Laurent Borey

Laurent is one of France’s leading lawyers on private equity matters (fund structuring and transaction) for his work representing private equity sponsors and his vast experience in the structuring of large, complex, cross-border M&A transactions. Laurent also regularly advises prominent entrepreneurs on their personal tax matters and has developed a renowned expertise in tax litigation.

Over the last several years, he has advised and played a key role on many massive international deals, with deal values totaling more than $100 billion. These include: Sotheby’s (take private – Patrick Drahi’s holding), Mediawan (tender offer – KKR/ founders), Altice Europe (take private – Patrick Drahi’s), April (CVC), Altice spin-off of its towers and infrastructure business, Delachaux, Rubix (former name IPH), SIACI, Primonial, Webhelp, CPK (Eurazeo), Cooper (Charterhouse), Cablevision (Altice), Suddenlink (Altice), NextRadioTv (Group News Participation), Comexposium (Charterhouse), Balmain, Sandro Maje, Portugal Telecom (Altice), Express Roularta Group (Altice), Numericable-SFR (Altice), Worldwide Flight Services (LBO France), Labeyrie (LBO France), Elis (Eurazeo), Parex Group (CVC Capital Partners), SFR (Numericable), Hamleys (Ludendo) and Vivarte.

Laurent ranks in band one in Chambers Global and was one of the nominee for the Law 360 MVP award for 2015. He was named "Lawyer of the Year" in 2014 by the French magazine Option Finance and “Tax Advisor of the Year” by Magazine des Affaires for 2011, 2014 , 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019. Laurent is also one of the Mayer Brown practitioners listed in Who’s Who Legal and in Who’s Who France.

