Derivatives and structured finance in France

‘I am delighted to be assisted by this excellent team in the context of my company’s projects and also welcome their excellent knowledge of the market, their sharing legal knowledge, their pragmatism, their invaluable assistance during negotiations as well as their competitive fees.’

‘I work mainly with Fabien Jacquemard (counsel) and I am delighted with this collaboration. His invaluable legal advice, his excellent knowledge of the market, his pragmatism and his negotiating skills make him an essential asset in the context of the activity that my company practices in France.’

‘Very good securitisation team. Trust. Reasonable on fees.’

‘The united team is stable over time, always available. Excellent expertise at affordable prices.’

‘Availability, price, professionalism.’

‘I worked with the securitisation, derivatives and structured finance team on securitisation transactions. The exchanges were fluid and we had in front of us a very competent team on this specific product.’

‘The partner in charge of the file is always present on the calls during the various exchanges which allows to have a very fast feedback from him.’

‘Laurent Vincent knew how to be available and efficient. He is a quality professional.’

‘Great knowledge of securitisation schemes, their updates. Very accessible team who know how to put themselves in their client’s shoes.’

‘Xavier de Kergommeaux and Clément Vandevooghel are humble, didactic and for all that very technical.’

‘Expertise recognized for years. Very professional and very technical. It is reassuring to work with them.’

‘Xavier de Kergomeaux (exceptional: a reference in his field) and Clément Vandevooghel (remarkable: very professional and competent).’

‘Clément Vandevooghel: pragmatism, pedagogy, availability and serenity.’

‘We mainly work with Clément Vandevooghel. The firm has all the necessary resources to handle all aspects of the most complex cases (regulatory, swaps, tax, capital markets, data protection).’

‘Clément Vandevooghel is an excellent lawyer who has solid experience as a lawyer and bank lawyer: he is therefore familiar with both facets of the profession. He shows a lot of involvement in the handling of cases. He knows how to be a very educator with his clients and a source of ideas in difficult negotiations.’

‘Very dynamic and responsive global team!’

‘Alban Caillemer du Ferrage has a global vision of his activity. Saves time and legal fees.’

‘The Jonesday securitization team led by Christine Van Gallebaert and the derivatives team led by Qian Hu are always strong in offering, challenging, taking up challenges in the face of complexity and within tight deadlines. They are never content to respond to demand, they go further in reflection, are looking for the best solutions to best protect the interests of their customers, business oriented, they do not shy away from any difficulty.’

‘Qian Hu: remarkable for her numerous qualities (very precise knowledge of all the subjects surrounding the matter, but not only, business-oriented, responsive and always very professional). At the cutting edge of structured operations technology, essential for complex and structured operations.’

‘Christine van Gallebaert: perfect mastery of securitisation and covered bonds. Never hesitates in the face of the complexity of the subjects, shows great creativity, is very attentive to the needs of clients and never hesitates to shake up knowledge and be innovative in legal documentation.’

‘We mainly work with Christine van Gallebaert and her team. Christine is an excellent lawyer and technician, while remaining very educational. She also shows a lot of involvement in cases – she is constantly looking for legal innovation and does not hesitate to change the lines.’

‘The securitisation team at Jones Day is very knowledgeable and well respected in the industry. We appreciate their availability, their deep understanding of our business model, their ability to connect us with other teams at Jones Day to discuss specific topics (tax, regulation, tokenization platform, etc.).’

‘Christine van Gallebaert is trustworthy, extremely knowledgeable and well respected by her peers. She is quick to connect us with other teams within Jones Day when a different expertise is necessary. We trust her judgement and her ability to get things done within challenging timeframes. She has been intrumental in the success of any deals we have worked on together. We very much like her proactive and solutions-driven approach that has been key to accompany our growth in recent years.’

‘Thomas Vogel is a brilliant lawyer, able to deal with a lot of varied subjects and to build bridges between issues. His dual expertise in English law/French law is very valuable. His expertise in derivatives makes him an essential person in Paris.’

‘The service provided was excellent. Latham & Watkins were very responsive and were able to bring in additional expertise from other teams. The fees were reasonable and the advice was very clear and concise.’

‘Suzana Sava-Montanari provides very clear and concise advice. Her English is excellent and her ability to advise on both the English and French law aspects and to represent and guide us through a very complex negotiation was fantastic. It was the most refreshing experience that we had ever had with a private law firm.’

‘Excellent team – work together and with their clients seamlessly, are always ahead of the market in terms of developments, and provide invaluable structuring advice.’

‘Suzana Sava-Montanari – the most dedicated lawyer in France! A very sharp mind, which she uses to deliver consistently outstanding outcomes for clients’

‘Thomas Vogel – highly technical, really gets into the details. Clear and concise in communicating and drafting.’

‘Experienced and motivated team, rigour in execution.’

‘A responsive, pragmatic team, attentive to clients and excellent technically, certainly one of the best in Paris in terms of synthetic securitizsation.’

