Committed Capital: Global Private Equity Insights

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Private equity firms are sitting on near record levels of dry powder, along with a large backlog of investments awaiting an exit and increased fundraising activities. Assuming no macroeconomic or geopolitical headwinds, the PE industry’s investment cycle is poised to accelerate.

Hosted by members of Dechert’s Private Equity practice and recognized by Law.com International among the most forward-thinking podcasts in Big Law, Committed Capital explores current issues and trends affecting PE globally, featuring conversations with leaders from across the industry.

Dechert has advised private equity and other alternative asset managers for 40 years on capital solutions at every phase of the investment life cycle. We form funds, negotiate investments, advise on transactions and financings that maximize value, and structure and execute exits accomplished at the right time to deliver the best returns. With lawyers in the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, our interdisciplinary global team has the reach, resources and expertise to advise our clients wherever they do business.

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Latest Episode:

Securing the Deal: AI's Impact on Cybersecurity Across the PE Lifecycle

September 3, 2026 — AI isn't just affecting how businesses operate, it's reshaping the threats they're up against. In this episode of our Committed Capital podcast series, partners Brenda Sharton and J.J. Jones of Dechert’s top ranked cybersecurity, privacy & AI practice explore how advances in AI are transforming the cybersecurity threat landscape, and what that means for private equity sponsors and portfolio companies at every stage of the deal lifecycle.

Key Takeaways:

The top three breaches seen this year are (1) ransom attacks (most often through incredibly real looking IT help desk impersonation schemes duping employees into entering credentials), (2) third-party vendor/supplier breaches and (3) remote IT worker infiltration schemes. Nearly all have been AI-enabled or assisted.

Deal announcements create a uniquely vulnerable window, with data rooms and other sensitive deal information making targets attractive, and firms should be on high alert for AI-powered vishing and phishing scams impersonating deal-side executives right after signing or closing.

Cyber and AI diligence is no longer cursory. Buyers should assess the AI tools and models utilized by a target company, including their uses and training inputs, data-sharing practices and enterprise resilience planning, as well as a target’s cybersecurity hygiene and defenses, especially those designed to thwart AI-enabled attacks. The stakes are high: statutory liabilities (like CA’s CIPA and Illinois' BIPA) are being used by plaintiffs to claim massive damages and regulators are paying attention to how a company uses and trains AI, as well as how data is being shared.

Generative AI and Agentic AI are dramatically compressing attacker timelines, turning lateral movements and privilege escalations that used to take days or weeks into hours or minutes, straining security defenders' ability to detect and respond in time.

A tested incident response plan, including a crisis communication plan, is critical before an incident hits and businesses will want to reassess those plans in light of the recent leaps in AI. Communicating inaccurate or inconsistent information publicly or to your impacted customers and clients leading to the issuance of subsequent corrections can cost you credibility with regulators, customers and LPs alike.