1. Advised BidCo Breteuil, a KKR holding company, and the founders of Mediawan, the French media conglomerate, on the launch of a tender offer on all Mediawan securities. Simultaneously, advised BidCo Breteuil and Mediawan on three other separate conditional acquisitions: Lagardère Studio, Leonine and Groupe Troisième Œil.
2. Advised SERB, a portfolio company of Charterhouse Capital Partners, on the acquisition of specialty pharmaceutical company Veriton Pharma Ltd.
3. Advised Magellan Partners on the structuring aspects of the acquisition of Karoo SAS, software integrator specialized in Salesforce software, from Karoo’s management and shareholders and on its acquisition of Opusline group.
4. Advised Djula, a luxury designer jewelry brand on the sale of a majority stake to Shanghai Yuyuan Tourist Mart (Group) Co., Ltd., backed by Fosun International Limited.
5. Advised CVC on its investment in EcoVadis SAS, the world leader in business sustainability ratings for global supply chains.
6. Advised ICG on its investment in Picard, a frozen food distributor, through the portfolio company Invest Group Zouari (IGZ).
7. Advised the managers of Primonial group on the acquisition of Primonial’s shares by Latour Capital and Société Générale Assurances along with Bridgepoint.
8. Advised Webhelp, a leading provider of customer experience and business process outsourcing, on its sale to Groupe Bruxelles Lambert (GBL).
9. Advised SFR FTTH, a joint venture between Altice France and a consortium formed by Allianz Capital Partners, Axa Investment Managers and OMERS Infrastructure on the structuring aspects of the acquisition of the of Covage group.
10. Advised L-GAM Advisers on the acquisition of Amplitude Systèmes, a manufacturer of ultrafast lasers for scientific, medical and industrial applications, from a group of private equity sellers.
11. Advised Patrick Drahi’s BidFair on the acquisition of Sotheby’s.
12. Advised ICI, financial holding of Clestra management, on the corporate and structuring aspects of its 33% capital acquisition of Clestra Hauserman along with KC Green Holdings from Impala.
13. Advised Accor Invest and its management in connection with the spin-off of Accor Invest from Accor Hotel.
14. Advised Ophiliam Management on the corporate and tax structuring aspects of the sale of Funecap to Charterhouse Capital Partners as well as their reinvestment along with them.
15. Advised Daltys in the acquisition of Maxibay, an e-commerce company dedicated to coffee sales, owned by its managers, a fund managed by MBO Partenaires, three funds managed by Entrepreneur Venture Gestion and other minority shareholders.
16. Advised Altice – subsidiary of Altice Europe N.V., a multinational telecoms and cable company, on the structuring of its subsidiary dedicated to the deployment of fibre in moderately populated areas, SFR FTTH, and on the sale of a minority equity stake of 49.99% in this subsidiary for an amount of € 1.7 bil., to Allianz Capital Partners, AXA Investment Managers, and OMERS Infrastructure – Real Assets, which has officially been closed on March 27, 2019.
17. Advised the French Dutch laboratory Cooper-Vemedia on the structuring aspects of the acquisition of 12 pharmaceuticals brands from Sanofi.
18. Advised Chateauform with respect to the corporate and tax aspects of the refinancing of the group (issuance of new bonds).
19. Advised Charterhouse on a controlling share investment in the insurance broker Siaci Saint Honoré along with the Managers and Ardian Mid Cap Buy-out from Groupe Edmond de Rothschild and Ardian Mid Cap Buy-out.
20. Advised Charterhouse and Sagemcom on the refinancing of the group.
21. Advised Comexposium (owned by CCIP and Charterhouse) on the acquisition of L'Etudiant Coalition Media Group (CMG), a press magazine group and exhibition organizer for students.
22. Advised the management of Delachaux SA, a French leading company in rail infrastructure equipment and diversified industries in connection with the minority investment in Delachaux by Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ).
23. Advised Charterhouse on the sale of the group Siaci Saint Honoré to its management and teams.
24. Advised private equity fund ICG on the acquisition of Sogal, a French manufacturer of tailor-made interior design.
25. Advised the Comexposium group (held by Charterhouse) on the structuring of the full (cashless) refinancing of its external debt.
26. Advised the management of Primonial, one of the French leaders in asset management for individuals, on their minority investment in the group, in the context of the purchase of a majority shareholding by the private equity fund Bridgepoint (with Crédit Mutuel Arkéa also retaining a minority stake).
27. Advised Sagard on its acquisition of Ipackchem, a leading European company specialized in plastic packaging, from Cerea Partenaire and Bpifrance.
28. Advised the Cooper/Vemedia group (held by Charterhouse) on the structuring of the full (cashless) refinancing of its external debt drawn down in January 2016.
29. Advised Charterhouse and other investors on the structuring of their acquisition of SERB pharmaceuticals.
30. Advised Coalition Media Group on the structuring of its acquisition of the press media L’Etudiant and other BtoB related media activities from SFR.
31. Advised Eurazeo on the acquisition of sweets and chocolates manufacturer CPK (Carambar, Poulain, Krema), along with other investors, from Mondelez International.
32. Advised Groupe Stago on the structuring and financing aspects of its acquisition of an 80% stake in HemoSonics, an American point of care diagnostic centers, from founders.
33. Advised Altice NV on tax and structuring aspects of the IPO and NYSE Listing of its US affiliate Altice USA.
34. Advised the managers of Industrial Parts Holding (IPH) on their reinvestment in connection with the acquisition from PAI Partner of IPH – a leading European distributor of industrial supplies- by its competitor Brammer France, main European supplier of goods and services for maintenance and repair, controlled by Advent International.
35. Advised Altice on the progressive acquisition of SFR free float and its subsequent delisting.
36. Advised the management of Sandro Maje Claudie Pierlot (SMCP), an affordable luxury clothing manufacturer, in connection with the listing of the group on Euronext Paris.
37. Advised Quadrifolio France and Codimmo on the structuring aspects of its M€ 95 debt refinancing.
38. Advised the Webhelp Group on the structuring aspects of its M€ 635 debt refinancing.
39. Advised LBO France on its acquisition of groupe RG Safety from Abenex.
40. Advised Altice NV and SFR Group on an exchange offer for SFR shares targeting the 22.5% free-float not yet owned by Altice. The transaction values SFR at approximately 11 billion Euros.
41. Advised Comexposium on its acquisition of SIAL.
