Alex Wilby Partner
Corporate and Commercial
Alex Wilby is a Partner in the Corporate and Commercial team at Swinburne Maddison. Since joining the firm in 2010, Alex has played a pivotal role in developing the firm’s corporate offering, becoming a trusted advisor to numerous high-profile clients. He qualified as a solicitor in 2007 after completing his LLB at Leicester University, followed by a Master of Commercial Law (LLM) at Durham University. Further enhancing his expertise, Alex earned an MBA from Newcastle University.
Alex’s legal practice is highly specialised in private equity and venture capital, areas in which he has cultivated deep expertise over the years. He regularly advises on complex investment structures, leading both equity and debt financing rounds. His clients benefit from his ability to seamlessly coordinate multiple stakeholders, including investors, target companies, corporate finance advisors, and tax specialists. Alex is known for his calm and pragmatic approach, delivering creative solutions that ensure transactions are completed efficiently and with minimal disruption.
In addition to private equity and venture capital, Alex specialises in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and corporate restructuring. His extensive experience enables him to guide clients through every stage of a transaction, from initial structuring and negotiations to completion and post-deal integration. He has been instrumental in expanding Swinburne Maddison’s presence in the transactional market, helping to establish the firm as a go-to advisor for high-value corporate deals.
Alex’s expertise in venture capital extends to advising on investment rounds across various sectors, including technology, renewable energy, and advanced manufacturing. He has a particular talent for distilling complex legal concepts into clear, actionable advice, ensuring his clients remain well-informed and confident throughout the process.
Alex is committed to delivering outstanding client care, offering clear, practical advice that simplifies complex legal issues. His core values of integrity and results-driven service are evident in the lasting relationships he builds with clients.
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Private Equity
- Venture Capital
With over 15 years of experience in corporate law, Alex has led numerous high-profile transactions.
Career highlights include:
- Acting as lead advisor for Maven in both their investment into Durham-based Pragmatic Semiconductor Limited as part of the $125m Series C investment round and the later $231m Series D investment round, the largest investment round completed into a European semiconductor manufacturer.
- Advising Mercia on their equity investment into PulmoBioMed Ltd, a cutting-edge company specialising in breath-based diagnostics.
- Leading multiple investment rounds for Maven into Power Roll Limited, a Seaham-based manufacturer of flexible solar panelling.
- Acting for Low Carbon Materials, an Earthshot Prize finalist specialising in low-carbon building materials, in respect of a seed investment round.
Key Appointments:
- Trustee of Feeding Families charity (appointed in August 2021).
Alex was named as a Leading Partner in the 2026 and 2025 editions and Leading Individual in the 2024 edition of the Legal 500, highlighting his prestigious standing within Corporate and Commercial Law within the North East.
"We would have no hesitation in recommending Alex Wilby to any potential clients who require advice on a wide variety of issues."
"Alex Wilby has always been excellent with us and our clients. He is always on hand to offer expert opinion and provide a sounding board, which is invaluable when we are working on a project with a client, but haven't quite figured out the exact direction it is going to take yet."
News & Insights
News
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Could an Outdated Trust Put Your Family’s Inheritance at Risk?
A recent High Court decision has highlighted how historic trust arrangements can create unexpected challenges when applied to modern family life. In Cator v Thynn, the trustees of the Longleat family trusts requested the court’s approval before taking a significant step, which could ultimately allow a child born through surrogacy to benefit from family trusts […]
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Sending GIFs at Work – Lessons for Employers from a recent Tribunal Decision
A recent Employment Tribunal decision is a useful reminder that informal workplace messaging can carry serious consequences. What may be intended as humour or banter can still amount to unlawful harassment, particularly where the effect on the recipient is degrading, humiliating or offensive. The case concerned Georgiana Ursuleanu and Vicars Cross Healthcare Ltd. The claimant, a Romanian national, […]
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