Capabilities

Banking and financing law

Our experienced lawyers handle a wide range of corporate financing cases. Internationally, we are also active in Islamic finance, particularly for project financing in the energy, real estate, and infrastructure sectors in France, the Middle East, and Africa.

Areas of practice

Digital assets and blockchain / Web3 law

We assist our clients in understanding and managing the legal challenges related to digital assets, blockchain, Web3, NFTs, tokenization, the metaverse, Finance 3.0, and on-chain finance. We provide advice on PSAN (Digital Asset Service Providers) licensing procedures and regulatory obligations for electronic money issuers and payment service providers. We also help clients navigate the Pilot Regime and regulatory controls to ensure compliance with legal standards.

Banking and finance law

We offer our expertise in financial and banking law to assist financial institutions, payment service providers, and corporations. This includes obtaining service provider licenses, complying with legal obligations regarding credit operations, payment methods, payment services, and electronic money. We also handle banking liability disputes and Investment Service Provider (ISP) liability disputes, representing clients before competent authorities.

Corporate financing

We support companies in their corporate financing needs by designing tailored solutions to optimize their financial structures. Our services cover credit transactions, factoring, cash pooling, assignment of receivables, and other financial mechanisms to facilitate growth.

Acquisition financing

We assist in acquisition financing transactions by structuring both the legal and financial aspects to streamline the acquisition of companies or assets. Our goal is to optimize financing conditions and ensure compliance with applicable regulations.

Leveraged financing (LBO, OBO, MBO)

We advise on leveraged financing, including Leveraged Buy-Outs (LBOs), Owner Buy-Outs (OBOs), and Management Buy-Outs (MBOs). We structure these complex transactions to maximize financial leverage while managing associated risks.

Project financing (renewable energy, infrastructure)

We provide advice on project financing, particularly in the Renewable Energy and Infrastructure sectors. We develop tailored financial structures, often including structured financing solutions, to support large-scale projects.

Asset-based financing (including off-Balance sheet)

We assist in asset-based financing, including securitization, off-balance sheet transactions, and structured leasing. We help optimize asset management and access alternative sources of financing.

Real estate financing (acquisition, construction, renovation, lease financing)

We support clients in real estate financing for acquisitions, construction, and renovation projects. We implement real estate lease financing solutions and structure transactions to meet specific needs.

Unitranche financing

We provide advice on unitranche financing, a flexible alternative to traditional financing methods. This type of financing combines senior and subordinated debt into a single instrument, simplifying capital structures and expediting funding processes.

Bond financing

We assist companies in issuing bond financings, providing legal, regulatory, and market-related advice. We ensure compliance with institutional investor requirements and regulatory authorities.

Mezzanine financing

We support mezzanine financing arrangements, offering supplementary resources between senior debt and equity capital. We structure these financings to meet specific needs while optimizing capital costs.

Structured leasing

We advise on structured leasing operations, providing customized financing solutions for acquiring strategic assets with financial and tax optimization. We help negotiate and draft leasing contracts, ensuring the protection of client interests.

Structured financing

We develop structured financing solutions to address specific needs, combining various financial techniques to optimize financing structures. This includes securitization, cash pooling, factoring, and assignment of receivables.

Examples of support in banking and finance Law

Banking financing advice

Advising on the establishment of a blockchain-based investment bank offering a platform for issuing and trading tokenized financial instruments (security tokens). This includes obtaining necessary authorizations, such as Investment Firm status and exemptions under the European Pilot Regime for implementing an MTF and a blockchain settlement and delivery system.

Capital markets advice

Advising a private client on the creation of their investment company in France to invest in innovative French and European companies in the environmental sector. The primary goal was to launch an Initial Coin Offering (ICO) from France to raise funds for a token exchange platform dedicated to environmental assets (carbon credits or plastic credits). These tokens, issued by innovative European companies, are traded on the platform with a specific certification process. We also assisted in obtaining an AMF visa for the ICO—the first visa granted for an ICO dedicated to a major European investment project promoting environmental innovation.

Banking liability and litigation

Advising and assisting an online bank in the general compliance audit process conducted by the ACPR. Our work involved procedural and strategic support (anticipating each step, preparing teams, and advising on responses to the ACPR) and regulatory guidance to help banks strengthen compliance frameworks.

Advice and assistance on AMF jurisdiction principles

Advising and assisting a bank during an AMF audit on compliance with professional obligations related to its regulated activities. We supported the asset management company throughout the audit process, providing assistance during hearings, advising on evidence submission, and proposing remedial measures. We also guided negotiations with AMF teams to secure a settlement agreement.

Advice on french financial regulations

Advising a U.S. stablecoin giant on expanding operations in France and Europe (issuing USDC and Euro Coin from France) by establishing its European hub and obtaining regulatory approval from the AMF and ACPR. This included PSAN registration, optional PSAN licensing, and authorization as an Electronic Money Issuer (EMI).

Commercial partnership review and negotiation

Assisting a client in reviewing and negotiating a commercial partnership with a multinational payment card company to issue and market a payment card linked to a physical cryptocurrency wallet. Our work focused on ensuring contract consistency with the client’s unregulated status, analyzing commercial terms, and advising on intellectual property protection strategies.

Advice on european regulations

Assisting in obtaining regulatory authorizations, including Investment Firm status, Digital Asset Service Provider (PSAN) status, and exemptions under the European Pilot Regime for setting up an MTF and blockchain-based settlement system.