The Legal 500 > Europe, Middle East & Africa > France > Mergers and acquisitions

‘The best M&A team in Paris.‘

‘Bredin Prat has an outstanding M&A team, supported by very strong practices in all fields required to deliver M&A transactions in all their components (corporate, tax, competition, employment, regulatory, etc.). Partners are very involved in the transactions. The firm also has an excellent best friends international network and is particularly well equipped to advise on cross-border transactions.‘

‘Excellent negotiator, Matthieu Pouchepadass is a very creative and business-oriented lawyer. He is really seen as a trusted advisor, dedicated to finding pragmatic solutions and getting the deal through.‘

‘Excellent team. Outstanding global coverage.‘

‘Stéphane Davin is one of the best M&A lawyers in France.‘

‘High levels of personal attention and involvement from partners. Very practical advice.‘

‘Youssef Djehane is very sharp, very creative, and is always personally involved. That gives you real confidence in his advice.‘

‘The team is close to our business and to our teams. On top of the high quality of the services provided and the efficiency of the group, the team provides appropriate advice based on their real knowledge of the business and organisation of their clients.‘

‘Very professional practice. Ability to support fast-paced transactions with high-quality work.‘

‘It is a real pleasure to work with the dealmaker team of Fabrice Cohen. They always find solutions to make the deal happen while maintaining a high level of security for its client. Easy to work with.‘

‘Laurent Schoenstein: Extremely experienced and knowledgeable. Commercially minded. Easy to work with. Excellent negotiator.‘

‘Olivier Jouffroy is very talented and hands-on.‘

‘The team at Gide is highly skilled, provides very high-quality work and is very responsive and flexible.‘

‘Outstanding breadth of compentences and resources – ability to involve specialists of any domain. Outstanding availability.‘

‘A great all-round practice with very competent and expert partners in all fields.‘

‘The team is very dedicated and solution-oriented. Strong negotiation skills.‘

‘The Gide team under the lead of Olivier Diaz combines high-level technical skills with business acumen, indispensable pragmatism and constant availability.‘

‘Olivier Diaz and Charles de Reals are two great experts.‘

‘Nadège Nguyen is a highly competent lawyer, with a broad understanding of business issues and a straight-forward approach.‘

‘Thomas Urlacher is a highly skilled lawyer, able to provide reliable deal documentation very quickly and fully committed to his clients.‘

‘Axelle Toulemonde was especially reactive and committed when negotiations were long and complex.‘

‘Alexis Pailleret: high attention to details while remaining solution-driven, unique negotiation skills and ability to manage deadlock situations, strong knowledge in the infrastructure asset class (but not only), available 24/7, high English proficiency, unanimously appreciated personality.‘

‘For complex deals, this team is extremely competent and the service received is first class. Extremely reactive, works around the clock where necessary. Provides high-quality, technical advice.‘

‘A young team that has got its pulse on the market and listens to its clients.‘

‘Olivier du Mottay is probably one of the best M&A lawyers in France. He is able to provide very sharp, strategic and pragmatic solutions on very complex issues. His level of personal engagement is high.‘

‘Good level of expertise with available and helpful partners. Very helpful updates which are tailored and focused on what we need.‘

‘A very professional, efficient and responsive team. Guillaume Isautier combines excellent legal skills with great efficiency and a commercial approach.‘

‘Nicolas Bombrun offers commercial and client-focused advice on ad hoc projects.‘

‘The second-to-none quality of the teams is impressive as it applies across jurisdictions, namely in Paris and New York. They work together in a seamless way. Their actual experience on high-profile transactions is highly valuable.‘

‘Very technical, reactive, creative, flexible.‘

‘As you would expect, a highly professional and strong team of excellent practitioners.‘

‘Claude Serra is rightly trusted by the top tier of French corporates and inward corporate clients. He is experienced and uber-connected. He knows what can and can’t be done not only by law, but local practice. He’s the best kind of lawyer – he sees the law in the context of overall objectives, and comes with solutions, not problems. Very pragmatic and hands-on.‘

‘Yannick Piette is outstanding in negotiations and very connected.‘

‘Yannick Piette has a wealth of experience in many cases, and yet remains available for his clients.‘

