Mergers & Acquisitions in Europe

The Firm’s European Mergers & Acquisitions Practice Spans Senior Teams in London, Paris and Frankfurt


In Europe, Debevoise manages complex, cross-border, public and private M&A transactions across a range of sectors and jurisdictions. The European team includes leading lawyers in London, Paris and Frankfurt, each with significant experience on multijurisdictional transactions.

The M&A Group in Europe has a long track record in a number of sectors, including private equity and insurance, where Debevoise has had long-established global practices. The practice is supported by lawyers throughout Europe, including substantial tax and finance teams, with the depth and experience to develop efficient solutions in the largest and most complex of transactions.

The European team draws upon its strength and knowledge of each jurisdiction as well as that of the global Debevoise M&A network. It operates on a collaborative and interdisciplinary basis permitting it to remain at the cutting edge of current market practice.

The firm’s historic strength in countries such as the U.S. sees the European team regularly advise on significant transactions involving buyers or sellers based there. The European team, from offices in London, Paris, Frankfurt and Luxembourg work closely with Debevoise’s international teams to advise on innovative acquisitions, including UK Takeover Code-governed acquisitions and listings on various European exchanges.

The European practice also includes lawyers who focus on emerging markets transactions, including in India, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. It regularly works with clients entering these jurisdictions for the first time, often leveraging strong relationships with local firms to put together transformational deals. For example, a team led by partners in the office advised Eutelsat Communications in its acquisition of Satélites Mexicanos, S.A. de C.V. for $1.142 billion, a deal that was awarded Deal of the Year: Latin America/Mexico by The American Lawyer.

The European team has consistently drawn praise from the major legal directories. The London, Paris, and Frankfurt offices have all been ranked as leading M&A practices.