Since its creation, Simon Associés has focused on the banking and financial sector by advising banks or borrowers very early on. Thus, at the time of the real estate crisis of the 1990s, Simon Associés advised a well-known bank dedicated to this sector of activity for several years.
Simon Associés’ activity has since diversified in order to be a multidisciplinary firm able to meet all its clients’ needs.
The Structured Finance department advises French and international companies, listed and unlisted, in the context of their structured finance operations, whether bank or bond, in France and internationally, investment funds or financial institutions (banks, debt funds) from the debt structuring phase, during the implementation of financing operations, refinancing, during the renegotiation of existing financing documentation (waivers, amendments, rescheduling, etc. ), the setting up of associated securities, the financing aspects of M&A transactions, private equity/LBOs, real estate transactions, turnaround transactions or the financing of infrastructure projects (car parks, waste management, public service contracts/drinking water supply concessions, airports, public buildings, etc.) or renewable energy projects (solar, wind, hydroelectricity, heat networks, etc.).
The Structured Finance Department works closely with the Firm’s other practices (M&A, corporate, restructuring, real estate, public law, international, compliance/regulatory, insurance, etc. The Structured Finance Department works closely with the firm’s other practices (M&A, corporate, restructuring, real estate, public law, international law, compliance/regulatory, insurance, etc.) in a variety of sectors such as: energy, franchising, industry, real estate, construction, development, services, medical and healthcare, networks, internet and IT, data, hospitality, advertising, banking, luxury goods, pharmaceuticals, insurance, metal, healthcare, publishing, etc.
The financing practice is varied and includes corporate and acquisition finance, private equity/leveraged buyout finance, REIT/infrastructure project finance, real estate finance and the financing aspects of restructuring transactions.
The team is led by Christelle Salmon-Lataste, a partner with more than 15 years of experience in finance after nearly eight years in the Banking and Finance team at Herbert Smith Freehills Paris LLP.
Corporate and acquisition financing
- Audit of financing documents in the context of an acquisition, a takeover, a sale of a stake, the conclusion of a joint venture
- Structuring the financing: drafting and negotiating the financing term sheet and mandate letter
- Acquisition financing: bank loan agreements, bridge to acquisition, bridge to bonds, bond issues
- Setting up vanilla syndicated loans (RCF, including CSR criteria where applicable) or structured loans (loans and attached securities, loans made available in the form of guarantees, etc.)
- Refinancing operations and implementation of associated securities
- Setting up EuroPP
- French aspects of high yield bond financing and setting up the associated securities
- Setting up external or internal cash pooling contracts and relations with the bank
- Management of loans or bond issues: amendments, waivers, assistance in the context of M&A operations (mergers, TUP, reorganisation, JV, etc.) and associated securities, management of relations between creditors
Financing of private equity transactions
- High and low balance sheet financing
- Setting up unitranche bond issues
- LBO financing (senior debt, mezzanine debt, junior debt) and setting up the associated securities
- Management of inter-creditor relations
Infrastructure project finance
- Development and construction financing of projects (RE, Infrastructure, Concessions/DSPs, PPP) and related security arrangements
- Refinancing of existing portfolios (HoldCo / SPVs structure) and debt and setting up the related securities
- Audit of financing and project contracts (due diligence)
- Setting up hedging transactions and related security interests
- Setting up and review of participatory financing (simple bonds or OCA)
Real estate financing
- Setting up real estate financing, in particular Opco / PropCo structures or in the context of acquisitions
- Refinancing of existing debts and setting up the associated securities (excluding notarised securities)
Financing aspects of restructuring operations
- Audit of financing agreements (including inter-creditor relationships) and security documents
- Drafting and negotiation of amendments to existing loan agreements or bond issue agreements
- Setting up financing in the context of cash injections: new money or post money
- Setting up associated securities (security trusts, property securities, etc.).
Simon Associés advises :
- Listed and non-listed companies, Sponsors
- Investment funds
- Financial institutions, debt funds
- Other categories of creditors / financiers
Simon Associés has several partners who are members of ARE, de l’IFPPC, de Prévention et Retournement and AARO, associations and organisations which are the reference in France in the field of distressed companies and turnarounds.
