Linklaters — France

Alice Klein

Employment

Aymeric Voisin

Aymeric Voisin is Partner in the Energy and Infrastructure practice in Paris and a Mining Sector Leader for Linklaters. He has over 18 years’ experience advising on critical minerals projects, associated infrastructure and decarbonisation transactions across Africa, Europe and Asia and is also involved in the battery value-chain. His experience also includes complex energy transition projects such as hydrogen export projects and large-scale infrastructure PPPs. Aymeric was distinguished as “Project Lawyer of the Year” in 2024 by Jeune Afrique, is included in Jeune Afrique’s 100 Legal Powerlist. Aymeric was also recognised as a “Leading Individual” (“Incontournable”) in the 2025 Leaders League Africa Desk rankings for Project Finance and Natural Resources & Renewables. · Energy & Infrastructure

Bertrand Andriani

Bertrand is Head of the Energy & Infrastructure department in the Paris office. He specialises in structured finance, including major project financings, leveraged finance, banking, secured and unsecured syndicated loans, derivative products, insolvency and corporate restructuring. Bertrand is also Head of the Francophone Africa Desk. · Structured Finance

Bruno Derieux

Bruno advises corporates, financial sponsors and banks on a wide range of complex, cross-border corporate transactions, including public and private M&A, private equity law. · Corporate / M&A

Carole Nerguararian

Carole joined the firm in 2009 as an Associate before being promoted to the position of Counsel in 2018. Carole has in-depth expertise in the French restructuring and insolvency arena. She specialises in complex domestic and cross-border restructurings, both in the framework of out-of-court and formal insolvency proceedings, where she advises all types of stakeholders. Her practice covers all aspects of financial and operational restructurings, including insolvency-related litigations. · Restructuring

Cyril Abtan

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. · Banking & Finance

Cyril Boussion

Cyril is active in all tax aspects, both in domestic and international matters. He is especially active in M&A transactions, for listed and non-listed companies, including LBOs. Cyril also advises on the setting up of private equity and real estate investment funds. · Tax

Fanny Mahler

Fanny Mahler is a public law specialist and a partner in the Energy & Infrastructure group at Linklaters Paris. Fanny advises clients on the regulatory framework applicable to both the development and operation of their activities (e.g., administrative authorisations, regulated contracts with public bodies, etc.) and helps them secure any required legal documentation to ensure the bankability of such activities. Additionally, Fanny advises client on issues relating to public procurement law (concessions, public contracts, complex contractual arrangements) including tendering procedures (such as competitive dialogue processes), state aid law, public sector companies (governance, transactions involving the capital of publicly owned companies), foreign investment and regulated sectors (including, energy, telecommunications, transport, health and defence). Fanny co-heads the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee of the Paris Office. · Public Law

Florent Mazeron

Florent is one of the Linklaters’ global Financial Sponsors group leaders. He is consistently recommended as a leading private equity lawyer by Chambers and is described as “very effective” and “esteemed among clients for his solution-driven style”. · Private Equity

François April

François is widely regarded as a leading renewables and energy & infrastructure practitioner in France. A Partner in the Energy & Infrastructure practice in the firm’s Paris office, François focuses on project financing in the energy, mining and infrastructure sectors. He also has in-depth knowledge of infrastructure assets, including airports, ports and roads and power distribution. François advises sponsors, investors (including investment funds) government entities and lenders on all aspects of projects, including finance and contractual arrangements, as well as regulatory issues, on projects in France, Francophone Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Canada, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. He is actively involved with the firm’s initiatives surrounding Canada, including developing and maintaining Canadian client and institutional relationships. · Project Finance

François Kopf

François is Partner at Linklaters in Paris and Global Chair of Restructuring & Insolvency. With more than 25 years of experience, his practice focuses on special situations that require a combination of restructuring, transactional and litigation expertise. Previously, François led the Restructuring & Insolvency department at Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier for almost nine years and also served as the firm’s co-managing Partner for five years. In recent years, he has acted on most of the high-profile restructuring transactions and insolvency proceedings in France, where he has represented debtors, creditors, managers, shareholders, investors and trustees as well as judicial liquidators and judicial administrators. · Restructuring & Insolvency