42. Advised Cooper (ultimately owned by Charterhouse Capital Partners) on its acquisition of the Vemedia Group, one of Europe’s leading producers and distributors of over the counter (OTC) drugs, food supplements and medical devices.
43. Advised Eurazeo on the creation of the Grape Hospitality group and its acquisition of 85 hotels in France and Europe from Accor and other real estate private equity funds.
44. Advised SFR Numericable on the structuring of the refinancing of its Senior debt and Notes.
45. Advised the French Telecom group Numéricable - SFR on the structuring of its acquisition of Altice Media Group France.
46. Advised the French Telecom group Numéricable - SFR on the structuring of the acquisition of Altice's stake in Next Radio TV.
47. Advised the real estate company SCI Quadrans Est – indirectly controlled by Altice founder P. Drahi - on the structuring aspects of its acquisition of office premises to be leased to Next Radio TV.
48. Advised Bridgepoint Development Capital on the sale of the French interior design and architecture studio for luxury private residences Christian Liaigre group to Navis Capital Partners and Symphony Asia.
49. Advised Quilvest, along with Bpifrance Investissement and the managers, on their acquisition of Sogetrel, a telecom networks integrator, from Equistone Partners, Idinvest partners, Ardian (Private Debt), and Capzanine.
50. Advised Altice on the acquisition of Teads.
51. Advised the shareholders of Maison Kurkdjian on an agreement between Maison Francis Kurkdjian and the LVMH group.
52. Advised Charterhouse Capital Partners on the acquisition of Sagemcom.
53. Advised Altice and SFR Group on a Public Tender Offer.
54. Advised the management of SMCP in the context of the acquisition of a majority stake by Shandong Ruyi group.
55. Advised But’s management with regard to the group’s acquisition by a consortium led by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and WM Holding.
56. Advised Altice with regard to the acquisition of Cablevision Systems Corporation.
57. Advised the management of the French fashion house Pierre Balmain with regard to the acquisition of the group by Mayhoola.
58. Advised SFR with regard to the acquisition of print media.
59. Advised Groupe News Participations on the structuring of its takeover bid for NextRadioTV.
60. Advised Charterhouse on the structuring of the acquisition of the French pharmaceutical group Cooper from the investment fund Caravelle.
61. Advised Webhelp on the structuring of the acquisition of Webhelp by the management team alongside with KKR from Charterhouse Capital Partners.
62. Advised Altice on the structuring of its $17.7 billion acquisition alongside BC Partners and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board of the US cable operator Cable Vision.
63. Advised Altice on the structuring of its $9.1 billion acquisition alongside BC Partners and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board of the US cable operator Suddenlink.
64. Advised Altice and Numericable-SFR on the structuring of the €3.9 billion purchase of the 20 percent stake held by Vivendi in Numericable-SFR.
65. Advised Altice on the structuring of its €7 billion purchase of Portugal Telecom, Portugal’s largest telecom operator, from Brazilian operator Oi.
66. Advised Altice Media Group on the structuring of its acquisition of Groupe Express Roularta, a major French press group which publications include L'Express, L'Expansion, Mieux Vivre votre Argent, Lire, Studio CinéLive, L'Étudiant and Point de Vue.
67. Advised Altice on the structuring of its strategic partnership with Alain Weil (main shareholder of the NextRadioTv group owning various radio (RMC) and TV channels (BFM TV).
68. Advised Outremer Telecom on the sale of its Réunion and Mayotte operator mobile telecoms activities to Madagascar-based Hiridjee Group.
69. Advised Charterhouse Capital Partners on the structuring of the acquisition of Comexposium, European leader in the organization of trade fairs and shows, through a partnership with the Paris Chamber of Commerce.
70. Advised LBO France on the sale of Worldwide Flight Services to Platinum Equity. WFS is the world’s largest cargo handler and a leading global provider of aviation ground handling and technical services.
71. Advised Eurazeo on the structuring of the IPO of Elis, European leader in linen and workwear rental.
72. Advised LBO France on the structuring of the purchase of IKKS, a clothing and apparel retailer.
73. Advised Oaktree Capital Management on the structuring of the purchase of Veolia’s waste management and water desalination activities in Israel.
74. Advised Parquest Capital on the acquisition of Caillau from ING Belgium.
75. Advised the founder of Groupe Rougnon (French environmental engineering services provider) and the management team in the sale of a minority stake in the group to EdRip.
76. Advised Ludendo on the structuring of the sale of the Hamleys toys group to C. Banner International Holdings.
77. Advised the founders of La Compagnie Boutique Airline, a new French business-class-only scheduled airline, with regards to the creation and structuring of the company, the fundraising and the rental of its two first aircrafts.
78. Advised Numericable on the structuring of the acquisition of SFR, France’s second-largest telecom operator (2014 — the largest and highly publicized M&A deal in Europe that year).
79. Advised Vivarte, a leading French retailer of shoes and apparel, on the restructuring of its debt (2014 — the  largest debt restructuring in Europe that year).
80. Advised Materis and Kerneos on the structuring of the sale of the latter to Astorg Partners.
81. Advised Labeyrie Fine Foods (gourmet food producer) and its shareholder LBO France with respect to the structuring of the high yield refinancing of its leveraged debt.
82. Advised the Stago Group (In Vitro Diagnosis (IVD) industry, wholly dedicated to the exploration of haemostasis and thrombosis) on the reorganization of its European activities along with the issue of debt for the financing of its activities and development.
83. Advised Funecap (funeral services provider) on the acquisition of Société des Crématoriums de France (SCF).
84. Advised LBO France on the structuring of its acquisition of the Chryso group (chemical specialist in the construction materials) from Materis.
85. Advised CVC Capital Partners on the structuring of its acquisition of the Parex group (specialist in the materials for civil engineering, infrastructure and construction) from Materis.
86. Advised Medi-Partenaires in the structuring of the acquisition of Médipôle Santé Sud (2014 — creation of the second largest French group of private hospitals).
87. Advised Elais Capital on the structuring of the acquisition of the France Elévateur Group.
88. Advised Daltys II on the structuring of the acquisition of the "Vending" activity of Coca Cola Enterprise.
89. Advised Charterhouse Capital Partners on the structuring of the IPO of Elior.
90. Advised Ludendo on the structuring of its acquisition of the Hamleys toys group.

