Latham & Watkins houses a large and experienced team, particularly recognised in the private equity sphere, while also offering excellent M&A capabilities. The firm assists leading investment funds as well as many large French and international groups with mid to large-cap transactions, including public M&A deals. The practice also shows strong abilities in managing cross-border deals, notably involving Asian countries or the US. The practice is headed by Denis Criton and includes key members Pierre-Louis Cléro, Olivier du Mottay, Alexander Crosthwaite and Charles-Antoine Guelluy . Benjamin De Blegiers joined the team in April 2026 from Clifford Chance.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction: Lawyer & team quality
Client satisfaction: Sector knowledge
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘The team provides a service of the highest standard. The lawyers are always available, highly skilled technically, and above all, attentive to clients' needs.’
- ‘Excellent team, very adept at supporting negotiations, including offline discussions with the sell-side team to facilitate negotiations. They have a very good understanding of market practices in France and also made an excellent contribution to obtaining government approval.’
Key clients
- AXA
- Air France KLM
- Apollo
- Atos
- Blablacar
- Burger King
- Cadence
- Carrefour
- Danone
- Demant
- DHL Group
- EssilorLuxottica
Work highlights
Advised Axa France Vie in the sale of its stake in Unofi, a company specializing in wealth management.
Advised L’Oréal in its acquisition of Dr.G, the South Korean skincare brand.
Advised Bridgepoint in its public takeover acquisition of Esker.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Benjamin De Blegiers
Practice head
Denis Criton
Other key lawyers
Pierre-Louis Cléro; Olivier du Mottay; Alexander Crosthwaite; Charles-Antoine Guelluy