Viguié Schmidt & Associés

The lawyers of the firm focus on assisting their clients with their high-stakes matters.

They are experienced professionals with a particular taste for complex negotiations and disputes. They represent their clients before judicial courts, arbitral tribunals and regulatory authorities.

All of the partners are deeply involved in the matters handled by the firm; their thorough knowledge of the market, their actors and practices, adds a strategic dimension to their legal expertise.

Corporate/M&A: A cornerstone of the firm’s activity, this practice encompasses notable acquisitions or mergers involving public or private companies, private equity transactions as well as joint ventures and other strategic agreements.

The firm has first rate experience in advising on takeovers, whatever the context and sector involved. The firm also advises issuers on a full range of topics specific to listed companies as well as on stock exchange regulation.

The team also assists clients in matters pertaining to credit and loan agreements, either for the needs of a particular transaction (acquisition or assets financing, refinancing) or in the context of their ordinary course of activities.

Restructuring:The firm regularly advises its clients on share capital increases as well as on the issuance of complex securities. It also has a strong expertise in advising its clients on corporate governance matters.

The team also advises corporate officers, shareholders and creditors in the negotiation of restructuring schemes, both amicably (“conciliation”, “mandat ad hoc”) or in the context of insolvency proceedings.

Dispute resolution: The firm handles large and complex disputes. It has extensive experience in corporate, commercial and securities litigation, notably in shareholders’ actions and M&A-related litigation. The team also acts in commercial arbitrations under a variety of arbitral rules as well as ad hoc arbitrations.

The team advises and represents clients in connection with stock market litigations and market abuses,  in particular before the Autorité des marchés financiers (French Stock Markets Authority).

Competition law: The firm represents clients to secure merger control approval by the French Competition Authority and the European Commission, or to object to a proposed transaction.

The team also assists clients to ensure compliance of their business practices with antitrust law (cartel and abuse of dominant position) and represent them before the competition authorities and courts.

More generally, the team advises clients on all questions or project of interest from a competition law perspective, or that may imply restrictive practices.

Tax: The firm advises clients on all the tax aspects of their transactions, in particular in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, LBOs (including management packages) and corporate reorganizations.

It offers general advice and expertise on any aspects of company and individual taxation.

The team also provides assistance in tax audit and litigation.

Tort and healthcare products law: The team advises public and private companies on tort law matters, and assists them in determining a strategy aimed at avoiding possible litigations. We also represent them before civil, administrative and commercial courts.

Our team is active in health products law, helping our clients in understanding applicable regulations and assisting them in the management of litigations and of administrative decisions affecting their activities or products.