2020

• Legal 500 EMEA, France – Tax, Laurent Borey has been ranked in the “Leading individuals” category. According to his clients and other independent sources “Laurent Borey is a tax guru recommended for his high level of creativity and communication and negotiation skills.” (2020).
• Chambers Europe, France – Tax, Laurent Borey has been ranked in the Band 1 category. According to his clients and other independent sources “Laurent Borey draws on deep experience in the sector to advise on the tax elements of complex refinancing transactions, investments and M&A transactions. His broad expertise extends to tax litigation and tax controversy matters”, His clients laud him as ‘business-oriented’ and an ‘excellent technician.’"(2020)
• Option Droit & Affaires, a leading publication in France for finance professionals, has given the Paris office a 5 star ranking for the category “Law firms in transactions taxation”, recognized partner Laurent Borey. (2020)

2019

• Legal 500 EMEA, France – Tax, Laurent Borey has been ranked in the “Leading individuals” category. He has been recognized as “Extremely creative”.
• Chambers Europe, France – Tax, Laurent Borey has been recognized by his clients and other independent sources who highly regard “his advice on the tax structuring of private equity and M&A transactions. He acted for Cooper-Vemedia on the structuring aspects of its EUR158 million acquisition of 12 pharmaceutical brands from Sanofi”. One client says: ‘He is solution-driven, smart and experienced, having done many tax structuring assignments in France on large and often complex transactions," adding: "He is a pleasure to work with, a good communicator and a trusted adviser with a strong work ethic.’ ”(2019)

2018

• Best Lawyers, a peer review guide to the legal profession has recognized Laurent Borey among "the best lawyers". (2018).
• Option Droit & Affaires, a leading publication in France for finance professionals, has recognized partner Laurent Borey and has given the Paris office a 5 star ranking for the category "Law firms in transactions taxation", a 3 star ranking for the category "Companies’ tax litigation and restructuring assistance", a 3 star ranking for the category "Transfer prices taxation". (2018)
• ITR World Tax Review has recognized Laurent Borey as “one of France's leading tax lawyers on private equity matters (fund structuring and transaction) representing private equity sponsors. He is singled out for his vast experience in the tax structuring of large, complex, cross-border M&A transactions and expertise in personal tax matters of top managers, tax audit and litigations."(2018)
• Legal 500 EMEA, France - Tax,  according to his clients and other independent sources, Laurent Borey “stands out ‘for being an incredible tax expert and a deal facilitator who knows all the aspects of a transaction’ and is ‘excellent at mastering numbers’.” (2018)
• Chambers Europe, France – Tax,according to his clients and other independent sources, Laurent Borey is a ‘solution provider and an excellent technician,’ clients also highlighted his ‘exceptional knowledge and ability to find solutions.’ Other independent sources told that “He remains a market leader in tax law thanks to his expertise in M&A and private equity transactions taxation.” (2018)

2017

• Best Lawyers, a peer review guide to the legal profession has recognized Laurent Borey among "the best lawyers". (2017).
• Décideurs, a French media and rating agency for top executives has recognized Laurent Borey as "Unavoidable" in the Private Equity category and in the Tax transaction category. (2017).
• Chambers Europe, France – Tax, according to his clients and other independent sources, “Laurent Borey focuses mostly on private equity transactions”. Clients report: “He is a very good technician and facilitator. He will understand the main points and has a holistic view on the deal. He is very good to have around on the deal. He is very creative and can think outside of the box. He understands the market trends before everyone else." (2017)
• Legal 500 EMEA, France - Tax, has recognized “Practice head Laurent Borey is top notch.” (2017)
• Magazine des Affaires, a leading legal industry publication in France has recognized Laurent Borey as the leading Tax practitioner in France (number of transactions). (2017)
• Option Droit & Affaires, a leading publication in France for finance professionals, recognizing partner Laurent Borey has given the Paris office a 5 star ranking for the category "Law firms in LBOs, of which most of the deals involves companies ranging between €50 M and €300 M", and has given the Paris office a 3 star ranking for the category "Advice to managers in LBO deals. (2017)
  

