Dechert Luxembourg > Luxembourg, Luxembourg > Firm Profile

Dechert Luxembourg Offices

Dechert Luxembourg
Dechert (Luxembourg) LLP
29, Avenue de la Porte-Neuve
L-2227 Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Visit website +352 45 62 62 +352 45 94 65

Dechert Luxembourg > The Legal 500 Rankings

Luxembourg > Investment funds Tier 2

The 'pragmatic and responsive' team at Dechert Luxembourg provides a 'cost-effective service' to a GP-focused client base, that not only benefits from the firm's deep local knowledge but also its ability to leverage its international resources. Private funds remain the firm's sweet-spot, including as these relate to private credit, special situations and venture capital/private equity. The arrival in October 2022 of Matthias Kerbusch from Clifford Chance enhances the team and adds further resources behind the firm's ability to advise alternative fund managers, including those implementing 'Lux fund structures with German-regulated investors/LPs'. Patrick Goebel, who is 'very hardworking and extremely professional', is adept at advising large asset managers across a range of alternative asset classes and is also noted for his 'patience with newcomers on the market who want to set up their first product in Luxembourg'. Goebel co-heads the team alongside Marc Seimetz, with all three named practitioners also demonstrating capability in UCITS structuring, primarily for existing fund clients.

Practice head(s):

Marc Seimetz; Patrick Goebel

Other key lawyers:

Matthias Kerbusch; Laura Rossi; Arne Bolch; Christine Renner

Testimonials

‘The pragmatic and responsive team provides a cost-effective service. They have a great specialisation in Lux fund structures with German-regulated investors/LPs.’

‘They are very professional and client centric.’

‘Patrick Goebel is very hardworking and extremely professional. We specifically appreciate his wide knowledge combined with pragmatism. He shows a lot of patience with newcomers on the market who want to set up their first product in Luxembourg and require a lot of guidance and hand-holding.’

‘Matthias Kerbusch is one of the most experienced, pragmatic and responsive lawyers in the market. He has a hands-on approach combined with a longstanding knowledge base.’

‘Matthias Kerbusch has a great specialisation in Lux fund structures with German-regulated investors/LPs.’

Key clients

Stepstone Group LLP and Swiss Capital (subsidiary of StepStone Group)

New Capital Fund Lux

Itàu Asset Management

Memnon/Zadig Asset Management SA

BICE Inversiones

William Blair

Fagus Multimanager

Work highlights

  • Advised the StepStone Group on all business lines in Luxembourg including private equity, venture capital, private debt, real estate and infrastructure together with several other offices.
  • Advised Forty51 Advisors AG on the establishment of its first venture capital fund in life sciences under the form of Risk Capital RAIF structured as a special limited partnership.
  • Advised Memnon/Zadig Asset Management SA (formerly Zadig Gestion SA) on the launch of additional compartments in Memnon Fund, the UCITS platform managed and promoted by Zadig Asset Management SA, a Luxembourg UCITS management company, as well as advising on the SFDR.

Luxembourg > Private equity Tier 3

With a strong presence in all the major global fund centres, including London and Frankfurt, and also able to draw upon wide-ranging international know-how on best practices and market trends, Dechert Luxembourg is well-positioned to advise fund managers establishing conventional private equity and credit fund platforms in the country. Patrick Goebel and Jean-Louis Frognet co-head the team, with the latter spearheading the firm’s efforts on the transactional front.

Practice head(s):

Patrick Goebel; Jean-Louis Frognet

Other key lawyers:

Matthias Kerbusch; Marc Seimetz; Laura Rossi; Arne Bolch; Christine Renner

Key clients

Stepstone Group LLP and Swiss Capital (subsidiary of StepStone Group)

MTIP AG

Forty51 Advisors AG

Work highlights

  • Advised Stepstone Group and its subsidiary Swiss Capital on the establishment and closing of Luxembourg master/feed funds, Luxembourg parallel funds of a Cayman fund and several compartments of a lending platform.
  • Advised Forty51 Advisors AG on the establishment of its first venture capital fund in life sciences, under the form of a risk capital RAIF structured as a special limited partnership.
  • Advised MTIP AG on the formation of MTIP Fund II, SCSp, including drafting and negotiation of fund documents, side letters and legal opinions, amongst others, to on-board EIF.

Luxembourg > Tax Tier 3

At Dechert Luxembourg, team head Olivier Gaston-Braud  has 'excellent knowledge of the funds industry', skillfully using this to 'devise practical solutions' for firmwide alternative fund clients (including private equity firms, credit funds and hedge funds) on the tax aspects of their Luxembourg structures.

Practice head(s):

Olivier Gaston-Braud

Testimonials

‘Dechert’s tax team provides a comprehensive review on subjects with detailed analysis and real examples.’

‘Olivier Gaston-Braud is an experienced tax professional with extensive knowledge. On top of his deep technical knowledge, he has great communication skills.’

‘Olivier Gaston-Braud has excellent knowledge of the funds industry and skillfully uses this to devise practical solutions for clients. He is also very personable and easy to deal with.’

Key clients

Stepstone Group LLP

Groupe Rossel

Maguar Capital

Itàu Asset Management

Work highlights

  • Advised Stepstone Group LLP and its subsidiary Swiss Capital on the establishment and closing of funds and compartments of a lending platform.
  • Advised Groupe Rossel on the joint acquisition of 100% of the shares of the leading Belgian French-speaking TV and radio group RTL Belgium.
  • Advised Maguar Capital and affiliates on the sale of portfolio company HRworks Holding GmbH to a newly established continuation vehicle, Maguar Continuation Fund I.

