Linklaters LLP
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.
Linklaters
Linklaters houses top banking and finance capabilities in Paris with complementary expertise available in its London and other European offices. The team has a strong involvement working alongside leading French and international investment banks while also regularly acting for borrowers on large complex loan financing and refinancing. It also thrives in the acquisition finance arena, regularly working on large equity bridge loans and financing of public offer facilities. The team is also retained by lenders and borrowers undertaking large pan-European property portfolio acquisition, especially in the logistics sector. Key names in the team include Cyril Abtan, Kathryn Merryfield and recently promoted partner Rhéa Christophilopoulos. Counsel Lauren Hanley provides further support.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Great expertise in the field of banking and finance. The high level of technicality is very reassuring for complex or innovative cases.’
‘Cyril Abtan is very present on files and has great technical expertise in addition to being very available. ’
‘Excellent team: second to none in terms of execution capacity. Ability to understand complex issues and to innovate. Very good advice.’
‘Very available and efficient; very good understanding of clients' interests, constraints and requests.’
‘Kathryn Merryfield is a very experienced lawyer, very qualified, providing good advice and very available. She is very helpful in understanding and negotiating legal documentation, and in finding the point of balance between the interests and demands of the parties.’
‘Very pleasant team, good understanding of customers' issues.’
‘Very high levels of skill and availability.’
Key clients
- CBRE Group
- CGG
- Citibank Europe Plc
- Goldman Sachs
- Incus Capital Advisors S.A.
- JP Morgan
- Legrand
- Plastic Omnium
- Natixis
- Société Générale
- Teleperformance
- The Carlyle Group
- Wells Fargo Bank
Work highlights
- Advised Citi and Société Générale as joint underwriters, mandated lead arrangers and bookrunners in relation to the public offer financing of the acquisition by Schneider Electric SE of Aveva Group plc.
- Advised Teleperformance SE (a French listed company) in relation to the financing of the public offer acquisition of Majorel.
Lawyers
Leading individuals
Linklaters LLP
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.
Linklaters LLP
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.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Bertrand Andriani