The global law firm Jones Day has announced that Daniel Schmidt and Florence Moulin from the law firm DFi Avocats, and their associates Guillaume Cavalin and Caroline Steil, will join the Private Equity Practice in the Firm’s Paris Office on September 3, 2012.
Renowned as a leader in investment fund structuring transactions in France, this team will add to the services offered by the Paris Private Equity team, co-led by Renaud Bonnet and Charles Gavoty, itself a leader for venture capital and corporate transactions involving technology companies (whether private or public).
“Joining Jones Day, and having access to Jones Day’s extensive global resources, particularly in the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, and Asia, will allow us to expand the services we offer to our investment fund and corporate clients within a framework that brings together, in a unique manner in the French market, institutional depth and entrepreneurial spirit,” said Mr. Schmidt.
“The arrival of Daniel Schmidt and Florence Moulin’s team realizes part of the development strategy of the Paris Office and demonstrates our intention to hire the highest quality lawyers,” said Sophie Hagège, Partner-in-Charge of Jones Day’s Paris Office. “This team brings with it excellent skills and experience in the structuring of, and related services to, investment funds and will work in close coordination with our private equity, mergers and acquisitions, tax, real estate and public law teams.”
Daniel Schmidt in more than 25 years of practice has developed deep experience with respect to both the transactional and tax aspects of private equity investment funds, leveraged buyouts, venture capital transactions, equity financing (acquisitions, mergers, restructurings) and capital markets transactions (IPO, OPA, P to P). International legal guides, including Chambers Europe and Legal 500 EMEA, commonly rank him as one of the leading fund structuring lawyers in France. French industry journals Décideurs Stratégie Finance Droit and Option Droit & Affaires rank him #1 for fund structuring. Currently the Vice President of PME Finance, Mr. Schmidt was the Vice President of the Legislation and Tax Committee of the French Equity Investors Association and a member of the Tax and Legal Committee of the EVCA (European Private Equity and Venture Capital Association). Prior to co-founding the law firm DFi Avocats in 2011, he was a partner at Proskauer Rose LLP, where he led the Paris Private Equity practice. Mr. Schmidt holds D.J.C.E and D.E.S.S degrees in Business and Finance Law from Montpellier University.
Florence Moulin focuses her practice on the formation and approval of, and ongoing advice to, management companies in relation to the AMF (the French financial markets authority), and on the marketing of financial products. She also advises on the legal and tax structuring of investment vehicles, such as venture capital mutual funds (FCPRs), contractual funds, venture capital companies (SCRs), and investment holding companies; fund regulations or corporate by-laws and their commercial documentation (PPM, prospectus, etc.); negotiating with French and foreign investors; carried interest issues; auditing funds on behalf of possible investors; analyzing the eligibility of investment targets; and auditing fund ratios. She is a member of PME Finance and of the Investment Capital Committee (Commission Capital Investissement) of the French Financial Management Association (Association Française de Gestion Financière) (AFG). Before co-founding DFi Avocats, Ms. Moulin was a private equity lawyer at Proskauer Rose LLP. She holds a LLM in international business law (University of Kent, 2001) and a DEA (post-graduate degree) in business law (Paris II-Panthéon-Assas University, 2000).
Guillaume Cavalin focuses his practice on the incorporation, approval, and monitoring of investment service providers and of the conditions for performing their activity. He also concentrates on the legal and tax structuring of investment vehicles, such as venture capital mutual funds (FCPRs), venture capital companies (SCRs), and domestic and foreign investment holding companies, including the Luxembourgian SICAR and FIS. He also monitors regulatory changes discussed in Brussels, particularly draft directives impacting the financial sector at large. He received an LLM in banking, commercial and financial law (Fordham University School of Law, New York, 2007) and a post-graduate degree in business law (DEA de droit des affaires) (Rennes 1 University, 2001). He is admitted to practice by the Paris and Luxembourg Bars.
Caroline Steil advises clients in connection with the incorporation, approval, and monitoring of management companies. She also advises investment service providers in connection with their activities and their relationships with the AMF (the French financial markets authority). In addition, her practice includes the legal and tax structuring of venture capital mutual funds (FCPRs), including managed futures funds (FCPIs) and proximity investments funds (FIPs); venture capital companies (SCRs); drafting the regulations of funds and MPCs; auditing funds on behalf of possible investors; and analyzing the eligibility of investment targets. Ms. Steil was awarded a French legal diploma (CAPA) (2010), an international business attorney Master II degree (Paris-V René-Descartes University, 2008), and a dual French-Luxembourg Master’s degree in financial securities and instruments (Strasbourg University, 2006).
