Alexander read law at Magdalen College, Oxford where he took undergraduate and postgraduate (BCL) degrees in law. He was Senior Scholar at Gray's Inn and taught company, and property law at the University of Windsor (Canada) before returning to the bar at Lincoln's Inn. He has also taught insolvency law at the University of Hertford and Holborn College.

As well as contributing to an edition of Copinger and Skone James on Copyright, and publishing a Casebook on Company Law, Alexander contributes regularly to insolvency and company journals including "The Commercial Litigation Journal", and "Insolvency Law & Practice".

Alexander appears regularly as a speaker and chairman at conferences on company and insolvency law. He has spoken annually at various Central Law Training conferences on directors' duties, derivative actions, minority shareholders' protection, and topics in insolvency litigation. He also chaired a CLT conference on issues raised by company law reforms in the Companies Act 2006.