‘The practice provides solution-oriented legal services at excellent quality, acts very fast and is always reachable to discuss anything. Its deep commercial understanding of the transaction is a bonus.‘

‘Eric Muller has incredible commitment to delivering and shows true interest in the needs of the client. Moreover, he always finds smart solutions and is thinking many steps ahead when creating strategy. He provides excellent quality of legal services consistently, even in critical situations under pressure. I would prefer him over any other lawyer in France I worked with on M&A deal.‘

‘The firm has a very dedicated and client-oriented mindset and is able to define all different scenarios with a risk adjusted approach. It is very knowledgeable of the environment of investment banks, competitors and authorities.‘

‘Nicolas Favre and real estate partner Paul Talbourdet are the key people we deal with. Both have great capabilities to understand and support our goals in a transaction. They have great capacity to have a general analysis and view of complex transactions involving many different contracts.‘

‘The firm has a very good approach to the problems we encounter. It has great professionalism and very good relations with clients.‘

‘It has a strong team with efficient partner oversight but, most importantly, exceptional senior associates capable of running the brunt of the file in near total autonomy. The overall effect is true value for money. Partner availability is, however, not impacted and the client experience is exceptional.‘

‘Cédric Chanas is hard charging and engaged, determined to get the deal done while remaining good humoured and extremely pleasant to work with. His level of experience is extremely high. He knows what to say, what to do and when to do it and can anticipate likely issues well in advance. He is perfectly capable and adept at countering opposing counsel and achieving the client’s goals.‘

‘DPB is organised by department, each lawyer is specialised in a field. All these departments work together, which allows their clients to have the best possible view of a problem and to understand it as a whole. It has a very large network and lots of experience.‘

‘It is a very professional team with a very business-minded view of the topics that is particularly appreciated. Guillaume Touttée has particular expertise.‘

‘The M&A team led by Guillaume Touttée has a broad expertise in complex transactions beyond pure M&A matters and spanning a wide array of areas such as real estate, insurance, market law, commercial law, anti-trust, bankruptcy, labour and more, allowing a 360° view of any files entrusted to them. They are reactive, agile, pragmatic and committed to their clients’ success.‘

‘Guillaume Touttée is the lawyer you want on your side in a M&A operation. He is an utterly skilled strategist, extremely experienced with a broad knowledge of transactional matters and focused on his clients’ specific needs. He is also a pleasure to work with and a true asset in tough negotiations.‘

‘Most likely the best M&A legal team in France.‘

‘Nicolas Favre is the layer that I would always have with me. He is the best ally when you have a hard deal to close.‘

‘An extremely professional and diligent team with real skill combined with great pragmatism in business matters. They are great workers who are always available.‘

‘Jeremy Scemama, Sarmad Haidar, Julien Burger and Natalia Li are the key lawyers.‘

‘The firm shows great professionalism, solid experience in M&A matters, and good availability for this kind of work.‘

‘The firm’s Paris office provides outstanding M&A support to our group. Partner Simon Charbit is outstanding – fully engaged, pragmatic and technically excellent.‘

‘Associates are very involved in transactions and find effective solutions. They show great awareness of costs with lean and approachable teams rather than the whole Mexican army on each file.‘

‘The firm always has good relationships with its opposing colleagues and only the serious business matters are pass upwards to the partners.‘ 

‘Xavier Doumen et Stéphane Huten add a lot of value in negiotiations and, notably, financial matters, which both of them master perfectly.‘

‘A very proactive team, dedicated to the client’s needs with a practical and pragmatic approach.‘

‘I appreciate most of all working with Xavier Doumen who is a highly qualified M&A partner, always available to provide a win/win solution to complicated and strategic transactions.‘

‘A great team – very open, practical and knowledgeable – that understands business issues as well as complex relationships.‘

‘Competent, reactive, easy to deal with and reliable.‘

‘We worked with Jones Day in a major M&A transaction in the banking sector. They were the lead counsel and we acted as local counsel. Jones Day team was always punctual, excellent in coordination and quite able to understand the local issues and reflect them into the transaction documents.‘

‘I found the team to have unparalleled international expertise in financial services industry and amazing capability in managing multiple deals.‘

‘Alexandre de Verdun was the partner in charge of the transaction and rarely we have seen an attorney with his capabilities involved in the transactions in our jurisdiction. He was not only very prepared and proactive but also quite cooperative with all the parties involved. The transaction had several issues which would have been deal breakers without Alexandre’s direct involvement.‘

