Private equity: Fund formation

Xavier Comaills

Xavier Comaills specialises in the formation and fundraising of private equity investment funds and in particular concerning French and European funds' managers. He has extensive experience in primary fundraising and is also leader on secondary transactions including sale of portfolio interests but also GP-led secondary transactions. Xavier also advises institutional limited partners with respect to their investments in private equity and real estate funds. Xavier is also an expert on carried interest structuring.

Stéphane Puel

Stéphane Puel heads the Investment Funds & Asset Management team. He advises French and international financial institutions on all regulatory matters, and in particular on structuring, setting up, documenting and distributing regulated and non-regulated French and foreign law open-end and closed-end investment funds, such as hedge funds, REITs, private equity funds, infrastructure funds and distressed debt funds. Stéphane is in regular contact with the French Financial Markets Authority (AMF) on all matters relating to licensing management companies, setting up investment funds, and distributing French and foreign investment funds and structured products. Stéphane also advises these entities on the conduct of business rules applicable to them and assists them with court or disciplinary proceedings linked to their activity. He is a member of the Gide team which assisted the ASPIM since 2004 on the revamping of the regulations applicable to French real estate funds (OPCI).

Marine L'Hostis

Associate

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.

Benjamin Delaunay

Counsel Benjamin Delaunay practises within Gide's Investment Funds and Financial Services team. He assists management companies, credit institutions and French and foreign investors on all issues pertaining to banking and financial regulations, in particular in the areas of financial services and asset management law. His three main areas of specialisation are: - Structuring, and drafting documentation for investment funds (OPCVM, FIA), in particular in the real estate (SCPI and OPCI), private equity and infrastructure (FCPR, FCPI, FIP, FPCI, FPS, holding) sectors; - Banking and finance disputes before the French financial markets authority (Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF)) and the French prudential supervision and resolution authority (Autorité de contrôle prudentiel et de resolution (ACPR)) during inspection, enquiries, and disciplinary procedures before the sanction commission; - Advising French and foreign financial entities on the regulatory aspects of their activities, in particular on issues of licence, European passport, internal organisation and control, compliance, KYC/money-laundering, marketing financial products, and implementing corporate operations (restructuring, acquisition, transformation, liquidation) carried out by these entities or investment funds.

Cyril Fiat

Partner

Rima Maitrehenry

Partner

Sabina Comis

Partner

Florence Moulin

Partner

Guillaume Panuel

Guillaume Panuel focuses his practice on the structuring of investment funds and secondary transactions (i.e. sale of mature private equity funds, GP-led transactions and preferred equity solutions). His experience includes an extensive knowledge of the creation of domestic or transnational alternative investment funds (e.g. fonds professionnel de capital investissement (FCPI), fonds d’investissement professionnel spécialisé (FIPS), sociétés de libre partenariat (SLP)) and their management companies. Guillaume also assists management teams in dealing with regulatory and governance matters as well as carried interest schemes. Read full biography: https://www.mwe.com/people/guillaume-panuel/

Tiana Rambatomanga

Partner

Agnès Rossi

Partner