‘Private equity must be prepared to explain the benefits it brings’ – CD&R’s Simon Tinkler

‘Private equity must be prepared to explain the benefits it brings’ – CD&R’s Simon Tinkler

Simon Tinkler – Senior legal adviser, CD&R Year of qualification: 1993 Clifford Chance, 1995-2022 CD&R, 2022-present Why did you want to become a private equity lawyer? I loved the intersection between the law and the real world. On each transaction you get to understand a new business or sector, and then to think about the …

‘In private equity, no day is ever the same’ – Montagu GC Alexandra Openshaw

‘In private equity, no day is ever the same’ – Montagu GC Alexandra Openshaw

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 …

‘Creating value and preventing value destruction are two sides of the same coin’ – Livingbridge GC Jeremy Dennison

‘Creating value and preventing value destruction are two sides of the same coin’ – Livingbridge GC Jeremy Dennison

Jeremy Dennison – General counsel, Livingbridge Year of qualification: 2009 Travers Smith, 2007-12 Goodwin Procter, 2012-14 MUSTO, 2014-15 Travers Smith, 2015-18 Livingbridge, 2018-present Why did you want to become a private equity lawyer? My first exposure to private equity was during my training contract at Travers Smith, which has one of the leading mid-market private …

‘The DWF take-private was headline-grabbing and justifiably so’ – Inflexion GC Andrew Stevens

‘The DWF take-private was headline-grabbing and justifiably so’ – Inflexion GC Andrew Stevens

Andrew Stevens – General counsel, Inflexion Year of qualification: 2010 Slaughter and May, 2008-13 Och-Ziff Capital Management, 2014-16 HPS Investment Partners, 2017 Inflexion, 2017-present Within law, the transactional side felt like the natural destination for me and, within that, PE always stood out.

‘I work with the best M&A lawyers in the world’ – Carlyle’s Heather Mitchell

‘I work with the best M&A lawyers in the world’ – Carlyle’s Heather Mitchell

Heather Mitchell – Partner, chief risk officer, head of EMEA and global general counsel for Investments, Carlyle Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, 1996-99 Kaiser Group International, 1999-2001 Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, 2001-02 Carlyle, 2002-present I absolutely love my job. There’s a natural synergy in my roles as GC for global investments and chief risk …

High achievers – private equity is changing; meet the elite GCs at the vanguard of the transformation

High achievers – private equity is changing; meet the elite GCs at the vanguard of the transformation

From dating apps to entertainment venues, airports to music collections, there’s almost no industry left untouched by the multitrillion-dollar private equity market. And, with these secretive organisations continuing to diversify their business into new asset classes such as infrastructure and credit, it’s an industry that is not only still changing but also still growing.

‘There are many memorable moments that that can’t be shared’ – Charterhouse GC Tom Patrick

‘There are many memorable moments that that can’t be shared’ – Charterhouse GC Tom Patrick

Tom Patrick – GC, Charterhouse Year of qualification: 1999 White & Case, 2001-05 D.B. Zwirn & Co, 2005-10 Charterhouse, 2010-present Why did you want to become a private equity lawyer? I didn’t really – I originally wanted to be a journalist but once I did law, I was very keen to go in-house and get …

‘A PE firm is one of the most interesting places for an in-house lawyer’ – Cinven GC Babett Carrier

‘A PE firm is one of the most interesting places for an in-house lawyer’ – Cinven GC Babett Carrier

Babett Carrier – General counsel, Cinven Shearman & Sterling, 1996-2012 Arma Partners, 2013-14 Cinven, 2015-present I come from a family of lawyers. My father was a lawyer, my uncle was a judge, so there was maybe some bias. What I like about the law is that it is very analytical and it rewards logic. You …

‘You have a measurable impact on the success of the business’ – Lone Star legal chief Mark Coker

‘You have a measurable impact on the success of the business’ – Lone Star legal chief Mark Coker

Mark Coker – Chief legal officer, Lone Star Year of qualification: 1990 Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, 1998-2008 Vinson & Elkins, 2008-15 Hudson Advisors, 2016-17 Lone Star Europe Acquisitions, 2018-present Why did you want to become a private equity lawyer? My career in private practice largely pre-dated the concept of being a private equity lawyer. My background …