IPEM Global Networking Guide for Lawyers: How to Prepare, Build Relationships and Follow Up

IPEM Global can place thousands of private-markets professionals in one venue, but proximity alone does not create a valuable network. For lawyers, the commercial value of the conference depends on the quality of the preparation before Paris, the relevance of the conversations held there and the discipline of the follow-up afterwards.

This IPEM Global networking guide for lawyers explains the strategic principles that can make attendance more purposeful. It is designed for private equity, investment funds, fund finance, private credit, M&A, tax, regulatory and disputes lawyers who want to build credible relationships without turning every conversation into a legal-services pitch.

What is IPEM Global?

IPEM Global is an international private-capital conference held in Paris. The organiser describes it as the “World’s Private Capital Hub” and states that more than 6,000 participants are expected at the 2026 event.

IPEM Global 2026 is scheduled for 8 to 10 September 2026 at the Palais des Congrès in Paris, France. The opening reception takes place on 8 September, with the main visitor event on 9 and 10 September. The programme also includes an LP Congress on 8 September for eligible limited partners.

Attendees should confirm registration conditions, timings and programme changes on the official IPEM Global website before travelling.

The event brings together private-market investors, fund managers and the advisers and service providers who support them. Visitor access is promoted to groups including GPs, placement agents, M&A and asset managers, advisers and business-services professionals.

For lawyers, this creates access to organisations involved in fundraising, investment, financing, portfolio management, liquidity and the wider operation of private capital.

Why IPEM matters for lawyers

Private-markets work is relationship-led. A mandate may arise from a transaction or legal problem, but the decision to involve a particular lawyer is often influenced by earlier confidence in that lawyer’s expertise, judgement, commercial awareness and ability to work effectively with the wider adviser group.

IPEM may help lawyers:

• strengthen relationships with existing clients and contacts;
• understand the commercial issues GPs, LPs and advisers are discussing;
• develop relationships across private equity, private credit, secondaries, infrastructure and other private-capital strategies;
• identify where a client’s legal, financing, regulatory or transactional needs may develop;
• coordinate client relationships across practices, offices and jurisdictions; and
• build the market understanding required to communicate with greater relevance after the event.

The opportunity is not limited to partners. Associates, Senior Associates and Counsel can use IPEM to deepen sector fluency, strengthen peer relationships and become more valuable contributors to their firm’s client strategy. The approach should always reflect the lawyer’s seniority, professional obligations, firm policies and responsibility for the relevant relationship.

If you need the broader foundation first, read Conference Networking for Lawyers: How to Turn Industry Events into Client and Career Opportunities.

How lawyers should prepare for IPEM Global

“Meet as many people as possible” is not an effective IPEM strategy. It encourages a large number of brief interactions while leaving insufficient time for the conversations most likely to matter.

Begin with a focused objective

Decide what you want the conference to help you understand, strengthen or begin. Your objective might involve an existing client relationship, a defined private-markets community, a cross-border opportunity or a commercial issue relevant to your practice.

The objective should be specific enough to guide your diary without being so narrow that you overlook an unexpected but valuable conversation.

Identify relevant organisations before individual contacts

Begin with the funds, investors, financial institutions, portfolio businesses, intermediaries and advisory organisations connected to your objective. Then consider which relationships already exist within your firm and where there is a credible reason for a new introduction.

IPEM visitor passes include access to an event database and networking tools. Use the official platform selectively, check your firm’s CRM and coordinate with the relevant relationship partners before sending requests.

Research context, not merely biographies

Useful preparation may include reviewing an organisation’s strategy, recent transactions, fundraising activity, geographic priorities, public interviews and the commercial developments affecting its market.

The purpose is not to display everything you know. It is to avoid generic questions and recognise where your knowledge may become genuinely relevant.

Protect space in your diary

Arrange important meetings in advance, but do not fill every available minute. IPEM is a relationship-dense environment, and useful conversations may emerge through introductions, panels, receptions and unplanned encounters. A diary without breathing room can make every interaction feel rushed.

How to network at IPEM without sounding transactional

The most effective private equity conference networking often feels like a commercially intelligent conversation rather than a sales interaction.

Lead with informed curiosity

Begin with the person’s role, organisation or the discussion that brought you together. Ask questions you genuinely want to hear answered and listen for the priorities, constraints and changes behind the initial response.

Do not race to connect every answer to a service your firm provides. A lawyer who understands the commercial issue before describing the legal solution is more likely to be seen as relevant and trustworthy.

Make your own relevance clear

You should be able to explain what you do without delivering a list of credentials. Describe the types of client, transaction or commercial situation in which your judgement becomes valuable.

This gives the other person enough context to understand why remaining connected may be worthwhile, without forcing the conversation towards an immediate instruction.

Listen for a credible next step

A useful next step might involve continuing a discussion, sharing an appropriate public resource, making an introduction or reconnecting when a known development occurs. Not every conversation requires a meeting, proposal or legal follow-up.

Protect confidentiality and professional judgement

Private-markets conferences can create informal discussions around sensitive matters. Do not disclose client information, speculate about confidential transactions or use privileged knowledge to appear well connected. Follow your firm’s policies on confidentiality, conflicts, hospitality, social media and contact recording.

For the wider relationship-building principles, read Networking for Lawyers: How to Build Relationships That Create Opportunities.

Private-markets conversations worth understanding

The strongest conversation will depend on the other person’s role and on information they can appropriately discuss. Lawyers attending IPEM should nevertheless be prepared to understand themes such as:

• fundraising conditions and changing investor expectations;
• deployment, portfolio management and value creation;
• liquidity, distributions and the role of secondaries;
• private credit and the evolving financing mix;
• cross-border structuring, regulation and execution risk;
• manager selection, portfolio construction and GP-LP dynamics; and
• coordination between legal, financial, operational and other advisers.

