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.

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

  • Refinancings
  • Leveraged finance
  • Workouts

Mr. Dechmann's experience includes representing:

  • Bridgepoint in connection with the:
    • 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