Corporate/M&A

No matter what kind of company you run, whether it is listed or private, French or international, whether you are a family group, an institutional investor, an investment fund, an executive, a unicorn entrepreneur or a start-up, we can provide you with tailor-made and innovative solutions in every legal field, at every stage of your transactions. As we operate in every business sector, we can identify the specific risks related to the strategic issues you might face and bring you relevant legal guidance. With our in-depth sector expertise, we are able to help you with day-to-day matters, as well as the most complex operations, and creatively assist you through appropriate and straightforward advice. We can work alongside you and support you every step of the way, through your deliberations, negotiations and decision-making processes, aiming to become your best trusted advisor.

What we do

Mergers and acquisitions:

• disposals, acquisitions and joint ventures;
• audits, negotiations and drafting of documentation;
• special expertise in international in-bound and out-bound transactions.

Private equity:

• deal structuring with financial and tax modelling;
• introduction or restructuring of management packages;
• structuring and issuing of complex securities; - build-up in France and abroad;
• venture capital;
• structuring of funds and assisting the management team.

Corporate and stock market law:

• reorganisation and restructuring operations: mergers, transfers of assets, cross-border mergers, international reorganisation operations and corporate finance;
• incentive schemes for managers and executives;
• governance of family companies and groups;
• regulated information;
• market transactions.

Legal disputes:

• enforcement of representations and warranties;
• disputes between partners;
• liability claims against executives;
• claims before the AMF (French market regulator), etc.

China Desk

Our bicultural China Desk team is composed of experienced lawyers based in Paris, all experts in advising Chinese clients, whether Chinese state-owned enterprises, private companies, investment funds or individual investors in relation to their outbound investments. Our China Desk team helps its clients to meet their challenges in Europe and Africa in a wide range of sectors. In addition to its professional skills, this team is accustomed to managing and facilitating multicultural business with a good understanding of the Chinese legal background, to support, coordinate and implement business-focused solutions.

German Desk

Our German desk lawyers have significant experience of the German legal and cultural environment, for either being qualified as Rechtsanwalt, having practiced in Germany for several years or for working regularly on transactions involving groups and entrepreneurs from all German speaking countries and from all sectors. We have been advising German speaking clients for decades and our dynamic team of lawyers is used to working with our colleagues from CMS in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Our understanding of German groups, whether large or Mittelstand, helps finding appropriate and pragmatic solutions, as our corporate Chambers & Partners German Desk ranking, for several years in a row, shows.

Our most recent assignments

Colgate-Palmolive Group | Advised on the acquisition of Laboratoires Filorga Cosmétiques, a high-end French cosmetic and anti-ageing brand specialised in skin-care, for nearly €1.5 billion.

Groupe Eiffage | Advised, through Eiffage Concessions, on the acquisition of nine hydroelectric power stations located in the west of France, from Terre d’Avenir.

Apollo Global Management, Inc. | Advised on the acquisition of the manufacturing and marketing of centrifugal injection pumps for the oil and gas industry (Power and Energy segment) from SPX FLOW, Inc.

SNCF | Advised SNCF and Ceetrus on setting up the joint structure for the Paris Gare du Nord 2024 project, the purpose of which is to restructure the Gare du Nord railway station in time for the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2024.

Vivalto Santé Group | Advised on the acquisition, alongside Icade Santé, of the Confluent Group. In this transaction, Vivalto Santé acquired the operating structures of the Confluent Group and Icade Santé acquired the group’s real estate assets.

Britvic | Advised Britvic on the acquisition by Refresco of three fruit juice production plants in France from Britvic, the production and marketing of private juices labels as well as the Fruité brand.

Nordex | Advised Nordex on the sale to RWE of its wind and solar project development business in Europe (France - with more than 100 projects -, Poland, Spain and Sweden), representing a total capacity of approximately 2.7 GW.

KSB | Advised the KSB Group, a specialist in nuclear pumps and maintenance, in connection with the sale of (i) SPI Energie to the Duffau Technologies Group, (ii) KSB Service Energie (KSE), KSB Service Cotumer (KSC) and Société de Travaux et d’Ingénierie Industrielle (STII) to the Orano Group [and (iii) EITB to Dalkia (EDF Group)].

Biogroup | Advised on two major external growth operations: the acquisition of the Laborizon group, leader in medical biology in Western France, and the acquisition of the CMA-Medina group, leader in medical biology in Belgium.

Groupe Ferré | Advised this French independent hotel leader, alongside the management company Atream, on the acquisition from Groupe LFPI, directly, of Alliance Hôtels Développement and Alliance Holding and, indirectly, of a portfolio of 12 hotels located mainly in Paris and the Parisregion.

Satisfaction Group (AWPG) | Advised Satisfaction Group (AWPG), France’s leading independent content producer, and its founder (Arthur), in connection with the acquisition of Sony Pictures Television France (SPTF) and Starling and the simultaneous creation of a joint venture with Sony for the group’s future activities.

Chambers 2023

"CMS boasts a solid corporate practice able to handle acquisitions, divestments and corporate restructurings. The lawyers work in close cooperation with the employment and tax teams to provide full support to clients. The law firm utilises its international network on cross-border deals. CMS attracts clients from a range of sectors, particularly healthcare and automotive."