Françoise Maigrot

National Managing Partner, Head of Real Estate As the head of firm’s real estate practice in France, Françoise advises French and international investors, property funds, end users and developers in all areas of French real estate, construction, environmental and planning law. She often works in collaboration with the firm’s real estate practitioners in other European offices to advise clients on their most significant pan-European real estate transactions that require joint real estate, corporate, financing and tax input. The deals on which she advises range from pure investment work to development and the letting of operational space. She also has extensive experience in real estate deals in the retail and leisure sectors. Over the years, Françoise has developed long standing and trustworthy relationships with a number of real estate players and has become their trusted advisor. She is regularly involved in their strategic and high-level discussions. · Real Estate

Gaëlle Bourout

Gaëlle is a patent litigator with specialized expertise in the healthcare, chemicals and industrials sectors. Her strategic advice draws from her prior experience as an examiner at the European Patent Office, as well as a qualified French and European Patent attorney. Gaëlle has a strong expertise in cross-border disputes, designing and implementing litigation strategies thoroughly informed by her background in physics, chemistry and biology. She is ranked amongst France’s best patent lawyers by Legal 500, IAM Patent and IP Stars. · Patent Litigation

Guillaume Malaty

Guillaume is a Counsel in the firm’s Paris office Structured Finance practice. He advises corporates, banks, private credit funds, asset managers and fintech companies on a broad range of structured finance transactions including trade receivable securitisations, consumer and SME loan securitisations, operating assets securitisations, synthetic securitisations, portfolio sales and insurance linked securities. · Structured Finance

Géric Clomes

Géric is an Employment and Incentives Partner in the Paris office with more than 15 years of experience. He focuses on strategic cross-border and multi-jurisdictional work for international clients such as banks, private equity funds and corporates. Géric has a strong experience on strategic transactional employment advice for international clients (including coordination work for multi-jurisdictional projects, managing information and consultation procedures, transfer of employees, etc.), crisis-management matters (e.g. moral/sexual harassment cases, investigatory work, negotiation of departures of senior executives, assistance during negotiation with trade unions) and strategic employment-related litigations (e.g. involving trade unions and works councils). Géric also developed the Incentives side of the Paris practice and plays a key role across the Linklaters network in assisting international clients on their global issues with respect to compensation and benefits. · Employment

Hubert Segain

Hubert is head of Corporate in Paris. Hubert has more than 25 years of experience and specialises in private and public M&A, joint ventures, stock exchange law, corporate governance and group reorganisations. He acts for French and international clients on a range of domestic and cross border matters across a wide range of sectors. · Mergers & Acquisitions

Jean-Charles Jaïs

Jean-Charles specialises in pre-contentious and litigation matters ranging from financial and banking disputes, financial regulatory investigations and enforcement proceedings (in particular in relation to market abuse offence), contentious competition, white collar crime, post-completion disputes, and private international law to general commercial law disputes (such as abusive termination of commercial relations and unfair competition). In this respect, he regularly appears before Civil and Commercial Courts as well as the French Financial Markets Authority (“AMF”). Jean-Charles often works in close collaboration with lawyers from the firm’s other market-leading practice areas, including Corporate, Competition, Financial Regulation, in cross-office, multidisciplinary teams. As well as France-based clients, Jean-Charles represents corporates and financial institutions in the firm’s Brussels and London offices. He spent four months on secondment to the firm’s Madrid office in 2010. · Litigation

