Kirkland & Ellis has recruited Linklaters private equity partner Stuart Boyd in London.

Boyd is the latest in a string of partners to leave the magic circle firm for Kirkland during the past 12 months.

His move reunites him with fellow private equity partner David Holdsworth, who joined a few weeks ago along with City tax partner Tim Lowe.

Boyd became partner at Linklaters in 2013 after joining in 2003 as a trainee. His clients include Carlyle, CVC Capital Partners, RBS, Brait and Bridgepoint.

While at Linklaters he advised South African investment house Brait on its £1.9bn acquisition of UK fashion retailer New Look in May last year, and on the £1.3bn acquisition of fitness chain Virgin Active in April that year.

A Kirkland spokesperson confirmed Boyd was joining but his start date is not yet known.

A Linklaters spokesperson said: "We thank him for his contribution and wish him all the best."

Further exits from Linklaters to Kirkland include the firm's former corporate partner and head of real estate M&A, Matthew Elliott, who was recruited to Kirkland's London office in February last year.

Kirkland also took on the magic circle firm's head of competition and antitrust, Paula Riedel, in May 2015.

Former Linklaters private equity managing associate, Carlos Gil Rivas, left the firm to join Kirkland as a partner in London in July 2015. In August 2015, Kirkland also hired Linklaters' star finance partner, David Irvine, in Hong Kong.

City private equity partner Roger Johnson joined the US firm in September last year.