David Kilshaw, the former head of KPMG's private client tax practice, is to join Ernst & Young (EY) as a partner in 2014 as the firm bids to expand its work in this area.

Kilshaw will be joining EY's private client team to grow the firm's family office business in the UK and will work alongside three current partners in the team, John Cooney, Caspar Noble, and Carolyn Steppler.

John Dixon, EY's head of tax in the UK & Ireland said: 'David will be a real asset to our strong private client tax team in the UK. As well as growing our family office practice, he will take an active role in developing and mentoring new talent coming through the team. We have ambitions to grow the tax business significantly, and it's imperative that we have the best people at the helm and coming through every level of the organisation.'

Kilshaw, who is also a qualified solicitor, was a tax partner at KPMG for 17 years and led the private client tax group from 2004 to 2010. More recently he was the firm's national chairman of the private client group and also headed up their international network.

'I am really impressed with the ambition and ability of EY to make a big impact on the private client market and relish the opportunity of working with John, Caspar and Carolyn to serve the full spectrum of private clients' needs. EY is also widely recognised as being the market leader in international private clients, which is of increasing importance,' Kilshaw said.