Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Thierry Arachtingi specialises in banking and finance, with a particular emphasis on acquisition finance, real estate finance and debt restructuring. In leveraged finance and debt restructuring areas he advises on all types of senior and subordinated financings for domestic and cross-border acquisitions, including LBO, public-to-private transactions and private investments in public equity.
Eric Cartier-Millon is a partner in the Banking & Finance practice group of Gide Loyrette Nouel. He specialises in structured finance and project finance. He has experience in the following sectors: - Structured finance: representing senior lenders and/or mezzanine lenders in LBO finance transactions; he also has wide experience in structured finance, whether or not associated with securitisation transactions; - Project finance: advising a number of lenders or sponsors in a variety of finance transactions in France, including a paper factory in Golbey, a Daimler-Benz factory in Sarreguemines, the Stade de France and the A 28 motorway; - Debt rescheduling agreements: advising creditors or the borrower in a number of debt restructuring transactions on behalf of major French listed and non-listed companies; - Arbitration: representing clients in arbitration proceedings before the ICC International Court of Arbitration in Paris.
Xavier Farde is a partner in the Finance Department and is Office Managing Partner of Latham and Watkins' Paris office.Mr. Farde's practice focuses primarily on leveraged finance (senior and mezzanine), banking, and syndicated loans. He also advises on real estate finance.
Daniel Zerbib began his career as a securitisation lawyer (CMBS, trade receivables) and now specialises in banking and finance, with a particular emphasis on infrastructure finance (both greenfield and brownfield), leveraged finance and debt restructuring.
Rising stars
Rising stars with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Thomas Binet is a partner in the Corporate & Financial Services Department, focusing on banking and finance. Mr. Binet has extensive experience in the areas of structured finance, debt restructuring and corporate finance. He regularly acts as counsel to lenders, borrowers, sponsors, senior, mezzanine and unitranche arrangers for such financing activities.
Partner advising investment funds, companies, private debt funds and financial institutions on complex bank or bond financing in the context of domestic and cross-border corporate transactions, LBOs and project financing. She also supports companies in difficulty and their shareholders with financial restructuring operations. She has led a number of high-profile financing transactions, including recently the sale of Icade's majority stake in Icade Santé and the asset portfolio held by Icade Healthcare Europe; the acquisition of New Suez, an asset acquired from Veolia and Suez by Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations in consortium with Meridiam, Global Infrastructure Partners and CNP Assurances; the deployment of the national fiber optic network in France by Bouygues Telecom through joint ventures with Phoenix Tower International, Cellnex and Vauban Infrastructure Partners; and a majority stake taken by Sagard in Adit (Agency for the dissemination of technological information) followed by the acquisition by the Adit group of DCI (Defense Conseil International).
Carla-Sophie Imperadeiro is a partner in Latham & Watkins' Finance Department. She has a wide range of experience representing borrowers, equity sponsors, and lead banks in financing transactions, with a particular emphasis in private equity and LBO financings. Carla-Sophie Imperadeiro received her graduate business law and postgraduate international trade law degrees at the University of Paris, Pantheon-Sorbonne in 2004 and 2005, respectively. She received her postgraduate law degree from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris in 2006.
Leading individuals
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Cyril is a partner in the banking practice of Linklaters in Paris notably involved in secured and unsecured syndicated loans, acquisition financings (private and leveraged) and real estate financings.
Rhéa is specialised in acquisition and investment grade financings, including LBOs and debt restructurings. She acts for lenders, financial sponsors and borrowers. Rhéa is recommended by several leading international directories such as Legal 500 describing her as “technically excellent” and Chambers Global 2023 which highlights the following clients’ quote: "She is extremely efficient, dedicated and gives excellent advice on all commercial and technical matters." Rhéa has also been ranked in the Top 10 Rising Stars category of the CAC 40 TOP 40 Lawyers’ ranking published by Forbes France and la Lettre des Juristes d’Affaires (LJA) in 2021 and in 2022.
Lionel Dechmann is a partner in the Finance Department in the Paris office of Latham & Watkins. He has extensive experience in financing and is particularly involved in acquisition financing, real estate financing, corporate financing, refinancing, and debt restructuring. He advises financial institutions as well as investment funds and large industrial groups.
Christophe Gaillard, partner, specialises in banking and finance, he mainly handles acquisition financing, syndicated and structured financing matters. He also handles derivatives transactions, such as equity derivative products used in employee equity participation plans.
Michel Houdayer is a partner in the Finance Department in the Paris office. His practice covers a variety of finance transactions, with a particular emphasis on acquisition finance and private equity. Mr. Houdayer regularly advises leading French and foreign financial institutions, as well as investment funds and corporate borrowers. He primarily advises clients on leveraged finance (senior and mezzanine), banking, and private equity. He is also member of the firm's Opinion Committee.
Laetitia Lemercier was admitted to the Paris Bar in 2001 and specialises in structured finance. She is a member of Gide's Banking & Finance practice group and has significant experience in real estate finance, project finance, acquisition and corporate finance, as well as in debt restructuring. She regularly advises financial institutions or borrowers and investors at all stages of the structuring or restructuring, drafting and negotiation of complex financing transactions. Laetitia Lemercier co-authored the model Euro PP credit agreement and is an external speaker at Science Po Paris. She holds a postgraduate degree in business law and taxation and a master's degree in business law from the University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas, as well as a master's degree in management sciences in finance from the University of Paris IX Dauphine. Laetitia Lemercier is recommended in banking and finance law by the international legal guide Legal 500 EMEA.
Partner Pierre-Arnoux Mayoly focuses on structured finance matters, in particular in the context of leveraged buyout (LBO) transactions, acquisition financing (build-up), funds financing (equity bridge/capital call financing) or debt restructuring. He represents financing providers – senior or subordinated – and sponsors and borrowers. Pierre-Arnoux is head of the Finance Department in Paris. For further details of Pierre-Arnoux'ssbiography, please view McDermott website here.
Based in Paris for more than 20 years, Kathryn has extensive experience of advising both lenders and borrowers on many different types of financing transactions, including public and private investment grade and leveraged acquisition financing. She also advises on corporate syndicated lending and restructurings. Kathryn was seconded to HSBC in 2003, to the bank’s EMEA syndicated finance origination desk, and to BNP Paribas in 2005, in the bank’s French corporates syndicated finance team.
