MIFID, compliance, dematerialisation, Basel II, deregulation, disintermediation, removal of barriers: the financial sector is undergoing rapid and profound transformation. Banking and insurance businesses are changing to adapt to their new economic and regulatory environment. Thrown into the spotlight on the world economic stage, banks and other financial institutions, increasingly exposed to fierce competition, must increasingly rely on adaptability and foresight; support from experts on the legal and tax aspects of their business is essential to their ongoing development. 

 

Our Practice Areas

CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre’s lawyers handle all types of funds. They provide advice to French and European funds (including coordinated funds) and hedge funds in all aspects of their activities:

 

• launch and support for the creation of French Funds – whether open-ended or closed-ended investment vehicles (FCPR, Standard ARIA, ARIA EL, contractual, FCPI, SPPICAV, SICAF) and funds located or not in EEA countries (particularly Irish, Luxembourg, Cayman Island and Swiss funds)
• assistance to funds on investment constraints and strategies: for example, issues related to capital markets requirements, mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, whether relating to private equity or real estate funds
• structuring asset classes
• assistance with listing foreign ETFs in France
• structuring alternative management platforms and plug and play funds (global delegation)
• cross-border private equity structuring (Cayman, Ireland, Luxembourg, Switzerland)
• in/out passporting for coordinated UCITS
• introduction and marketing of European and foreign funds in France (coordinated UCITS and uncoordinated UCITS)
• litigation concerning investment operations, damages claims with respect to asset management liability in disciplinary and civil matters

In all of these areas, our team works closely with the teams of tax specialists of CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre.

 

Our approach

• Synergy of expertise: we call upon the expertise in the firm, notably our tax specialists, to ensure that the matters to which we are entrusted are dealt with in the best possible manner and that every transaction is fully covered including the banking and finance regulatory aspects.
• Ability to deal with complex issues: our team works on innovative cross-border transactions along with our CMS network partners as necessary.
• Innovative, customised solutions: attentive to our clients, we respond in the best possible way to their present and future needs.