‘Olivier Bernard is always very involved in the files and has surrounded himself with quality associates.’

‘Orrick ‘s securitisation, derivatives and structured finance team has extensive knowledge and experience in securitisation in all its forms.’

‘Olivier Bernard and his team have an excellent knowledge of the specific constraints of an originator in the context of a synthetic securitisation. Olivier is always remarkably available. He and his entire team are fast, efficient and always provide innovative solutions to the problems encountered.’

‘Olivier Bernard and Laure Seror are both excellent professionals, acting as real advisors to their clients.’

‘Hervé Touraine: availability, high level of expertise in many areas, project management. Judith Rousvoal: availability, detailed knowledge of some very specific areas.’

‘We involve Orrick to handle our most complex cases because they bring real expertise and added value. They provide high quality advice. We also value the communication between partners; Olivier Bernard and Hervé Touraine are not in competition, but are complementary and interchangeable, which ensures great fluidity and transparency in the processing of files.’

‘Hervé Touraine: very rigorous, pedagogical, great experience in the field of securitisation and more generally in banking and financial matters. He is also excellent in resolving sticky points during negotiations by proposing innovative solutions. Olivier Bernard: excellent technician, very professional. He is very constructive in the negotiations. Laure Seror is now counsel; very responsive and efficient; very good lawyer.’

‘The Hogan Lovells team is essential in the French securitisation market. We regularly call on their services and particularly appreciate their availability and their always very clear communication. The strength of the firm in other jurisdictions is also ideal for situations involving cross-border issues.’

‘The team sets itself apart from other firms by its great professionalism and expertise, without ever being arrogant. Easy contact, a resolutely client-oriented approach, the Hogan Lovells team is the very example of what we expect from a firm. Its numerous successes bear witness to the excellence of the firm: a clever blend of cutting-edge expertise and real proximity.’

‘Among the team, Laura Asbati should be mentioned for her excellent collaboration. We can underline her ability to summarise very clearly the ins and outs, the issues, and thus provide solid advice allowing a quick decision to be taken. And of course Sharon Lewis whose availability is particularly remarkable at this level!’

‘A very high responsiveness, a great knowledge of issues related to assets as well as market practices.’

‘I greatly appreciated working with Laura Asbati who knows how to demonstrate a great capacity for adaptation, synthesis and knows how to approach legal subjects with pragmatism. She also knows how to demonstrate a great sense of pedagogy towards interlocutors who are not always familiar with the problems encountered.’

‘Laura Asbati is very invested in her mission and particularly diligent. His responsiveness, the relevance and precision of her comments are greatly appreciated.’

‘Excellent workmanship with a high professional standard.’

‘The lawyer with whom we are in contact is always ready to help us even if it means going beyond the perimeter of the entrusted mission. She knows how to tell when the subject does not fully fall within her skills and does not seek to take missions at all costs. She has ‘deep’ reasoning and great technique.’

‘The team is very well staffed. Relationships are fluid and efficient. We are very satisfied with the work of analysis and reflection on the occasion of our financial operations. Finally, the team has always succeeded in producing documentation within the (often) very tight deadlines that we grant to our operations.’

‘We have established a relationship of trust with Laura Asbati in whom we have complete confidence for the success of our operations on time. It is very appreciable to have a board attentive to business issues and its understanding of our underlying activity and the expectations of operational staff is a real plus.’

‘Among the teams at the Paris law firm, one person stands out in particular: Laura Asbati. In the space of a few years, Laura has become an essential part of the Paris team. Appreciated by her clients for her rigour, her availability, her willingness and her sense of effort, she contributes to Hogan Lovells being a leading securitisation firm in Paris.’

‘I would say their work and commitment is on the top of the one I’ve seen on the securitisation teams of HL.’

‘Hogan Lovells’ French securitisation practice is not only client-centric but also transaction-centric. Their experience, their ability to explain legal concepts in understandable terms for non-legal specialists and the coordination between the various Hogan Lovells teams involved in complex structured finance projects are always instrumental for a successful execution.’

‘Sharon Lewis leads the financial industry group and is, in particular, a recognised structured finance expert. Laura Asbati has not only a strong expertise in French securitisations, but she is also result-oriented. I am impressed by her capacity to manage the different parties of complex and innovative transactions, always with a view to deliver the best result for her clients and the transaction. An excellent lawyer for a seamless transaction execution!’

‘Outstanding performance in respect of a global syndicated securitization structure. Great cooperation between respective teams in HL’s law firm not only on the commercial law matters.’

‘Laura Asbati: outstanding performance in terms of negotiation skills, availability to all syndicate members, knowledge and awareness of the underlying commercials structure solution driven, i.e. always thought outside the box meaning helping syndicate members to amend commercial structural items in combination with legal consequences. So Laura does not only put attention to the important details, but is always able to take a step back, look at the big picture, and adjust if necessary. Great job.’