‘Over the past two years, we have worked with Alexandre de Verdun and his team on several sell-side mandates in CEE. 2019 was a “tour de force” for Alexandre and Jones Day in the region, as the team managed to smoothly close four consecutive bank sales in four different countries.‘

‘I have primarily worked with Alexandre de Verdun and Delphine Sauvebois-Brunel. Alexandre is world-class transactional lawyer with immense international experience in bank M&A. He is always on top of everything and thinks in terms of solutions. He is also an amazing negotiator and have a unique personality and charisma. Delphine is hardworking and very competent. As we worked together I noticed that she is always well prepared and informed. A pleasure to work with.‘

‘The firm has impressive expertise and they are organised exceptionally well. Working with them was a pleasure.‘

‘Alexandre de Verdun is an amazing transactional lawyer. He is a strategic thinker and great negotiator. His advice is straightforward and comprehensive.‘

‘Delphine Sauvebois-Brunel is experienced, pragmatic and commercial. I found her to have creative legal reasoning. She also has a friendly personality.‘

‘I enjoyed working with the entire team.‘

‘The practice had an extremely well structured and organised approach to a multi-jurisdictional project which was highly demanding in scope and timeline.‘

‘Alexandre de Verdun is calm, knowledgeable and on top of every key element of the transaction. Associate Olga Goncharska was exceptional in terms of both legal and project management capabilities.‘

‘A fantastic practical approach with new and pragmatic ideas. It has excellent knowledge of its clients, their needs and their problems.‘

‘Real estate partner Jean-Jaques Raquin and corporate partner Renaud Rossa respond quickly and are very pragmatic. They have a great capacity to put themselves in their clients’ shoes. The quality of communication is also good.‘

‘In addition to his expertise and his managerial qualities, Jean-Jaques Raquin has great expertise in negotiating with diverse counterparties on a wide range of topics.‘

‘We have worked with Serge Tatar and his team for more than 20 years on M&A matters. He has always given us complete satisfaction. Whether it is his responsiveness, his understanding of clients’ needs, his availability, his pragmatism or his expertise, he is simply perfect.‘

‘Serge Tatar has skill both in financial and legal matters, which is very valuable. At the same time, he is also a good communicator.‘

‘This is a firm where the lawyers are accessible and responsive. The lawyers operate at a high level, they are rigorous and they have a holistic view of each deal. They have the ability to put in place a good team of lawyers on the deals with best friends where applicable.‘

‘Renaud Rossa and his time are very involved in each matter. The know how to understand and position themselves appropriately to handle big problems without leaving out any details. The transparency of the firm is much appreciated.‘

‘Renaud Rossa and his team always respect deadlines. They keep us regularly informed about the progress of the deal and they share their reasoning with us. Renaud Rossa is a lawyer with a strong, thorough and lively mind for finding solutions at every stage through the life of a deal.‘

‘We appreciate the firm’s availability, creativity and high quality.‘

‘Renaud Rossa is always available and proposes interesting things.‘

‘The firm has a responsive and dedicated team.‘

‘An effective, dedicated and very responsive team.‘

‘Alexis Marraud des Grottes has delivered on our transaction a first-class legal advice in terms of deal tactics and expert skills in public tender offers. He is one of the best lawyers in Paris of his age.‘

‘Alexis Marraud des Grottes has consistenly delivered over the years an impressive track record of deals that allows him today to be a top-notch lawyer. He stands out clearly in the way he anticipates challenges and proposes adequate and opportunistic solutions to clients.‘

‘We appreciate the availability, flexibility and dedication of the team.‘

‘The personal involvement of the top partners in the deal and the in-depth knowledge and attention to all specifics of the case gives us the necessary confidence that everything is under control.‘

‘Alexis Marraud des Grottes and his team did great work for us. They were always available to get things done. They were pragmatic in a way that eased tremendously the discussions with the other lawyers. They have a very good and respectful relation with the French market authorities.‘

‘Alexis Marraud des Grottes is available night and day – even on weekends – for his clients.‘

‘The Simmons & Simmons M&A team is very diligent and able to handle complicated situations. They offer full service and assistance for their clients, allowing them to focus on the business points.‘

‘Senior associate Taous Mabed is very “hands on” and organised, ensuring a smooth transaction process.‘

‘Jean-Christophe Sauzey and Christophe Lefaillet are extremely competent, available pragmatic and pleasant in their way of collaborating and vigorously defending the interests of the client.’