Julien Bourmaud-Danto

Corporate / M&A

Justin Faye

Justin is a Partner in Linklaters' Paris Energy & Infrastructure team with significant experience on transactions across the African continent. Justin’s practice spans all areas of transactional activity in the energy, infrastructure and natural resources sectors. Technically proficient, versatile and solution-oriented, he has significant experience providing seamless advice to sponsors, lenders, multilateral institutions, contractors and host governments on the structuring, financing and development of major projects in France and across Africa as well as regularly supporting the firm’s premium clients on corporate transactions in the energy, infrastructure and natural resources sectors. Justin has been involved in a number of ground-breaking mandates in Francophone Africa, including the Scaling Solar projects in Senegal and Togo and the Congo bridge project. Before joining Linklaters, Justin worked for two years in another international law firm in Paris. In 2015, he was seconded for six months to the Energy & Infrastructure team in the London office. · Energy & Infrastructure

Laetitia Nicolazzi

Laetitia is a managing associate in the Paris Intellectual Property team, where she works on both contentious and non-contentious matters in relation with all type of intellectual property rights. Laetitia has expertise in all areas of intellectual property, with a particular focus on national and pan-European patent, copyright and trademark litigation. Laetitia also advises her clients in the drafting and negotiation of contracts related to intellectual property, including art work commissioning, assignment of rights and licensing agreements. Laetitia also has extensive experience in contracts related to the gaming industry. · Intellectual Property

Lauren Hanley

Lauren is a counsel in the banking department of the Paris office. She advises on a wide range of financing transactions, including leveraged acquisition financings and public acquisition financings, as well as restructurings, investment grade syndicated facilities and bilateral loans. Lauren has experience advising lenders, sponsors and borrowers across multiple sectors and works on both domestic and cross-border deals. She also has extensive experience coordinating transactions across multiple jurisdictions. Lauren has been based in the Paris office for over ten years, having previously spent one year in the London office. · Banking & Finance

Lionel Vuidard

Lionel Vuidard joined the Paris office of Linklaters in March 2014 as a Partner and head of the French Employment practice. Lionel Vuidard is recognised as one of the best employment lawyers in the French Employment market. He is known as a proactive attorney providing clients with hands-on, pragmatic advice and strong representation in litigation matters. Lionel Vuidard was ranked as “excellent” in the last annual ranking published by Décideurs Juridiques, the French leading legal review, and as a “4-Star lawyer” in the last Option Finance ranking. In litigation matters, Lionel Vuidard represents companies before courts regarding sensitive employment disputes, such as high-profile individual cases, collective litigation, labour-related criminal litigation, and mass actions. Lionel Vuidard also has a strong experience in dispute resolution and the negotiation of settlement agreements. · Employment

Luis Roth

Partner Luis is a respected debt and equity practitioner who has been based in Linklaters’ Paris office since 2001. He specialises in offerings by foreign private and sovereign issuers, whether registered with the SEC or conducted pursuant to Rule 144A and Regulation S. He often advises issuers and underwriters in French, Spanish and Italian equity offerings (IPOs, rights offerings, block trades) and debt transactions (high yield, Yankee bonds, MTNs and commercial paper). He also has significant experience in mergers and acquisitions and structured finance. · Capital Markets

Marc Perrone

Marc is a partner in our Paris office, in charge of the financial regulation practice. His main sectors of activity include: transactions relating to banking and financial institutions (creation and licensing of institutions, change of control, transfer of activities); advising in relation to the provision of banking services and investment services and activities and the management of relations with regulators; advising on organisational and conduct of business rules applicable to regulated activities in France. Marc’s expertise also covers investment management work and he is regularly involved in different types of investment management work, including: advice in relation to the structuring and creation of private equity vehicles, such as French FCPRs à procédure allégée, as well as other types of French funds (mutual funds, contractual funds, OPCI); marketing of EU UCITS in France; advice in relation to investment management agreements, financial advisory agreements, distribution agreements or agreements concerning delegation of financial management for funds. · Banking & Finance

Mathieu Della Vittoria

Restructuring & Insolvency

Matthieu Blayney

Matthieu is a counsel in Linklaters’ Paris Antitrust & Foreign Investment Group. He has over a decade of experience advising on the full spectrum of European Union and French competition law, including advisory, investigatory and transactional matters, with a particular focus on vertical restraints and abuse of dominance issues. Matthieu has acted on some of the most significant follow‑on damages actions before all levels of the French courts. He is recognised as a leading commentator on competition and regulatory issues. · Competition / Antitrust

