Capital Markets: Equity

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton has market-leading capabilities in ECM, regularly acting on major IPOs and rights issues. The team offers expertise in the field of debt, with notable strength in a variety of bond issuances as well as EMTN programmes and private placements. The practice is best known for its work for large corporate issuers, sovereign states and leading banking institutions. The team features experts in French and US law.

"Cleary Gottlieb's team are good at dealing with tricky negotiating points, thorough in reviewing options, and clear and constructive in addressing our questions."

"We have a very strong relationship. It is really top-notch service, and the involvement from the partners is outstanding."

"Cleary Gottlieb have a strong understanding of business constraints and market dynamics, extending their advice from legal to strategic when relevant."

Cleary Gottlieb advised the French state on EDF's EUR3.15 billion rights offering.

John Brinitzer is a renowned equity specialist who is qualified to practise at the Paris and New York Bars. He advises on high-value IPOs, particularly within the tech and biotech sectors, in addition to convertible bonds and rights offerings. "John is our trusted adviser." "He is an outstanding lawyer. He is very pragmatic in his approach and is able to support us on complex financings."

Marie-Laurence Tibi is renowned for her equity expertise, frequently assisting with IPOs and rights issuances. She advises both domestic and international issuers.

Pierre-Yves Chabert has a leading presence in the equity market. He is well reputed for his broad expertise that encompasses cross-border share capital increases and rights offerings. "Pierre-Yves is a kind of guru in the Paris marketplace; he is inevitably on the big transactions."

Dual-qualified in France and the USA, Andrew Bernstein has a practice that spans both debt and equity capital markets. He advises on note programmes, convertible bonds, IPOs and share capital increases. "Andrew has been our most reliable legal counsel for many years, in particular on US law but also on hybrid instrument structuring and complicated liability management projects."

Valérie Lemaitre moves up the rankings this year and is noted for her debt advice. She assists with bond offerings and medium-term note programmes for large financial institutions. "Valérie is receptive to client needs."