Stephenson Harwood

Alain Gautron

Alain is a highly established figure in France's banking and finance sector, with vast experience working on asset finance matters. Ranked as the number one ship finance lawyer in France by the leading legal directories, he also works on all aspects relating to the transportation industry. Alain acts predominantly in the field of asset finance (ships, corporate jets, industrial equipment, rolling stock), project finance, tax leasing, export credits, acquisition finance, securitisation and commodities financing. He has extensive experience advising banks and other financing institutions, leasing companies, sponsors and operators. A significant part of Alain’s practice involves the structuring of complex tax-based leasing structures. Together with Stéphane Salou, he has spearheaded the development of these types of products in the French legal market. In addition to his banking and finance expertise, Alain covers all aspects of the transportation industry including regulatory, acquisitions and restructurings. Alain speaks English and French and is a member of the Paris, New York and Manitoba (Canada) bars. He has also contributed to the fourth edition of the leading ship finance industry handbook, Shipping Finance.

Alexandre Koenig

Partner

Boriana Guimberteau

Boriana is an IP partner specialising in both contentious and non-contentious issues. She has broad expertise in trademark, copyright, designs and unfair competition matters. Over the years, Boriana has developed a strong knowledge of the fashion and luxury sectors, as well as in tech and media Boriana has strong experience in the full spectrum of IP rights, from the availability search to the complex disputes involving several jurisdictions. She regularly acts before the specialised French and European jurisdictions and offices. She assists clients with the negotiation and drafting of all types of contracts relating to intellectual property rights. Boriana started her career as in-house counsel at LVMH (Perfumery division). Before joining Stephenson Harwood, she spent 17 years with a French firm co-heading the IP department. There, she gained valuable experience with building a blockchain platform and assisting clients on traceability, building stronger protection for IP rights and trade secrets, NFTs (non-fungible tokens) etc.

Clotilde Billat

Clotilde is a partner in the corporate team. She specialises in private equity transactions and more generally in M&A. For more than ten years, Clotilde has been advising many French and foreign investment funds in the structuring of their investments and divestments within the context of LBO and Equity Growth transactions. She also supports management teams on the structuring and negotiation of their management package, as well as French and foreign industrial groups in the context of external growth transactions and reorganizations. Clotilde has significant experience in the healthcare and industrial sectors in particular in the automotive, aviation and rail sectors. She has also developed expertise in the arts and culture sectors. Before joining Stephenson Harwood in 2021, Clotilde worked as a lawyer for several well-known international law firms in Paris. Clotilde graduated with a Private Law PhD - “The holding company, an optimization strategy of the group resources” - and from HEC Business School (Master‘s Program – Law and International Management). Clotilde is a member of the Paris bar.

Evelyne Bagdassarian

Employment

Evelyne Bagdassarian

Evelyne Bagdassarian is a partner and head of the tax practice of the Paris office of Stephenson Harwood. Evelyne Bagdassarian has more than 15 years’ experience advising major corporations with a focus on international and financial tax advice. She assists international group of companies on their investments in France and advises a portfolio of private clients on wealth management and tax planning. Evelyne Bagdassarian has a very strong trackrecord in financial taxation, particularly with regard to complex cross-border financing and structured refinancing transactions and asset management. Her practice also includes the structuring of investment funds, M&A and real estate transactions. Evelyne Bagdassarian is multilingual. She is fluent in English, Italian, Armenian and Russian. She has developed a recognized practice in assisting international groups with the legal and tax aspects of infrastructure projects in the energy and transport sectors, particularly in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Ezio Dal Maso

Partner

Florent Rigaud

Partner

Guillaume Briant

Focusing his practice on M&A and Private Equity transactions, Guillaume has more than 15 years' experience advising European and US investors on their inbound investments in France, whether through the acquisition of businesses or equity investments in high growth companies, and advising French corporate players in their international operations. Much of his work is international in nature and he has a long track record of advising on cross-border transactions. He has a substantial number of international clients who he regularly advises on investments into France. Equally, he frequently advises international investors on their exits and so he understands the key points of interest to international players and how to successfully drive such deals to a conclusion. With a significant amount of experience advising large corporate clients and private equity funds in their international transactions, he is acutely aware of the issues that typically arise in the context of M&A deals. He thrives to resolve them in a proactive and cost-effective manner, whilst securing his clients' best interests. Guillaume focuses his practice on the technology (including telecoms) and life sciences sectors, but also has extensive experience in transactions involving the agri-food, media, and manufacturing industries. He regularly leads international transactions and quarterbacks cross-border teams of lawyers, with a particular focus on pan-European or cross-Atlantic transactions. In an increasingly complex international legal landscape, Guillaume also advises on issues arising from foreign investment control in France as well as compliance and international sanctions in the context of M&A and Private Equity transactions. Guillaume speaks French and English and is a member of the Paris and New York bars.