‘Jean-Thomas always gave me the sense of calm, control and a high sense of trust – these qualities let me concentrate on the commercial matters at hand, knowing the technical & legal matters of the transaction were in very safe hands.’

‘From the outset, Jean-Thomas and his team understood the matters very well and what was required for a successful transaction. The entire process always felt under tight control. The team was very responsive and always available for assistance. The service from CMS was excellent value for money.’

‘Strong ability to integrate into a multidisciplinary project team on a transaction. Ability to encompass, beyond M&A, all subjects (social, fiscal) including in the United States and to mobilize internal skills diligently. Tailor-made approach and strong understanding of the commercial challenges of buyers and sellers.’

‘The Dechert team analyzes all the risks to study its proposal, which makes it a real business partner.’

‘Great availability and reactivity, good knowledge of the sector.’

Strong and very capable team with multiple experienced lawyers. Offering great quality legal advice for good value.

Olivier Genevois – “a wise and mature legal and business counsel. He has a deep understanding of commercial aspects of transactions and is very skilled at selecting best legal solution for a given situation. Very balanced and mature approach to negotiations. It is always a pleasure to work with him on any deal.

‘Available, creative, high quality of service.’

‘Tailor made advice. User friendly. Reasonably priced.’

‘Team members are always responsive, professional and extremely relevant.’

‘High level of availability. High level of efficiency. Deep knowledge. All subjects covered.’

‘They have strong capabilities in international mergers and acquisitions, especially in the emerging jurisdictions.’

‘The team is very collegial and homogeneous and offers top-notch services.’

‘Their cohesion is impressive as well as their technical skills and impressive practice.’

‘Maxence Bloch is the senior M&A partner with an outstanding command of law and sense for achieving results.’

‘Very profound and detailed knowledge of the legal matters, good mix of lawyers with highly analytical skills and with practical approach.’

‘Team is experienced, and able to dedicate huge resources when required.’

‘The ability to identify and assess the risks associated with the transaction, explain them to clients in plain terms, consider and reflect appropriate measures in the documentation swiftly and effectively.’

‘Client focused and result oriented.’

‘Very good professionals that immediately understand our needs and are able to deliver complex deals.’

‘Some brilliant partners like Benoit Marpeau and his very sharp thinking and going straight to the point.’

‘Real collaborative work between the firm and the client.’

‘Benoit Marpeau is reactive and a top qualify adviser. He is a future star in the market.’

‘High availability and reactivity, including associates.’

‘Proactive and business makers.’

‘Excellent choice for mid-size M&A deals, the team is responsive, constructive and client friendly.’

‘Edgard Nguyen is an exceptional lawyer with a strong expertise in the banking sector.’

‘Cecile Davanne-Mortreux is a very passionate, high quality operator who provides outstanding value for her clients.’

‘The team features very experienced and proactive professionals, combines significant cross-border skills and the ability to deliver fast and creative solutions.’

‘Very competent, experienced and efficient team. They are very reactive and always find tailor-made solutions to the client’s needs.’

‘An efficient and pragmatic team able to work with a wide range of clients, from small startups to large groups.’

‘Real operational knowledge and a go-to approach, that make them stand-out. I consider BG2V as a real partner in my M&A operations, not only a legal counsel.’

‘Highly pragmatic, very efficient and excellent quality. They are much better value for price than many other firms.’

Multi-skilled and close relationship between the teams. Ideal operation for a ‘deal-team.’

‘Friendly mindset which helps a lot in negotiation.’

‘Value for money.’

‘Highly skilled.‘

‘Great lawyers.’

‘An awesome team.‘

‘Very good comprehension of business.’

‘High availability.’

‘They have a complete and current knowledge of the healthcare sector and have extensive experience in this area.‘

‘The firm is highly technical, and our collaboration has been very successful. In addition to meeting our demands, they can anticipate well what will needs to be done, which is very rare.’

‘We completely value and trust their opinion and appreciate their responsiveness.’