Corporate/M&A: High-end Capability
Europe Guide 2024 : France
Band 1
Email address
[email protected]Contact number
+33 1 44 35 35 35About
Provided by Bredin Prat
Corporate transactional work is the core element of Bredin Prat’s practice. Bredin Prat has worked on the majority of landmark M&A transactions in France over the past 30 years, including high-profile privatizations, recommended and hostile tender offers, and contested takeovers, private equity and capital markets.
Our team is currently the largest, one of the most experienced and first-in-class on the French market, comprising 19 partners and around 35 associates, handling public and private transactions of any size for French and international corporate clients, private equity funds, family-owned groups and entrepreneurs.
The Corporate team’s partner-to-associate ratio is one of the highest in the French market (1:2).
We advise French and international clients in their external growth, divestitures and joint domestic or international ventures, both in France and internationally.
Our team is supported on corporate law matters by “best in class” lawyers from our tax, employment, competition, financing, litigation/arbitration and public law teams.
Our firm’s culture, organization and size allows us to be flexible and we can therefore adapt to the M&A market’s constant need of innovation.
Chambers Review
Bredin Prat is a market-leading firm that acts on a number of the most high-profile and high-value transactions in France. The firm boasts outstanding capabilities in a variety of different corporate matters, including public M&A. The corporate/M&A team often works with its leading antitrust, employment, tax, restructuring and financing teams to provide comprehensive support to clients. The law firm assists a portfolio of blue-chip French companies with the full spectrum of their corporate activities, while also utilising a strong network of international firms for cross-border mandates. The team offers expertise in regulated sectors including telecommunications, energy and financial services.
Work Highlights
- Bredin Prat advised Casino Group on the EUR1.4 billion sale of its energy subsidiary GreenYellow to Ardian.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"The lawyers are very strong in strategic thinking. They are always two moves ahead; it was very comfortable to be with them in this situation. They are also very business-minded, which is highly appreciated."
"What I find interesting with Bredin Prat's lawyers is that they have a spirit of helping each other and each of the lawyers you work with has the room to express their views. They support each other, and this is something I really like about the firm; they really work on promoting the people who work there and know who has the right profile for the right transaction."
"Bredin Prat has a very good combination of different skills and individuals who work perfectly as a team. I am very satisfied with Bredin Prat's contribution to this transaction. The lawyers are always available and provide very relevant advice not only from a pure legal point of view but also in terms of negotiation tactics."
"Bredin Prat have a tremendous ability to solve highly complex and sensitive issues involving multiple stakeholders, with excellent negotiation skills, reactivity and full availability, and with the support of a great team."
"The team has a very good knowledge of international transactions and is able to promptly reply to complex questions."
"The lawyers are very strong in strategic thinking. They are always two moves ahead; it was very comfortable to be with them in this situation. They are also very business-minded, which is highly appreciated."
"What I find interesting with Bredin Prat's lawyers is that they have a spirit of helping each other and each of the lawyers you work with has the room to express their views. They support each other, and this is something I really like about the firm; they really work on promoting the people who work there and know who has the right profile for the right transaction."
"Bredin Prat has a very good combination of different skills and individuals who work perfectly as a team. I am very satisfied with Bredin Prat's contribution to this transaction. The lawyers are always available and provide very relevant advice not only from a pure legal point of view but also in terms of negotiation tactics."
"Bredin Prat have a tremendous ability to solve highly complex and sensitive issues involving multiple stakeholders, with excellent negotiation skills, reactivity and full availability, and with the support of a great team."
"The team has a very good knowledge of international transactions and is able to promptly reply to complex questions."
Notable Practitioners
Didier Martin is a seasoned corporate lawyer with great prominence in the area. He assists clients with a range of mandates, including high-profile public M&A transactions.
Benjamin Kanovitch moves up the rankings this year on the back of outstanding market feedback. He has leading expertise across the full range of corporate mandates and acts for an impressive roster of multinationals and CAC 40 corporate clients.
"Benjamin Kanovitch is one of the best in the market."
"Benjamin Kanovitch is perfect on a deal. Technically he is impeccable and he keeps a global vision of the transaction. He has strong interpersonal skills, and vis-à-vis the clients, he is able to explain very complicated things easily."
"He is an excellent lawyer and is very successful."
Olivier Assant remains one of the leading practitioners in the Paris market. He is renowned for his ability to handle some of the largest and most high-profile domestic and cross-border transactions. Assant offers particular expertise in public M&A.
"Olivier Assant has all-round excellent expertise."
Patrick Dziewolski is a respected practitioner with longstanding expertise advising clients on high-value strategic acquisitions. He often assists corporates and financial institutions with outbound transactions.
"Patrick Dziewolski leads his team perfectly to offer his client the best service possible. He has an exceptional understanding of complex matters and an amazing ability to make them simple for his client. He has excellent negotiation and problem-solving skills."
"He was very good and very convincing."
Sébastien Prat is highly regarded for his corporate and M&A practice and frequently handles high-profile public M&A transactions. He is adept at handling cross-border transactions.
Kate Romain advises significant French and international corporate clients on cross-border M&A matters. She is dual-qualified in France and the USA.
"Kate Romain provided strong legal advice on a complex transaction with a high level of awareness, experience and attention."
"Kate Romain is really good; it was great working with her. She was very precise, very accurate and she notices everything."
"We worked with Kate Romain on a very large case recently. She is very smart, skilled, efficient, hard-working and has excellent relationships with non-legal experts."
Emmanuel Masset has experience handling private and public M&A transactions. He often represents clients hailing from the manufacturing and luxury goods sectors.
"Emmanuel Masset is very technical, precise and pleasant to deal with."
Matthieu Pouchepadass routinely assists domestic and international clients with strategic sales and acquisitions. He is active across the healthcare and financial services sectors.
"Matthieu Pouchepadass is a very good lawyer; he is constructive."
Sophie Cornette de Saint Cyr climbs the rankings this year following praise from the market. She is regularly sought out by financial services sector clients to assist with high-profile mergers and disposals.
"I worked with her recently and thought she was very good. She is very successful."
"It is very pleasant to work with Sophie Cornette de Saint Cyr."
Clémence Fallet acts for an impressive portfolio of French clients on acquisitions, tender offers and corporate governance mandates.
"Clémence Fallet was in the driving seat day to day. She is really outstanding."
Ranked Lawyers at
Bredin Prat
France
Members
Provided by Bredin Prat
Adrien Simon
Alexander Blackburn
Barthélémy Courteault
Christine Lenis
Florence Haas
Jean-Benoît Demaret
José Maria Pérez
Karine Angel
Marine Blottiaux
Myriam Epelbaum
Olivier Saba