In this episode, we sit down with Andrea Gede-Lange, Partner at Clifford Chance, to explore her journey from Canada to New York, building a career in private equity and M&A, and the lessons she has learned on the path to partnership.
Andrea’s route into law was not something she had originally planned. After studying international relations, a chance conversation with the Austrian ambassador to Canada sparked an interest in diplomacy and ultimately led her to law school. Corporate law soon proved a better fit, and Andrea added an MBA in finance before qualifying in Ontario and setting her sights on New York, drawn by the opportunity to work on sophisticated M&A transactions.
Mentorship played a significant role in shaping the early years of her career. Andrea recalls working with a senior private equity partner who gave her opportunities and responsibility far earlier than would typically be expected, from drafting shareholders’ agreements as a first-year associate to taking the lead on transactions before the end of that year. It is an experience she has come to appreciate even more since becoming a partner herself and understanding the time and effort required to invest properly in developing junior lawyers.
That early exposure also introduced Andrea to private equity. What appealed to her was the opportunity to work with sophisticated clients who, like their lawyers, spend their careers doing deals. She discusses the pace and commercial nature of that relationship, as well as the opportunity to follow an investment throughout its lifecycle, from the initial acquisition and portfolio company strategy through to an eventual exit.
The conversation explores some of the experiences that accelerated Andrea’s development as a deal lawyer. One particularly formative transaction came when she was a fourth-year associate working on a complex carve-out involving four companies across four jurisdictions. When the partner on the transaction went on holiday, Andrea found herself managing much of the deal through an intricate series of international closings. It was demanding, but ultimately became one of the transactions she remains most proud of and an example of how significant responsibility can accelerate a young lawyer’s development.
Andrea also offers a candid perspective on what it takes to make partner. Being a strong deal lawyer is important, but technical excellence alone is not enough. Effective communication, developing junior lawyers, responsiveness to clients and the ability to demonstrate a genuine business case all become increasingly important as a lawyer progresses. She recalls arriving at her own partnership interview having already closed one deal, terminated another and enabled the client to sign a third that same morning — an illustration of the intensity that can accompany that stage of a legal career.
A significant part of the discussion looks at how the private equity market itself is evolving. Andrea explains why the investment lifecycle begins long before an acquisition, with fundraising and capital deployment, and continues through portfolio company growth and ultimately the exit. In a more challenging environment, those exits are not always straightforward. Higher borrowing costs have made transactions more expensive, while difficult market conditions have encouraged private equity firms to explore continuation vehicles, secondary transactions and other liquidity solutions. Investors are also thinking more creatively about potential exit strategies from the very beginning of an investment.
The conversation also turns to where Andrea is seeing investment activity today. Digital infrastructure and the data centres supporting growing demand for AI computing power are increasingly attracting attention, alongside the power and energy infrastructure required to support them. Sports and entertainment are another area of interest, with investors looking beyond ticket and merchandise sales towards sponsorship, branding, media rights and other revenue streams.
Leadership and developing the next generation of lawyers are equally important themes. Having benefited from a mentor who invested heavily in her own development, Andrea now tries to do the same for the associates she works with. She discusses helping build a training programme for M&A associates at Clifford Chance and why the strongest deal teams are not necessarily made up of people with identical strengths, but lawyers whose skills complement one another.
Andrea is equally candid about the leadership behaviours she does not want to replicate. Having experienced senior lawyers losing their temper during difficult situations, she explains why yelling is rarely an effective way to resolve a disagreement. Her preference is to take a beat, approach difficult conversations constructively and remain focused on reaching a solution — an approach that applies equally to managing teams and negotiating across the table.
Looking ahead, Andrea is optimistic about the role technology will play in the profession. From physical data rooms to electronic due diligence and now AI-assisted review, she has already seen technology transform how quickly transactions can move. With AI now being incorporated into transactional practice, she is interested to see how lawyers can use the technology to work more efficiently while adapting to the broader changes it brings to the market and economy.
Throughout the conversation, Andrea’s perspective on career development is grounded in the importance of continuing to learn, investing in others and having the confidence to contribute. Her advice to lawyers is simple: speak up. Rather than waiting until you are completely certain before contributing, she encourages lawyers to assert themselves, share their perspective and recognise the value they can bring to the conversation.
It is an engaging and candid conversation about private equity, cross-border M&A, mentorship, partnership, leadership and what it takes to build a successful career as a deal lawyer.
Watch the full episode.
