Private Equity

Our private equity team leverages its unrivalled expertise in financial operations and regulations to meet all client needs.  

August Debouzy’s specialized lawyers support clients throughout the entire process of leveraged buyouts, private equity, development and venture capital, and equity-based compensation plans for executives and employees. 
 

Leveraged transaction advisory services (MBO, LBO)

With decades of experience advising France’s top companies and investment firms, our team is particularly well-equipped to manage leveraged transactions, including LBOs, LMBOs, and OBOs. 

Our lawyers specialize in acquisition and divestiture, financing mechanisms, and executive incentivization.  

• Acquisition financing (loan agreements, senior, subordinated, single-tranche or ‘mezzanine’ debt arrangements, securities and other guarantees, complex securities issues); 
• Legal and tax risk audits and VDD; 
• Negotiations and preparation of legal documents (partnership agreements, shareholder agreements, issuance agreements, liability warranties, etc.); 
• Legal and tax structuring; 
• Advice on concentrations control (with the competition team); 
• Employment, banking and financial regulations 
• Exit planning for investors (buybacks, IPOs, capital reductions, etc.). 

Management packages

We design and negotiate incentive plans for company managers and executives, including: 

• Stock option plans, bonus shares, founders’ share warrants, 
• Incentive bonuses and co-investment or profit-sharing plans 
• Convertible bonds and preference shares 
• Market practice benchmarking 
• Negotiation and execution of equity participation plans for managers and workers (investment, settlement or reorganization, exit clauses). 
• Renegotiation 
• International management packages

Fundraising / Equity Investments

Having worked across all aspects of fundraising operations, we benefit from market leading expertise in growth and venture capital. 

For all types of clients - businesses, founders, or funds - we understand the unique challenges they face on all types of transactions, with services including:  

• Auditing of legal and tax risks 
• Legal assessment of investment options (governance, equity stakes, IRR, etc.) 
• Drafting and negotiation of legal documentation (investment agreements, partnership agreements, warranties of assets and liabilities, etc.); 
• Legal and tax structuring; 
• Preparation of corporate and commercial documentation associated with capital raising.