Denis Criton is a partner in the Paris office of Latham & Watkins. He specializes in mergers and acquisitions, with particular expertise in leveraged acquisitions (LBOs). Denis has considerable experience representing private equity institutions in acquisitions, disposals, and restructurings. For more than 18 years, he has been representing French and foreign investors in strategic transactions and joint ventures.

Denis was the Global Chair of the Knowledge Management Committee for four years.

Prior to joining Latham, Denis worked in the London and Paris offices of several leading law firms.

Recognition

Denis is recognized as a Leading Individual. Chambers Europe 2022

Recognized as a key contact for leveraged buy-outs. The Legal 500 EMEA 2021 

Ranked as a top M&A lawyer in France. MergerLinks 2021

One impressed source says: "Mr. Criton is able to adjust to his clients, he goes beyond legal support and gives us the right advice.” Chambers Europe 2020

He has a reputation for being clearly the best among the younger generation of private equity lawyers. The Legal 500 EMEA 2019

Regularly assists private equity firms and asset managers with LBOs and boasts strength in both the life sciences and cosmetics spaces. Chambers Europe 2019

Denis' experience includes advising:

  • Albea in the sale of its Innovative Beauty Group (IBG) division
  • PAI Partners in:
    • its majority investment in ECF Group
    • its acquisition of Albéa, the world leader in beauty and personal care packaging
  • SK Capital Partners in the acquisition of Saint-Gobain’s crystals business
  • BC Partners, a leading international investment firm, in:
    • Its exclusive negotiations to acquire a majority stake in Havea, the French leader in natural healthcare serving the European market
    • The sale of the Antelliq Group, a France-based developer of digital animal identification, traceability and monitoring solutions to Merck for €3.25 billion
    • The acquisition of the Consolis Group, a France-based industrial group specialized in the design and manufacture of high-performance per-cast concrete products
  • Bain Capital Private Equity in:
    • Its acquisition of a 55% stake in House of HR, a European leader in HR services
    • Its negotiations to sell Parts Holding Europe (“PHE”), a leading European digitally-enabled automotive parts distributor, to the D’Ieteren Group, a family-controlled listed investment firm with deep expertise in the automotive services sector
  • OpenWeb in connection with its US$100 million acquisition of ADYOULIKE, a France-based global player in native advertising
  • SK Capital in its acquisition of SEQENS
  • Sagard in its acquisition of Ginger, the French leader in prescription engineering
  • Albéa in the contemplated sale of its dispensing business to Silgan, supplier of rigid packaging for consumer goods products
  • ICG in the sale of a majority take in Gerflor, manufacturer and marketer of vinyl flooring solutions and wall finishes for resilient floors and wall coverings, to Cobepa
  • Mobivia on the acquisition together with Renault of Exadis, a distributor-stockist of multi-brand automotive parts
  • Intermediate Capital Group in the sale of the Stella Group, a France-based manufacturer of custom-made curtains, roller shutters, gates and sectional doors, to PAI Partners
  • Natixis in the sale of Axeltis, the distribution platform for investment funds, to MFEX
  • Mobivia in the acquisition by Michelin of a minority stake of A.T.U., a Germany-based automotive services provider
  • KKR in the acquisition of Hyperion, a manufacturer of industrial tool components
  • Antelliq, formerly Allflex, in the acquisition of SCR Engineers, an Israel-based manufacturer of monitoring technologies for farm management
  • CDPQ in the acquisition of a significant minority stake in the Sebia group, the in-vitro diagnostics protein testing busines
  • Mobivia in the acquisition of A.T.U, the German automotive services market leader

Bar Qualification

  • Avocat (Paris)

Education

  • DESS, University of Toulouse, 1998
  • Postgraduate Degree Business Law (DJCE), University of Toulouse I (Capitole), 1998
  • Graduate Degree Business Law, University of Toulouse, 1997

Languages Spoken

  • English
  • French