Mehdi Boumedine

Mehdi has more than 10 years’ experience in advising financial sponsors and corporates on a wide range of M&A transactions, especially in regulated sectors (healthcare, energy, finance, etc.). He has also developed a recognised expertise of African M&A and regularly advises financial sponsors and corporates on their transactions across the continent, especially in North and West Africa. · Corporate / M&A

Ngoc-Hong Ma

Ngoc-Hong is a Partner in our Financial and Regulation Group (FRG) in Paris. She has more than 15 years’ experience in Financial Regulation. Ngoc-Hong advises large banks, brokers-dealers, asset managers, insurance companies on complex regulatory compliance matters under French and EU laws as well as on regulatory investigations and enforcement matters, in particular with the French banking and insurance regulator, the ACPR. She notably advises financial institutions on the implementation of numerous EU regulatory reforms initiatives such as MiFID II, CRD IV/CRR, CRD V/CRR II, UCITS, AIFMD, PRIIPS, IFD/IFR, AML IV/AML V, ESG transition and regulations and impact of Brexit for most of the banking clients of the firm. Ngoc-Hong has developed particular expertise advising investment funds, private equity houses and banks on the financial regulatory environment around funds and fund management. She also has unique expertise advising financial institutions on regulatory remuneration rules and has extensive experience in M&A transactions involving financial institutions groups. · Financial Services Regulation

Nicolas Le Guillou

Nicolas is a Partner in the Corporate/M&A practice of Linklaters Paris. He regularly advises financial sponsors, private equity houses, insurance companies and corporates on their M&A transactions, with a particular focus on energy and infrastructure sectors. · Corporate / M&A

Nicolas Zacharie

Nicolas Zacharie specialises in European and French Competition Law work, especially the aspects relating to merger regulations, anticompetitive practices (horizontal agreements/cartels, vertical agreements and abuse of a dominant position) as well as in State Aid. He represents his clients before the European Commission and the French Competition Authority and before European and national jurisdictions. Nicolas Zacharie has been involved in a number of complex national and cross-border transactions. He advised in particular Sanofi during a tentative joint venture with Merck regarding their animal health business and he currently works on the major asset swap whereby Boehringer Ingelheim’s Consumer Healthcare business would be transferred to Sanofi in exchange for Sanofi’s animal health business. He also regularly advises large groups and investment funds. Nicolas Zacharie also advises clients in the field of anticompetitive practices by providing guidance during the implementation of commercial strategies (such as Sanofi, Sanofi-Pasteur and AXA as regards cooperation and joint ventures) and in the implementation of compliance programmes. He contributes within the framework of their disputes (notably PSA and Sanofi). He has also assisted several clients when competition authority dawn raids have been carried out and during the procedural steps which follow thereafter, including within the framework of leniency procedures. As regards to State Aid, he has advised several large groups such as the Caisse des Dépôts or Engie. Nicolas Zacharie lectures in Competition Law at the Paris Dauphine University, at Sciences Po and frequently organises training seminars for his clients · Competition Law

Pauline Debré

Pauline heads the IP/TMT practice of Linklaters in Paris and has considerable experience in IP litigation and specifically patent litigation. She focuses on handling complex cross-border patent and trademark litigations, notably in the healthcare and telecommunications sectors. She assists major clients in all types of proceedings, including preliminary injunctions, seizures (saisie-contrefaçon), revocation and infringement actions, arbitration and mediation, often in a global context (parallel litigation in the US, pending oppositions before the EPO). Pauline works in close coordination with our competition experts, notably on standard essential patents related cases. Pauline also assists clients from various industries with negotiating and drafting contracts related to IP rights (JV agreements, R&D agreements, co-existence agreements) and on projects and corporate deals (acquisitions, carve out) where IP is a key asset. Pauline co-heads the Patent Commission of the French group of AIPPI, as well as the Standing Committee on Patents and Standards. She is also a member of EPLAW (European Patent Lawyers association), APRAM, APEB and LES. Pauline is ranked amongst France’s best IP lawyers. Her team is ranked Band 1 by Legal 500 (2020) and won the Award of the Best patent team in 2020 (Trophées du Droit, Leaders League 2020). · Intellectual Property