 2016

• Best Lawyers, a peer review guide to the legal profession has recognized Laurent Borey as one of the leading Tax practitioners in the world since 2010. (2016)
• Who’s Who Legal has recognized Laurent Borey : "From Mayer Brown Laurent Borey has advised and played a key role in many recent high-value international deals. He is recommended for offering a personal service and a high standard of client care". (2016).
• Chambers Europe, France – Tax, according to his clients and other independent sources, "Laurent Borey is well known for his skill in handling the tax aspects of private equity transactions". One market source notes that "he has a standout reputation when it comes to private equity firms. He is also described as "very dynamic." (2016)
• Legal 500 EMEA, France - Tax, according to his clients and other independent sources, Laurent Borey is recognized as "very creative and hardworking." (2016)
• Legal 500 Paris - Tax according to his clients and other independent sources, "L’équipe d’une dizaine d’avocats est dirigée par le très inventif Laurent Borey”(2016)
• ITR World Tax Review Laurent Borey is described by commentators as follows “A key contact at Mayer Brown is Laurent Borey who leads the tax practice at the firm's offices in Paris. He leads a team which focuses on transactional work, with a particular reference to leveraged buy-outs (LBOs) M&A transactions and transfer pricing, as well as being extremely competent to offer counsel on various tax controversy issues, including dispute resolution and litigation.” (2016)
• Décideurs, a french media and rating agency for top executives has recognized Laurent Borey as "Unavoidable" in Tax Transactions and in Tax Structuring (LBO). (2016)
  

2015

• Best Lawyers, a peer review guide to the legal profession has recognized Laurent Borey as one of the leading Tax practitioners in the world since 2010. (2015)
• Chambers Europe, France – Tax, according to his clients and other independent sources, "Laurent Borey advises both domestic and international businesses on the tax elements of a variety of transactions, including M&A, fund creation and real estate acquisitions". One interviewee described him as "the best tax practitioner in France as he is efficient, hardworking, experienced and very innovative."(2015)
• Legal 500 EMEA, France - Tax, according to his clients and other independent sources, "Practice head Laurent Borey shows « excellent strategic vision of a deal and forward-thinking". (2015)
• Legal 500 Paris - Tax according to his clients and other independent sources, « Laurent Borey, qui dirige l’activité fiscale du cabinet, est salué pour son excellente vision stratégique et ses capacités d’anticipation.» (2015)
• Option Droit & Affaires, a leading publication in France for finance professionals, recognizing partner Laurent Borey « Mayer Brown dont Laurent Borey, responsable de l’équipe, s’est imposé sur un grand nombre de dossiers de fiscalité transactionnelle.» One of his clients notes « un travail exceptionnel, une qualité parfaite, un souci constant du détail et une capacité à modéliser les décisions fiscales, qui permet de mesurer les choix faits et les enjeux. » (2015)
• Décideurs, a french media and rating agency for top executives has recognized Laurent Borey as "Excellent" in Tax Transactions and "Unavoidable" in Tax Structuring (LBO). (2015)

2014

• Best Lawyers, a peer review guide to the legal profession has recognized Laurent Borey as one of the leading Tax practitioners in the world since 2010. (2014)
• Chambers Europe, France – Tax, according to his clients and other independent sources, "Laurent Borey remains highly active and visible. His areas of focus include assisting clients with transactional work in private equity, and advising on the structuring aspects of fund creation and real estate transactions." (2014).
• Magazine des Affaires, a leading legal industry publication in France has recognized Laurent Borey as one of the leading Tax practitioners in France. (2014).
• Option Droit & Affaires (Option Finance), a leading publication in France for finance professionals has recognized Laurent Borey as "Lawyer of the Year" in France. (2014)
• Décideurs, a french media and rating agency for top executives has recognized Laurent Borey as "Excellent" in Tax Transactions and "Unavoidable" in Tax Structuring (LBO). (2014)

2013

• Best Lawyers, a peer review guide to the legal profession has recognized Laurent Borey as one of the leading Tax practitioners in the world since 2010. (2013)
• Chambers Europe, France – Tax, according to his clients and other independent sources, "Laurent Borey is described as creative, smart and always in the driving seat on deals. He is particularly noted for his expertise in private equity matters." (2013)
• Décideurs, a french media and rating agency for top executives has recognized Laurent Borey as "Unavoidable" in Tax Structuring (LBO). (2013)