Luxembourg > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 4

Leveraging the firm’s overarching private funds strength and its international network, much of Dechert Luxembourg‘s work centres around cross-border private equity-led transactions. In this context the team, which is co-headed by Marc Seimetz and Jean-Louis Frognet, provides a very fluid offering across both corporate and finance matters.

Practice head(s):

Marc Seimetz; Jean-Louis Frognet

Other key lawyers:

Laura Rossi

Work highlights

  • Represented Rossel, alongside DPG Media in the joint acquisition of 100% of the shares of the RTL Belgium, from Luxembourg-based CLT–UFA.

Luxembourg > Banking, finance and capital markets Tier 6

Leveraging the firm’s strong overarching credentials within the asset management space and its international network, Dechert Luxembourg excels in providing Luxembourg law structuring advice to funds, both as borrowers and lenders, on cross-border mandates. Jean-Louis Frognet, who co-heads the team alongside Laura Rossi, is well-versed at handling funds, real estate and acquisition finance matters.

Practice head(s):

Jean-Louis Frognet; Laura Rossi

Other key lawyers:

Marc Seimetz; Rui Cheng; Thomas Tomasic

Key clients

GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes

Crédit Agricole CIB

Work highlights

  • Advised the ad hoc group of secured and unsecured bondholders of Brazil’s largest domestic airline, GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A., in connection with its recently concluded $1.6bn combined liability management and new capital financing transaction.
  • Advised Crédit Agricole CIB in connection with a financing of a portfolio of 5 student residences located in France (Dijon, Rouen, Saint-Étienne and the Paris region) from Uxco Group.

Diversity


Dechert has a multinational identity that is fundamentally diverse. The firm’s commitments to diversity and inclusion are not simply words written on a website – they are guiding principles that all those at Dechert should live by every day. The numbers speak for themselves – 43% of our Policy Committee (the senior management team) are women or diverse partners, 62% of the lawyers promoted to partner in January 2021 are women or diverse, and 77% of the most recent incoming class – Dechert’s future – are women or diverse.

The following are just some of the key measures that Dechert has undertaken to improve diversity and inclusion at the firm.

Affinity Groups
To effect change, affinity groups identify and address diversity and inclusion-related issues, and create new and recurring programming focused on the attainment of professional and business development skills. They offer enhanced mentoring opportunities, retreats and educational workshop for diverse attorneys. Our affinity groups include:

  • Asian Affinity Group
  • Black Lawyers Alliance
  • Dechert’s Family Network
  • Global Women’s Initiative
  • Latino Affinity Group
  • LGBTQ Affinity Group
  • Dechert Heroes (Veterans Affinity Group)

Aspiring Solicitors
Dechert is an Affiliate Partner of Aspiring Solicitors (AS). 2020/2021 marks the fifth successful year of Dechert’s sponsorship of the organization’s national Commercial Awareness Competition, with the winners offered a vacation scheme and opportunity to interview for a training contract at Dechert.

Diversity and Inclusion Week
As part of the firm’s inaugural Diversity and Inclusion Week (July 20-24, 2020), Dechert hosted journalist and filmmaker Afua Hirsch for a provocative conversation about race, identity and belonging, as well as how what we learn (or don’t learn) about our history has an impact on racism and inequality today.

The firm also held fast-paced virtual quizzes focused on diversity, inclusion and world culture, with a charitable donation made to the winning teams’ chosen charities focused on social justice.

Diversity Champions
Recognizing the individuals who serve as role models for the inclusive, open culture we value, Dechert offers the Diversity Champions award. In 2020, our people submitted 100 nominations. Four Diversity Champions were recognized at our annual all-hands event, with honorees each awarded a bonus.

Global Women’s Initiative
Members of Dechert’s Global Women’s Initiative (GWI) meet regularly with firm leadership to identify and implement initiatives that promote opportunities for women to advance and lead throughout the firm. Individual offices provide additional formal and informal support for women lawyers.

GWI initiatives include formal and informal mentoring, development training, meetings and events for summer associates, internal and external networking, special interest events, and leadership training. The GWI launched the Sponsorship and Sustained Support (SASS) program for senior women associates to help navigate the path to partnership.

Inclusive Leadership
Commitment to diversity and inclusion stems from the top. Our partners have been participating in quarterly, interactive sessions on inclusive leadership since 2018. Topics include affinity bias, attribution bias, covering, in and out groups, priming, unconscious bias, and inclusive leadership in times of crisis. Interactive sessions include dramatizations that prompt conversations long after the programming ends.

This program continues today, with the February 2021 session focused on actionable allyship. Inclusive leadership training has also been expanded to associates and business service professionals.

Client Testimonials


CLIENT:
COMPANY/FIRM: Citigroup
TESTIMONIAL: “Dechert consistently provides differentiating legal advice, particularly on large, complex transactions.”

CLIENT:
COMPANY/FIRM: Sun Capital
TESTIMONIAL: “The firm did a great job throughout the entire process. They have been proactive and delivered quality advice. As always, a pleasure working with such a great team.”

CLIENT:
COMPANY/FIRM: Credit Suisse
TESTIMONIAL: “We continually have the highest degree of confidence in the work product and coverage of the Dechert team, and they are always a pleasure to work with.”

CLIENT:
COMPANY/FIRM: Saint-Gobain
TESTIMONIAL: “Saint-Gobain frequently turns to Dechert to defend the company in its most consequential, high-stakes litigation in the United States. Their sophistication, depth of experience, and legal creativity – especially in the area of complex mass tort litigation, is simply unrivalled. When the case is unprecedented and alleged to be perilous, there is no better partner to have in the trenches than Dechert.”


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