Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier

The firm: Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier A.A.R.P.I. is a highly specialised firm of about 70 lawyers concentrating on two distinct, but often related, activities: complex corporate and financial operations and dispute resolution. The firm, founded in 1987, advises and acts with respect to: M&A; tender offers and tender offer defences; company reorganisations; stock exchange, company law and governance; private equity transactions and privatisations, merger control and antitrust advice, related transactions with governmental bodies and administrations, compliance services, tax structuring, financing and restructuring. The firm handles high-profile and complex litigation and arbitration matters.

The firm is frequently involved in mergers and reorganisations of major multinational enterprises, and has handled many unusually complex combinations in regulated industries. It maintains close client relationships with leading multinational groups, advising on investment and other strategies, and acting as transaction counsel. It does so either alone or in co-operation with leading independent firms in other jurisdictions, such as Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz in New York.

Notable recent matters include representing Technip in its US$13 bn merger with FMC, Groupe Casino in its €3.1bn sale of its business in Thailand, its €1bn sale of its business in Vietnam and the reorganisation of its Brazilian business, Bouygues Télécom in its failed combination with Orange and Accor in its M&A transactions, including the recent acquisition of Fairmount Hotels.

Areas of practice
Mergers and acquisitions: the firm advises on major acquisitions, securities regulation matters and corporate financial transactions. From its early landmark tender offer matters and through a succession of transactions, including litigated tender offers, the firm has consistently been involved in the major corporate events in its marketplace.

Capital markets: the firm often advises on the financial aspects and structures involved in corporate transactions, including advice concerning the conception, documentation and implementation of securities issues in the capital markets in France as well as elsewhere in Europe and North America.

Corporate and tax: through its involvement with combinations and reorganisations of enterprises, the firm is often called upon to advise on French and international investment and tax structures, and to co-ordinate the creation and implementation of such structures. The firm’s clients for such advice also include investment funds from various countries and selected individual and family group investors.

Litigation and arbitration: throughout its history, the firm has been involved in high-profile litigation and arbitration. Much relates to corporate/M&A, securities and capital markets; it also extends to complex civil and commercial disputes, defence and aerospace matters, construction disputes, and to criminal litigation, including defence of corporate officers and directors.

Competition and regulatory: the firm regularly advises on competition and other European aspects of transactions, handles matters related to cartels and abuses of dominant position, and intervenes with and makes submissions to applicable national and European authorities.

Banking and finance: the firm advises on acquisition and leveraged financing, syndicated loans and debt restructuring; representing financial institutions, corporate borrowers, private equity funds and other investors.

Privatisation and public law: the firm handles privatisation and related transactions involving enterprises controlled by the state and governmental entities, and has advised the French government and state entities on a number of major transactions. The firm advises clients on public procurement, delegation of public services and other administrative contracts.

Restructuring: the firm advises on restructuring and high-profile insolvency proceedings representing managers, shareholders, investors and other actors in restructuring proceedings.