For several years, Law.com International's prestigious Private Equity Rising Stars power list has shone a light on the best up-and-coming talent in one of the U.K. and Continental European legal industry's most lucrative and hotly contested areas.

For this year's list, Law.com spent several months calling for and analysing submissions from top private equity lawyers aged under 40 who are many consider to be the future leaders and rainmakers of the private equity legal market.