David Irvine from the firm's Hong Kong office.

Linklaters Asia managing partner Marc Harvey said: "While these departures have happened over a relatively short space of time, they don't unduly affect any single practice, team or office.

"There is no link between them. The reasons for each departure are different. They afford an opportunity for new talent to emerge and for some exciting transfers, which will bolster our market leading Asia offering."