Lionel Dechmann, Regional Chair of the firm's Finance Department in Europe and partner in the Finance Department of the Paris office of Latham & Watkins, advises clients on acquisition finance, corporate finance, refinancing, and debt restructuring.

Lionel draws on extensive experience to guide financial institutions, investment funds, and large industrial groups on all aspects of:

  • Refinancings
  • Leveraged finance
  • Workouts

Lionel's experience includes representing:

  • Bridgepoint in connection with the:
    • Proposed public tender offer for Esker
    • Acquisition of LumApps
    • Syndicated cov-lite financing relating to the acquisition of Kereis
    • Financing of the acquisition of Medipartenaires and Medipole Sud Santé
    • Financing of the acquisition of HTL Biotechnology
    • Financing of the acquisition of Spartfin (Empruntis)
    • Financing of the acquisition of Evoriel (Nexity Service)
  • The steering committee of:
    • Term loan B lenders in relation to the signing of the lock-up agreement and related restructuring of the Casino group, a French leading food retailing group, with a turnover of more than €30 billion and more than 200,000 employees worldwide
    • Term loan B lenders in connection with the restructuring of Parkeon
    • €1.4 billion TLB lenders in the €8 billion financial restructuring (including a c. €5 billion of debt-to-equity swap on a listed company and €1.2 billion of new money injection) of the Casino group
  • Astorg in connection with the:
    • Syndicated cov-lite financing relating to the acquisition of Solina, and additional facility raised for financing the acquisition of the Saratoga business
    • Syndicated cov-lite financing relating to the acquisition of Nemera
  • The MLAs in connection with the:
    • Bank/bond refinancing of the existing debt of Biogroup with a €1,450 million TLB, €800 million Senior Secured Notes and €250 million Senior Notes (i.e., €2,500 million total financing), and further implementation of Incremental Facilities and of tap SSNs
    • SSRCF/SSNs financing of the acquisition of THOM Group by Goldstory (controlled by Altamir)
    • Syndicated cov-lite financing relating to the acquisition of Trescal by OMERS
    • SSRCF/SSN financing of the acquisition of SMCP by Shandong Ruyi alongside KKR
    • Debt refinancing of InfoVista controlled by Apax and simultaneous acquisition of US group Empirix alongide reinvestment of Toma Bravo
    • Syndicated cov-lite refinancing of the existing debt of TSG
    • Bank/bond refinancing of the existing debt of House of HR, with pari passu cov-lite TLB/RCF/SSN issuance
    • Refinancing of the existing debt of Groupe Inseec held by Seven 2
    • Refinancing of the existing debt of Marlink held by Seven 2
  • CACIB, Goldman Sachs, Natixis, and Nomura in connection with the syndicated cov-lite financing relating to the acquisition and then debt refinancing of Ceva
  • Ardian in connection with the:
    • Syndicated cov-lite financing relating to the acquisition and then debt refinancing of Grand Frais
    • Financing of the acquisition of Groupe Inula
    • Financing of the acquisition of Laboratoires Anios
    • Financing of the acquisition of Staci
  • Bain Capital in connection with the SSRCF/SSN financing of the acquisition of the furniture and decoration brand Maisons du Monde
  • EQT in connection with the:
    • Syndicated cov-lite financing relating to the acquisition of Colisée
    • Bank/bond financing relating to the investment by a group of investors including EQT and PSP Investments, in Cerba HealthCare
  • TA Associates in connection with the:
    • Financing of the acquisition of a majority growth investment in DL Software
    • Financing of the acquisition of Odéalim by an investment vehicle co-controlled by TA Associates and Ardian
    • Financing of the acquisition of Valoria
    • Financing of the acquisition of Solabia
  • ICG in connection with the syndicated cov-lite financing relating to the acquisition of Domus VI
  • Mediawan in connection with the refinancing of the existing financial indebtedness of the group
  • BC Partners in connection with the SSRCF/SSNs financing of the acquisition of iQuera
  • Laboratoire Juvisé Pharmaceuticals in connection with the financing of the purchase price regarding the acquisition of the worldwide commercial rights of a medicine and refinancing of the existing debt
  • Marathon Asset Management in connection with the refinancing and anticipated reimbursement of Foraco International SA’s existing debt
  • The creditors on the debt and equity restructuring of the French-headquartered trucks leasing business, Fraikin Group, and representing Fraikin Group and its shareholders in the post-restructuring merger between Fraikin and Via Location

Bar Qualification

  • Avocat (Paris)

Education

  • Postgraduate Degree Contracts and Property Law (DEA), University of Paris I (Pantheon-Sorbonne), 2004
  • MBA, HEC Paris, 2003
  • Postgraduate Degree Business and Tax Law (DESS), University of Paris I (Pantheon-Sorbonne), 2003

Languages Spoken

  • French
  • English

Practices