Jean-Julien Lemonnier

Partner

Julien Vandenbussche

Partner

Ngowari Adikibi

Ngowari Adikibi acts for management companies and GPs, as well as institutional investors, in the domain of international funds creation and cross-border corporate/private equity transactions. Ngowari’s practice involves delivering innovative solutions for the structuring, creation, negotiation and marketing of different forms of funds investing predominantly in Europe and Africa (including French fund structures, Luxembourg vehicles, English, Scottish and Channel Islands limited partnerships, Mauritius funds and hybrid structures). Ngowari also creates carried interest structures and regulated portfolio management entities for management teams. She advises fund managers on regulatory matters relating to their authorisation and their marketing, operation and management of funds. She equally assists management companies with the process and contractual framework for the distribution of fund interests. In addition, she advises private equity houses on international investments and divestments of portfolio assets in general, and secondary transfers of interests in portfolio funds. Prior to joining Stephenson Harwood, Ngowari was a lawyer in the International Funds department of a leading global law firm in international funds. Having previously obtained solid experience of complex and high-end cross-border M&A/ private equity transactions within the corporate/ private equity departments of several US law firms in London and Paris, Ngowari also gained significant emerging markets experience working in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, where she advised European investors regarding foreign investment in the Mercosur.

Nicolas Demigneux

A litigation expert, Nicolas specialises in general commercial and insurance litigation, arbitration and private international law. He has been appointed as the Paris office managing partner. His expertise covers the various fields of civil and commercial law, including construction, project, aviation and corporate disputes, product liability and contracts for large French and international companies. In the insurance sector, Nicolas advises on matters relating to professional or product liability in the areas of aviation, pharmaceuticals, energy, chemicals and construction. Nicolas' arbitration experience involves acting as counsel during ad hoc or institutional arbitrations. In addition, he has experience as an arbitrator in domestic commercial disputes. Nicolas is also well known for his broad expertise in Africa related matters which includes representing several African governments in project disputes and contractual negotiations. Nicolas currently heads the Paris Africa group. Nicolas speaks French and English and is a member of the Paris and New York bars.

Raphaël Gauvain

Partner

Soazig Preteseille-Taillardat

As the partner in charge of the employment law team in Paris, Soazig advises French and international companies on all transactional and litigation aspects of employment law.Soazig is a French qualified employment lawyer, with more than 15 years of experience. She assists her clients in both individual law (hiring, dismissals, current issues, employment contract clauses, accumulation of employment contracts and corporate mandate) and collective law. She has developed a strong expertise in restructuring and the employment protection plan (PSE), collective agreement negotiations (including working time agreements) and mass litigation. She is frequently involved in the social aspects of mergers and acquisitions and carve-outs. Her clients are mainly international industrial groups and banks. She also has a strong knowledge of the issues specific to the telecom and new technologies sectors.Soazig is a member of the Paris Bar. She is fluent in French, English, German and Romanian.

Yann Beckers

A banking and finance partner with a focus on acquisition, real estate and structured finance, Yann has also developed a strong expertise in alternative financings such as private placement (EURO PP, unitranche and mezzanine), factoring and leasing transactions. His previous experience working as an in-house lawyer at CCF (now HSBC France) has given Yann a particular insight on the issues his banking and institutional clients are facing. Yann has extensive experience in a wide range of national and cross-border secured financing transactions. He advises on general banking transactions, including acquisition and real estate finance, factoring and cash-management transactions and debt restructurings. Yann has experience of both the negotiation of these transactions and their restructuring. He also advises on their transfer and related French regulatory issues. Yann has developed extensive experience in funds finance, including equity bridge and net asset value financing. His clients include international banks and financial institutions, corporates, sponsors, private equity, private debt and investment funds. Yann speaks French, English and German and is a member of the Paris bar.

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