The Brief:
White & Case has hired KWM partner Alex Elser to lead its private equity franchise in Sydney.
The move continues the US firm's aggressive Australian expansion, adding to a string of recent lateral hires.
White & Case has poached one of Australia's most prominent private equity lawyers, landing King & Wood Mallesons partner Alex Elser in Sydney.
Elser brings more than 20 years' experience leading complex PE and M&A transactions.
She spent almost 8 years at KWM, most recently advising TPG on its $4bn acquisition of bus and network operator Kinetic, but let’s not forget her lead role advising Blackstone on its $24bn acquisition of AirTrunk back in 2023.
Her client roster includes Affinity Private Equity, Blackstone and Quadrant Private Equity, and she also advises on corporate governance, compliance and broader Corporations Act matters.
White & Case Chair Heather McDevitt said:
"Alex has significant experience advising leading private equity investors and strengthens our global private capital and M&A capabilities."
The hire continues White & Case's aggressive talent push since entering the Australian market almost a decade ago.
The firm snagged Aaron Kenavan and Jamie Palmer from A&O Shearman 12 months ago, lured back debt finance partner Will Stawell from KWM in January, and added IP partner Nicholas Boyle from Bird & Bird during 2025.
Source: White & Case