Category: Analysis | Page 5 of 130

Chris Bulger – GC, Vitruvian Partners

Year of qualification: 2007
Slaughter and May, 2005-14
Goldman Sachs, 2014-18
Vitruvian Partners, 2018-present

Why did you want to become a private equity lawyer?

I have been involved with alternative asset managers since 2005, during the early stages of my training contract with Slaughter and May. I became very interested in funds work and private equity in particular as the industry grew and was increasingly prominent. I then noticed that the larger private equity firms were beginning to hire their first in-house lawyers, and their role seemed to me to combine the elements of private practice I really liked (such as negotiation and structuring) with a broad in-house mandate that wasn’t limited to involvement in only legal matters.

How long have you been working in-house?

I did a secondment at Goldman Sachs in 2008 shortly after qualifying. It was an extraordinary learning experience as the global financial crisis developed. After six more years at Slaughter and May, I then returned to Goldman permanently in 2014 to cover their private equity and private credit business in Europe, along with various fundraisings and firm investments.

What has been the most memorable moment of your in-house career?

A day trip to Boston to sell shares in an IPO stands out. I made the last-minute decision to fly at 8.30am and was on the plane from Heathrow at 11:30am. Having worked the entire flight on organising the logistics and paperwork (being fortunate that the wi-fi worked throughout the flight and using a copy of the Financial Times for my written notes), I was greeted at Boston Logan International Airport by a banker, lawyer, notary and driver. After signing various documents in the arrivals hall, we then made a few stops on the way to hand-deliver the required paperwork to the transfer agent, making it with an hour or so to spare. After a celebratory Sam Adams at the airport I was back home within 24 hours of departing!

Which sectors do you expect to drive activity this year?

I anticipate technology, healthcare and energy as being busy. Closer to home, I also expect to see further activity in financial services, and asset management in particular. I anticipate that traditional asset managers will continue to look to acquire alternative managers, and alternative managers will acquire managers of other products that they don’t currently offer.

Would you recommend a career working in private equity?

Absolutely – the private equity industry has matured considerably during the nearly 20 years I have been working in it. Private equity and other alternative firms are now significantly more regulated, as are their fundraisings and the transactions they undertake. But this actually provides more opportunities for lawyers to enter the industry at an earlier stage in their careers, and more paths they can then take to develop. Working at a private equity firm can also provide more opportunities for lawyers to get involved in other areas (such as HR, operations and tax), than might be the case with other in-house roles. The industry continues to innovate as well, such as on sources of capital for fundraisings and the structure and type of investments.

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Jonathan Pugh-Smith – GC, funds, Bregal Investments

Year of qualification: 2010
Berwin Leighton Paisner, 2008-11
International Justice Mission, 2011-12
Berwin Leighton Paisner, 2012-13
Bregal Investments, 2013-present

Why did you want to become a private equity lawyer?

To be honest, I did not specifically set out to become a private equity lawyer. I have always sought out opportunities in my career where I am valued, where I can continue to grow and learn, that are dynamic and where I feel I can make a difference. Across the last ten years of working in private equity these boxes have more often than not been ticked across the board. Continue reading “‘You are working with some of the sharpest minds on the planet’ – Bregal Investments funds GC Jonathan Pugh-Smith”

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 are trained to analyse any issues in a systematic way. Continue reading “‘A PE firm is one of the most interesting places for an in-house lawyer’ – Cinven GC Babett Carrier”

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 many and varied legal issues that impact on it. I also really enjoy the fact it is a real team effort, both internally and externally; as a private equity lawyer you are absolutely core to that team.  Continue reading “‘Private equity must be prepared to explain the benefits it brings’ – CD&R’s Simon Tinkler”