Pierre Thomet

Pierre specialises in private and public M&A, joint ventures as well as corporate law. He regularly advises large industrial groups, institutional investors as well as leading investment funds on their M&A transactions. Pierre lectures on “Group Corporate Strategies” at HEC. · Mergers & Acquisitions

Pierre Tourres

Pierre advises corporate clients on public and private M&A transactions and corporate restructurings. Pierre is co-head of the firm’s automobile sector and has significant experience in the pharma sector. · Corporate / M&A

Pierre Zelenko

Pierre advises on complex competition issues, including merger control, cartels, vertical restraints, abuses of dominant position, damage claims and State aid. Pierre’s experience spans many industry and business sectors, in particular the, energy, banking and food & beverage sectors. As a former top civil servant and administrative judge, Pierre has a good understanding of the way regulators (particularly the French Competition Authority) work and enjoys good relationships with them. Holding a PhD in Economics, Pierre also has in-depth understanding of competition economics. Pierre worked in the firm’s Brussels office and continues to have in-depth knowledge of the European Commission (EC) as well as longstanding relationships with key DG Comp members to assist clients in their representations in competition matters. · Competition / Antitrust

Pierre-Arnoux Mayoly

Pierre-Arnoux is widely recognised for his experience in leveraged buyout (LBO) transactions, debt restructuring, acquisition financing, general corporate financing, and is one of the few French experts acting in funds financing (equity bridge, NAV financing, GP financing). He has structured and negotiated the first Equity Bridge Financing made available in France at the end of 2012. Pierre-Arnoux represents financing providers –senior or subordinated– and sponsors and borrowers in deals with other high-ranking law firms and individuals. · Banking & Finance

Rhéa Christophilopoulos

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. · Banking & Finance

Roland Ziade

Roland has acted as counsel in approximately one hundred international arbitration cases (ICC, UNCITRAL, LCIA, ICSID, AAA, SCC, OHADA, PCA, and ad hoc) and has represented and advised private companies (from the United States of America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa), states, and international organisations. Roland has also acted as arbitrator in over 45 international arbitrations (ICC, LCIA, ICSID, UNCITRAL, SCC, Swiss Chambers, DIAC, DIFC-LCIA, AFA, CRCICA). He was a member of the ICC International Court of Arbitration for 9 years. Roland is distinguished by Chambers Global and Chambers Europe, The International Who’s Who on Commercial Arbitration, Best Lawyers, as well as the Guide to the World's Leading Experts in Commercial Arbitration, for his experience and expertise in international arbitration. In 2011, Global Arbitration Review named Roland as one of the 45 top arbitration lawyers under the age of 45 and in 2017, Global Arbitration Review ranked him in the top three worldwide of partners below 45. In 2018, he was selected by Who’s Who Legal among the 10 leading and most highly regarded arbitration counsel and arbitrators in France and in 2019 he was identified among the top 15 Global Elite Thought Leaders for the EMENA Region. According to Chambers, Roland is consistently considered as “a bright lawyer” and “skilled arbitrator.” He “attracts high praise from clients, with one saying: ‘I appreciated his ability to understand how corporate clients view the law, rather than looking at it as a purist - this is actually rarer than you think.’ Other sources describe him as ‘an outstanding lawyer; he is extremely talented and very efficient.’ He is highly experienced on acting in Middle East-related cases.” He is also “well respected for his work in North and Sub-Saharan Africa, with considerable experience of investment treaty arbitrations.” Roland is “highlighted by clients for his attention to detail and precision in risk assessment.” Interviewees also say that he "looks at the file from all angles and doesn't leave any part of the puzzle unfilled" and that "he is able to quickly factor in the client’s expectations and to adapt to complex situations." He impresses sources as “a very, very good and very very accomplished guy” with “considerable experience of investment treaty arbitration.” Clients appreciate his ‘excellent knowledge of the procedural aspects of an arbitration, as well as his broad knowledge of international jurisprudence,’ with one enthusing that he is a “star." (Chambers Global). According to Who’s Who Legal, “the eminent Roland Ziadé is described as an ‘outstanding negotiator’ with significant experience on the international scene.” “Described as a ‘star’”, he “emerges as one of the titans of the arbitration market in Europe” and is “regarded as one of the most sought-after counsel for international arbitrations, particularly in reference to ICC arbitration.” He “has extensive experience sitting as arbitrator in major disputes and draw praise for ‘his multicultural mindset and excellent knowledge of commercial arbitration’” (Who’s Who Legal). Legal 500 considers that he “stands out for being very knowledgeable, sharp and passionate. Each new case is treated as if it was the case that will change his career. He has great capacity to anticipate and address the moves of the adverse party and to predict the expectations of the tribunal. He is definitively a top arbitration lawyer and someone to better have on one’s own side when facing an arbitration dispute” (Legal 500). · International Arbitration

