Alexandra Openshaw – General counsel, Montagu
Year of qualification: 2010
Macfarlanes, 2008-15
Winton Group, 2016-23
Montagu, 2023-present
Why did you want to become a private equity lawyer?
I was previously a funds lawyer at a private practice firm and wanted to be client-side from early on. No day is ever the same – there’s so much for a lawyer to be involved in and it’s very fast-paced, which I enjoy.
What has been the most memorable moment or deal of your in-house career?
Not sure I have one moment – I have been very lucky to be involved in many projects ranging from fund launches, spin-outs, and fund mergers with talented colleagues.
What do you think will be the biggest issues in private equity in the coming years?
PE is currently facing a new swathe of regulation (not all of it drafted with PE in mind), particularly in the US and separately in the ESG/D&I space. We’re preparing by using advisers where appropriate, and trying to get on top of issues early.
Across the board in law, there’s likely to be an increase in adopting AI solutions for certain tasks, which creates a big opportunities (particularly in-house where we typically have very small legal teams) but also requires adopting different ways of working.
Why would you recommend a career in private equity?
In private equity, every day is different and the work is incredibly varied – there’s something for every legal specialism. You also get to work with great people.
