Admitted to the Paris Bar in 2001, partner Laetitia Lemercier specialises in structured finance. She has substantial experience in real estate, project and acquisition financing transactions, as well as in debt restructuring.
She regularly advises financial institutions, borrowers and investors at all stages of the structuring or restructuring transaction, and of the drafting and negotiating of complex financing transactions.
Laetitia Lemercier co-drafted the Euro PP template loan contract. She holds a postgraduate degree in business and tax law, a Master’s degree in business law from Paris II University (Panthéon-Assas) and a Master’s degree in economy and finance from Paris IX University (Dauphine).
Laetitia Lemercier is recommended in banking and finance by international legal guides Legal 500 EMEA since 2017, IFLR1000 since 2018, and Best Lawyers in France 2019 & 2020. She is also listed as one of ILFR1000's Women Leaders in 2018 and 2019.
« Gide Loyrette Nouel is particularly active in leveraged finance, real estate finance and acquisition finance, but offers a wide-ranging portfolio of expertise that also covers capital markets and structured finance. The firm is also turning its attentions to newly emerging areas of finance with its innovation and fintech desk. A team led by Kamel Ben Salah recently advised BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, ING Bank and Natixis as arrangers on Amundi Immobilier's acquisition of the Coeur Défense office complex, while other major highlights include advising Europcar on the financing of its acquisition of Goldcar, led by Eric Cartier-Millon, and acting for BNP Paribas, CACIB, Natixis, PBB and La Banque Postale on a €480m development financing, led by Rémi Tabbagh. The team also advised ING Bank on the first green corporate loan made available to real estate investment trust Gecina. Laetitia Lemercier is also recommended, while Olivier Bernardi joined the partnership at the start of 2018. Bank of Ireland recently joined Société Générale, Lombard Odier Europe and Morgan Stanley on the firm's client roster. »
Legal 500 EMEA 2019
« Gide Loyrette Nouel ‘combines strong expertise and sector knowledge with strong execution skills’, has ‘a competent and business-oriented team’ and ‘always finds a solution’; the group is further noted for its office network outside France. Structured finance, project finance and acquisition finance are core areas of expertise, but the team also has experience in debt restructuring. The team advised HSBC France on structuring the refinancing of the public private partnership (PPP) related to the construction and maintenance of the French Ministry of Defence, involving project debt, Dailly debt and hedging agreements; and drew on its expertise in the real estate sector to act for BNP Paribas, Natixis and ING on the €550m refinancing of Parisian building complex Quadrans. In the acquisition finance space, it assisted Partners Group with the French aspects of the financing of the acquisition of the Cerba Group, and advised Europcar on its €1.5bn cross-border acquisition of Goldcar. Bank of Ireland, Natixis and Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank are other clients. The ‘efficient, discreet and proactive’ Kamel Ben Salah is ‘a very experienced lawyer in real estate financing’ and has ‘strong negotiation skills’. Ben Salah jointly leads the practice with Eric Cartier-Millon, Laetitia Lemercier and Rémi Tabbagh. Thomas Binet was promoted to the partnership in January 2018. »
Legal 500 EMEA 2018 | Banking & Finance
« The impressive Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. is ‘among the top law firms in Paris, comes first for large deals’, is ‘very professional, delivers on time, and gives good insights on the market’s latest developments’. The large 49-lawyer team serves many high-profile European listed property companies, French and international investment funds, developers, industrial operators, high end-users and lenders and is consistently involved in the market’s largest investment deals. [...] The firm is also second-to none for property finance work: the team is ‘excellent, commercial and always finds solutions’ and includes two of the market’s most well-known figures, namely the ‘efficient, discreet and commercial’ Kamel Ben Salah, who is ‘extremely well connected and has strong negotiating skills’, and Rémi Tabbagh. Laetitia Lemercier is also involved. »
Legal 500 EMEA 2018 | Real Estate
« The 57-lawyer practice has a broad range of other expertise, advising lenders, corporations and sponsors on acquisition finance, asset finance and project funding. Other highlights included assisting the senior lenders with the financing of Partners Group’s buyout of Foncia, as well as acting for FNAC on financing the acquisition of Darty. Eric Cartier-Millon is a leading figure. Also recommended are counsel Thomas Binet and recently promoted partner Laetitia Lemercier. »
Legal 500 EMEA 2017