Samuel Bordeleau

Samuel is a Partner in the Energy & Infrastructure practice in Paris. He advises international investors, energy majors, and construction and concession companies on the development, financing, and M&A of leading energy and infrastructure projects. Over the past 14 years, he has developed a well-rounded practice, covering most asset classes and products in the energy and infrastructure space. · Energy & Infrastructure

Sonia Cissé

Sonia is heading the Technology, Media and Telecommunications team of Linklaters in Paris. Sonia’s practice covers the full range of TMT legal areas, with a focus on contracts, data protection, internet and telecommunications. Sonia has strong experience in advising companies from diversified sectors (IT editors and service providers, banking, insurance, transportation, telecom, energy, retail, luxe, etc.) across all aspects of major commercial contracts, sourcing and complex procurement transactions, regulation of data and networks, e-business and IT security, telecoms and media projects. Her experience has led her to advise on both service providers and clients’ sides. · Technology, Media & Telecommunications

Sophie Weiss

Sophie is a managing associate in the firm’s Paris office structured finance and securitisation practice notably involved in international structured finance and securitisation transactions. Sophie has extensive experience advising on the structuring and documentation of derivatives, repos and securities lending transactions. She has a strong focus on OTC derivatives and advises both sponsors’ and banks’ sides on hedging of major project finance transactions. · Structured Finance

Stephen Le Vesconte

Stephen is an Energy and Infrastructure Partner with nearly 20 years of experience advising on large-scale, cross-border project development, project finance, joint venture and M&A transactions in the energy and infrastructure sectors (including oil and gas, petrochemicals, power and renewables). He has particular expertise in structured finance and multisource project financings including Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) and other international financial institutions. Stephen set up the firm’s Seoul office in 2013 and was Seoul office Managing Partner 2016-2018, and continues to lead the firm’s relationships with many Korean corporates, ECAs and banks in Seoul. Stephen previously worked for nine years in the firm’s London office, for three years in the firm’s Moscow office and for six months in the firm’s Hong Kong office. He joined our Paris team in September 2018. · Energy & Infrastructure

Thomas Elkins

Thomas is a partner in Linklaters’ Antitrust and Foreign Investment Group. He has expertise in all aspects of competition law, including merger control (before the European Commission and the French Competition Authority as well as coordinating multi-jurisdictional clearances), behavioural practices (cartel and abuse of dominance cases) and private damages claims. Thomas is a longstanding advisor to clients in the automotive, healthcare, tech and retail sectors. · Antitrust

Véronique Delaittre

Partner Véronique specialises in debt capital markets work such as debt issuance programmes, all kind of bonds issues (hybrid bonds, regulatory capital, Euro-PP), liability management deals and equity linked products. Véronique joined Linklaters in 2001, having previously spent two years with Credit Commercial de France (now HSBC) and three years with Société Générale. · Capital Markets