Guest Writer

Backstop Solutions: Data's hidden treasures

Data management does more than lighten a firm’s workload. Backstop Solutions’ Adam Pinkert and Chris Anderson discuss how the right strategy can uncover hidden insights for a competitive advantage

Alter Domus: Facing up to stricter standards

The private equity industry is not immune from public scrutiny, as well as demanding investors. Aidan Connolly, CEO of Luxembourg-based fund services provider Alter Domus considers what buyout firms need to learn from other industries

Travers Smith: The jury is out on jurisdictions

Luxembourg is winning favour as a fund jurisdiction, but the UK still holds plenty of attractions for investors, say Sam Kay and Emily Clark of Travers Smith.

RBC on how depositaries are adapting to a changing market

The depositary’s role is changing as firms and service providers adapt to shifting regulation and the need to stay ahead of technological developments, says RBC’s Priya Nair.

P+P Pöllath + Partners: The funding gap facing German PE

Worried that its venture capital market is lagging its European neighbours, the German government is doing all it can to provide more start-up support, says Andreas Rodin of P+P Pöllath + Partners.

Pepper Hamilton: Family offices need solid foundations

Private foundations can be attractive investment partners, but deals need to be structured with the exit in mind to avoid some tricky tax issues, say Stephanie Pindyck-Costantino, P Thao Le and Christopher Bird of Pepper Hamilton.

eFront: Making alternatives less alternative

Today’s tech revolution will reshape private equity in major ways, leading to greater specialisation, transparency and rigour, according to eFront’s Thibaut de Laval. That will make it easier than ever to discern the best from the rest and will open up alternative investing

Goldman Sachs: In search of ‘managerial alpha’

Private equity firms should direct as much energy in maximising the potential of their teams, cultures and business-of-the-business as they do in generating investment alpha, if they want to secure a competitive edge for the next decade, suggests Goldman Sachs’ Chris Kojima

L Catterton: Tipping the playing field

Building a bespoke operating model and reinforcing a distinctive culture in which people can perform their best is the path to maximising value for specialised private equity firms and generalists alike, explains L Catterton’s Scott Dahnke

Baker McKenzie: The ‘huge potential’ of healthcare

Technological advances are creating opportunities in the medical sector for private equity firms prepared to embrace innovation, say Baker McKenzie partners David Allen and Jane Hobson