Simon Lange is a partner in the Paris office of Latham & Watkins.
Simon specializes in mergers & acquisitions and private equity, with particular expertise in LBOs and venture capital transactions in a full spectrum of industries. He also has particular expertise in strategic joint ventures, on behalf of listed and unlisted companies. In his role, Simon advises leading private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies, financial investors, sovereign wealth funds, venture capital firms, and industrial companies.
Recognition
Simon is recognized for Private Equity: LBO in the 2024 edition of The Legal 500 EMEA.
Experience
Simon's experience includes advising:
LBOs
One Rock Capital Partners, LLC (One Rock) on entering into an exclusive agreement relating to the planned acquisition of Europe Snacks, a leading private label manufacturer of savory snacks for the European market
PSG Equity, a leading growth equity firm partnering with software and technology-enabled services companies, on its acquisition of Diapason, a high-profile French provider of treasury and risk management software for large and mid-sized companies
Summit Partners, a global alternative investment firm, on its majority growth investment in Doctrine, a leading provider of legal intelligence solutions
Astorg in:
The signing of a binding agreement with Alpha Private Equity whereby Astorg will acquire IPCOM, a pan-European leading B2B specialty distributor of technical and building insulation products
Its binding agreement to acquire CordenPharma, a leading pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organization, from International Chemical Investors Group (ICIG), a privately owned industrial group
Its acquisition of Corialis from CVC Capital Partners Fund VI
Its acquisition of Nemera from Montagu
Bridgepoint in the:
Proposed public tender offer for Esker
Acquisition of LumApps
Acquisition of Nexity SA’s residential property management services business
Sale of eFront, the world’s leading end-to-end alternative investment management software and solutions provider, to BlackRock
Acquisition of the Spartfin Group, specialists in debt consolidation, insurance, and mortgage brokerage, with an option for Bridgepoint to contribute to the new structure one division (Empruntis) of its portfolio company Kereis (former CEP)
Ardian in the sale of its majority stake in Unither Pharmaceuticals (Unither), a global leader in the development and manufacturing of sterile unit-doses
KKR in its acquisition of a controlling interest in French hospital operator Elsan alongside CVC, Téthys, Ardian, and other French institutional investors
KKR and the founders of Webhelp, one of the world’s leading providers of customer experience and business process outsourcing (BPO) in the €2.4 billion sale of the company to Groupe Bruxelles Lambert
Ardian Expansion, a world-leading private investment house, in its acquisition of Syclef from Latour Capital
Permira in its minority investment in New Immo Group
Platinum Equity in its acquisition of Biscuit International from Qualium Investissement
The founders and TA Associates in the investment of Antin Infrastructure Partners in Babilou, a leading private network of daycare facilities and Early Years Education in Europe
Private M&A
Tradesy, a pioneer in the US second-hand fashion industry, in its acquisition by Vestiaire Collective
Biscuit International, a portfolio company of Platinum Equity, in its acquisition of Netherlands-based Continental Bakeries from Goldman Sachs Asset Management
Elsan Group, a portfolio company of KKR, in its acquisition of Groupe C2S, a France-based company operating private clinics
Albéa in the contemplated sale of its dispensing business to Silgan, supplier of rigid packaging for consumer goods products
Burger King in its sale of Quick, one of the leading burger fast food chains
Fraikin in its acquisition of VIA Location, a long-term truck rental company
Public M&A
Calliditas in its acquisition of a controlling interest in Genkyotex, a leader in NOX inhibition therapies, followed by a public tender offer
TechnipFMC in the planned spin-off transaction to separate into two industry-leading, independent, publicly traded companies
Venture Capital
Astorg Philanthropy Investments (API) in the €11 million Series A funding round of InHeart, a France-based medical device company delivering the world’s most advanced, AI-driven digital twin of the heart
General Catalyst in the €385 million Series A and €595 milllion Series B funding rounds of Mistral AI, a French startup specializing in generative artificial intelligence
Leonard Green & Partners in the €64 million Series B funding round of TreeFrog Therapeutics
Vitruvian in the €60 million Series B funding round of Singulart
Qualifications
Bar Qualification
Avocat (Paris)
Education
Postgraduate Law Degree Banking and Finance, University of Paris II (Panthéon-Assas), 2011
Postgraduate Degree Business Tax Law, University of Paris II (Panthéon-Assas), 2010
Master in Corporate Law, University of Paris II (Panthéon-Assas), 2009
Bachelor Degree in Law, University of Paris II (Panthéon-Assas), 2008
Firm honored by Law360 for advising startups, financial institutions, VCs, digital asset and Web3 participants, and corporations on their most innovative and complex transactions, investigations, litigation, and regulatory matters.
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