Thomas Le Vert

Partner, Paris

Biography

Overview

Thomas Le Vert advises issuers, shareholders and banks on initial public offerings (incl. SPACs listings), equity (rights issues, ABBs), equity-linked (convertible/exchangeable bonds) and debt issues, including liability management transactions.

Recognized as a leading practitioner by top professional guides, Thomas advised in the recent years on most of the major initial public offerings on the French market, either as issuer's or underwriters' counsel. Over the last two years, Thomas advised on the two largest IPOs on the French market (Verallia, as issuer's counsel, and Française des Jeux, as underwriters' counsel). He also advised on all SPACs ever listed in France since 2016, including Accor Acquisition Company, the first-ever Corporate SPAC listed in Europe.

Prior to joining White & Case, Thomas practiced in the Paris offices of UK law firms for more than ten years.

Bars and Courts
Paris
Education
Postgraduate Degree, Magistère in Financial Law
University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne
Postgraduate Degree (DEA), Business and Financial Law
University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne
Languages
French
English

Experience

IPOs
Pluxee (2024, €4bn, spin-off), Planisware (2023, €272m), euroAPI (2022, €1.1bn, spin-off), Icade Santé (2021, €800m), OVHCloud (2021, €400m), Antin Infrastructure Partners (2021, €550m), I2PO (2021, €215m, SPAC), DEE Tech (2021, €165m, SPAC), Aramis Group (2021, €446m), Transition (2021, €200m, SPAC), Believe (2021, €300m), Accor Acquisition Company (2021, €300m, SPAC), Technip Energies (2021, €2.2bn, spin-off), 2MX Organic (2020, €300m, SPAC), Française des Jeux (2019, €1.8bn), Verallia (2019, €978m), Delachaux (2018, €445m), SMCP (2017, €623m), Carmila (2017, €632m), Maisons du Monde (2016, €380m), Kaufman & Broad (2016, €282m, re-IPO), Mediawan (2016, €250m – first ever listing of a French SPAC), Showroomprivé.com (2015, €260m), SPIE (2015, €1bn), Europcar (2015, €897m), Elis (2015, €750m), Elior (2014, €955m), Coface (2014, €957m), Numericable (2013, €750m).

Rights issues/Capital increases
Sartorius Stedim (2024, €1.2bn), Mersen (2023, €150m), Neoen (2023, €750m), ALD (2022, €1.2bn), Air France-KLM (2021, €1bn), Neoen (2021, €600m), Alstom (2020, €2bn), Korian (2020, €400m), Eurofins (2020, €535m; 2017, €300m; 2016, €292m), SES Imagotag (2019, €35m), Showroomprivé.com (2018, €40m), Altran (2018, €750m), Direct Energie (2017, €130m), Europcar (2017, €175m), Suez (2017, €750m), Elis (2017, €325m), Vallourec (2016, €480m), CGG (2016, €350m), Capgemini (2015, €506m), Arkema (2014, €350m), Numericable (2014, €4.7bn – the largest rights issue in France for the five last years), Peugeot (2014, €3bn), Nexans (2013, €284m), CGG Veritas (2012, €414m), GL Events (2012, €73m), Michelin (2010, €1.2bn), AXA (2009, €2bn), Saft Groupe (2009, €120m).

Block trades
Peugeot Invest/LISI (2024, €40m), BOE / SES imagotag (2022, €168m), Renault / Daimler (2021, €1.4bn), Compagnie de Saint Gobain/Sika (2020, €2.4bn), GIMD/Biomerieux (2020, €50m), JCMarian/Orpea (2020, €456m), FFP/DKSH (2019, CHF 212m), Vivendi/Ubisoft (2018, €1.3bn), CFER / Derichebourg (2018, €132m), BFCM / Eiffage-Safran (2017, €520m), Groupama/OTP Bank (2017, €208m), Ecofin / Direct Energie (2016, €42m), Airbus Group / Dassault Aviation (2016, €783m; 2015, €1.6 bn), Charterhouse / Elior (2015, €255m), JCDecaux SA / JCDecaux Holding (2015, €380m), Groupama / Veolia (2015, €485m), Groupama / Mediobanca (2015, €333m), Groupama/Saint-Gobain (2014, €450m), Lagardère/EADS (2013, €2.3bn), Groupe Bruxelles Lambert / Pernod Ricard (2012, €499m), Air France-KLM / Amadeus (2012, €467m), Michelin / Hankook (2011, €405m).

Convertible/Exchangeable Bonds
Orpar/Remy Cointreau (2024, €200m), SPIE (2023, €400m), Ubisoft (2022, €470m), Voltalia (2021, €200m), Electricité de France (2020, €2.4bn), Schneider Electric (2020, €650M), Neoen (2020, €170m), Air France – KLM (2019, €500m), SOITEC (2018, €150m), Michelin (2018, U.S.$600m), Maisons du Monde (2017, €200m), Elis (2017, €400m), Korian (2017, €240m), Orpar (2017, €200m), Michelin (2017, U.S.$500m), Seb (2016, €150m), Rallye/Casino (2016, €200m), Crédit Agricole SA/Eurazeo (2016, €308m ; 2013, €338m), Airbus/Dassault (2016, €1bn), Orpar / Rémy Cointreau (2015, €170m), Suez (2014, €350m), Alcatel-Lucent (2013, €630m), Air France-KLM (2013, €550m), Nexans (2012, €275m), CGG Veritas (2011, €360m), Chargeurs (2010, €23m).

Bonds issues
Praemia Healthcare (2023, €500m), Coface (2022, €300m), Verallia (2021, €500m), Icade (2021, €600m), Air France-KLM (2020, €750m), Icade Santé (2019, €500m), FFP (2019, €300m), SPIE (2019, €600m), Michelin (2018, €2.5bn), Elis (2018, €1bn), Icade (2017, €600m), Kaufman & Broad (2017, €150m), SPIE (2017, €600m), SES Imagotag (2017, €40m), Wendel (2016, €300m), Michelin (2016, €93m and 2015, €800m), Tereos (2016, €600m), Frey (2014, €25m and €11.2m), Société Générale (2014, JPY72bn), Alstom (2013, €500m), Tereos (2013, €500m), AXA (2013, €2bn), Engie (2010, €1bn), Rémy Cointreau (2010, €200m).

Liability management (tender/exchange offers)
Coface (2022, €380m), Air France-KLM (2018, €600m), Icade (2018, €200m), Wendel (2016, €400m), CGG (2015, €360m), Société Générale (2012, €1.3bn), BPCE (2012, €2.9bn), Crédit Agricole (2012, €2.1bn and U.S.$ 1.5bn), Air France (2011, €383m), Dexia MA (2010, €14.5bn), France Telecom (2010, €1bn), Veolia (2010, €1bn).

Awards and Recognition

Leading Lawyer (Band 1): Capital Markets – France, Chambers Global 2023

Leading Lawyer (Leading Individual): Capital Markets – France, The Legal 500 2023

Leading Lawyer: Capital Markets – France, IFLR 1000 2023