The objective is not to memorise a catalogue of impressive questions. It is to understand the market well enough to recognise which issue matters to the person in front of you and explore it with appropriate judgement.

How to follow up after IPEM

IPEM creates access. Follow-up determines whether that access develops into a professional relationship.

For most conversations, follow up within one to three working days. The message should help the recipient place you, recall the substance of the discussion and understand why continuing the connection may be useful.

Effective follow-up usually includes:

• the context in which you met;
• a specific point from the conversation;
• anything you promised to provide; and
• a next step proportionate to the strength of the interaction.

Avoid sending an identical post-conference message to every contact. The most credible follow-up feels like a continuation of the original conversation, not the beginning of a campaign.

Not every valuable contact needs an immediate call. Sometimes the appropriate action is to complete a promise, remain connected and wait until a genuinely relevant reason to reconnect appears.

For more guidance, read How to Follow Up After a Networking Event as a Lawyer Without Sounding Transactional.

Common IPEM networking mistakes lawyers should avoid

Attending without a defined purpose

Without a clear objective, it is easy to spend several days moving between meetings and receptions without strengthening the relationships most relevant to your practice.

Confusing access with relationship depth

Meeting a senior investor or fund manager does not create a meaningful relationship. Recognition, relevance and trust require further credible interaction.

Turning commercial curiosity into a legal pitch

Connecting every market observation to your services can make the conversation feel transactional. Demonstrate that you understand the issue before attempting to position a solution.

Sending generic follow-up

A message that could have been sent to every attendee gives the recipient little reason to remember the original conversation or continue it.

Failing to coordinate internally

Several lawyers from the same firm approaching one contact with disconnected messages can weaken rather than strengthen the institutional relationship.

Measuring success only through immediate instructions

Private-markets relationships frequently develop over time. A conference can be valuable before it produces revenue if it improves trust, intelligence, access or the quality of future dialogue.

How to measure the value of attending IPEM Global

Review the conference against indicators such as:

• priority client relationships strengthened;
• credible new relationships started;
• follow-up conversations or introductions agreed;
• client priorities and market themes understood more clearly;
• cross-practice or cross-office collaboration created; and
• relevant commitments completed after the event.

This provides a more accurate view of conference value than counting business cards, LinkedIn connections or conversations alone.

If conventional business development feels unnatural, read Business Development for Lawyers Who Hate Selling: A Practical Approach.

Concise IPEM Global preparation checklist for lawyers

• Confirm the official dates, pass access, programme and venue information.
• Define the principal relationship or commercial objective for attending.
• Identify the organisations and existing relationships most relevant to that objective.
• Coordinate with colleagues before approaching shared contacts.
• Research the commercial context behind each priority conversation.
• Arrange selected meetings while preserving breathing room in the diary.
• Record permitted context and complete every promise made.
• Follow up selectively with relevance rather than volume.

Frequently asked questions about IPEM Global networking

When and where is IPEM Global 2026?

IPEM Global 2026 is scheduled for 8 to 10 September 2026 at the Palais des Congrès, 2 Place de la Porte Maillot, 75017 Paris, France. Check the official IPEM Global website before travelling because programme details and access arrangements may change.

Who attends IPEM Global?

IPEM Global brings together private-market investors, fund managers and relevant advisers and service providers. The organiser promotes visitor access to groups including GPs, placement agents, M&A and asset managers, advisers and business-services professionals. The precise attendee mix changes each year.

Is IPEM Global useful for lawyers?

IPEM can be useful for lawyers whose work is connected to private funds, private equity, private credit, fund finance, M&A, tax, regulation, restructuring or disputes. Its value depends on the lawyer’s objectives, client base, preparation and ability to follow up. Attendance alone does not create instructions.

How far in advance should lawyers arrange IPEM meetings?

Priority meetings should usually be requested several weeks before the event, particularly when approaching senior professionals with crowded diaries. Continue monitoring availability closer to the conference, but avoid filling every part of the schedule.

What should a lawyer discuss with a GP at IPEM?

The conversation should reflect the GP’s strategy and the lawyer’s genuine knowledge. Relevant areas may include fundraising, deployment, investor expectations, liquidity, financing, regulation or execution conditions. Lawyers should avoid asking for confidential information or forcing the discussion towards legal services.

What should a lawyer discuss with an LP at IPEM?

Where appropriate, discussion may cover broad priorities in manager selection, portfolio construction, pacing, liquidity or GP-LP relationships. The purpose is to understand perspective, not to extract proprietary investment intelligence.

How should a lawyer follow up after IPEM Global?

Follow up within one to three working days with a concise message that identifies the shared context, recalls a specific point and completes any promise made. Suggest a next step only when it is proportionate to the conversation.

How can an introverted lawyer network effectively at IPEM?

Prepare a small number of purposeful meetings, use researched conversation areas and allow time for quieter one-to-one discussions. Effective networking does not require working the entire room. Relevance, listening and thoughtful follow-through are more valuable than volume.

How should a law firm coordinate several lawyers attending IPEM?

Agree priority accounts, relationship ownership, meeting responsibilities and follow-up processes before the event. Use the firm CRM, involve the relevant partners and business-development team, and avoid duplicated outreach to the same contact.

Event information was checked against IPEM’s official website on 2 August 2026. The Invisible Lawyer is not affiliated with or endorsed by IPEM. This article is for general educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal, financial, investment, career or other professional advice, and no particular commercial outcome is promised.