Client Satisfaction

Lauded by one client as 'a leading team in the French LBO transaction market', the group at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP is noted for its handling of private equity transactions for sponsors, portfolio companies and management teams. Areas of expertise include large-cap LBOs, joint ventures, public to private transactions, minority investments and exits. Leadership is shared between 'pillar of the firm' Eduardo Fernandez (LBOs and growth capital transactions); and Christophe Garaud and Cédric Hajage, both of whom specialise in private equity and M&A transactions. Additional key contacts include Grégory de Saxcé, Hugo Nocerino and the 'tremendously talented, precise and attentive' Mathilde Faure.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

‘A leading team in the French LBO transaction market. Excellent ability to adapt to the specificities of each transaction. Exceptional flexibility and availability that allows them to stand out on legal aspects compared to the competition. A strong ability to deliver a large quantity of work in a short time frame without compromising quality, thanks to a large and high-quality team of collaborators, comprising Eduardo Fernandez, Gregory de Saxcé, Hugo Nocerino, Sarah Bibas, Camille Barrabino, and Mathilde Faure.'
'They know how to adapt to the different situations on which they are requested by their clients. The team manages to attract new excellent good elements and to train them quickly so that they are able to be autonomous in front of the clients. The team is very diverse.'
‘Eduardo Fernandez is a pillar of the firm. He is both very experienced, attentive to his clients, very inventive and has the ability to find solutions to the most complex situations. He is accessible and adapts very well to his clients.'
'Mathilde Faure impresses me with her work and her selflessness. She is terribly talented, precise and attentive to detail. She collaborates very well with her clients and her team. I have seen her succeed in transforming hostile situations into favourable environments for her clients. In my opinion, she will be a star partner of the firm in a few years.'

Key clients

21 Invest France
Abénex Capital
Adagia Partners
Aglae Management
Alpha Private Equity
Aquiline Capital Partners
Ardian
Astorg Partners
BIM
BlackFin Capital Partners
BNPP Agility Capital
Bpifrance
Cobalt Capital
CVC Capital Partners
Ekkio Capital
EQT
Equistone Partners Europe
Five Arrows Managers
IK Partners
Insight Partners
Intermediate Capital Group
Latour Capital
Lauxera Capital Partners
Montefiore Investment
OpenGate Capital
PAI Partners
Peugeot Invest
Qualium Investissement
RAISE Investissement
Sagard
Searchlight Capital Partners
Seven2
Syntagma Capital
TA Associates
The Carlyle Group
Vaultier7
Warburg Invest
Waterland Private Equity
Weinberg Capital Partners
Wendel

Work highlights

Advised Cooper Consumer Health on a carve-out transaction in connection with the €2bn acquisition of Viatris’ OTC Business.
Advised PAI Partners on the sale of ELITech Group, a French manufacturer of chemical and biological products, to Bruker.
Advised Latour Capital on the sale of Oak Nation to ICG.