The global law firm Jones Day is pleased to announce the arrival in its Paris Office of Hervé Castelnau as a partner in the Firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions Practice. Mr. Castelnau joins Jones Day from Norton Rose’s Paris office, along with counsel Thibaut Kazemi and Silvain Fock-Yee, and associate Alice Nepa. The team will work on all aspects of Corporate/M&A, with particular emphasis on technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT) and emerging technologies, in Europe and Africa.

Hervé Castelnau, 47, has advised French and international companies in their M&A transactions for more than twenty years. His experience covers all aspects of Corporate/M&A law, including in particular mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, privatizations, company restructurings, and business agreements. He has been involved in numerous international bids for telecom licenses as well as in purchase transactions for important operators such as France Telecom, Maroc Telecom, and Vodaphone. While focusing on TMTs, he also is active in the agro-food, automotive, and luxury sectors and has advised large groups, such as British American Tobacco (BAT), Emap (now Mondadori), Euralcom, ITM (Les Mousquetaires), Numericâble, the RTL group, and Televisa. 

The Chambers Europe, Legal 500 EMEA, and PLC Which lawyer? guides cite Mr. Castelnau each year as one of the best corporate lawyers in France in the TMT sector. He has an LL.M in business law from New York University and a DEA in Community and European law from University Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne. He also is a graduate of the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences-Po).

Thibaut Kazemi, 36, advises French and foreign clients in connection with their M&A, joint venture, and private equity transactions in Europe and Africa. He has significant experience representing both blue chip and emerging companies in the TMT sector. He also has experience involving companies owned or controlled by the State, and in the banking and financial sector. Admitted to the New York and Paris bars, Mr. Kazemi has a DEA and a Magistère DJCE-DESS from University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas and an LL.M. in corporation law from New York University School of Law.

Silvain Fock-Yee, 34, focuses on business law with an emphasis on mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures, restructurings, and commercial transactions. He advises companies, strategic investors, and investment funds in connection with their purchases and strategic joint ventures in France and abroad, particularly in Francophone Africa. He regularly advises companies in the IT, telecom, mining, and banking and finance sectors. Admitted to the New York and Paris bars, Mr. Fock-Yee holds a Magistère DJCE-DESS from University Paris II – Panthéon-Assas, a DEA from University Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne, and an LL.M. from the University of Chicago Law School. 

Alice Nepa, 26, advises French and international clients in connection with their M&A, capital markets, private equity, and restructuring transactions. Admitted to the Paris Bar, Ms. Nepa holds a Master I in law from Queen’s University of Belfast, a Master II in private law from University of Rennes I, and a Master II in business law from University Paris V Descartes.

“The arrival of Hervé Castelnau and his team is a successful step forward in our Paris Office growth strategy,” said Sophie Hagège, Partner-in-Charge of Jones Day Paris. “These talented and experienced lawyers will add to our knowledge base in the dynamic telecoms, media, IT, and new technologies sectors for clients operating both in Europe and in Africa, a continent on which Jones Day’s presence is steadily increasing.”