Rémi Tabbagh is a partner in the Gide Banking & Finance practice group in Paris. He specialises in structured finance, particularly in real estate structured finance transactions. He advises clients (mainly French and foreign credit institutions, insurance companies and investment funds) on structuring, drafting, negotiating and restructuring complex debt transactions.

Rémi Tabbagh has broad experience in all types of assets and real estate structured finance transactions, including acquisition financings, construction and development financings, portfolio and pan-European financings, SIIC and REITs financings, Shariah-compliant financings, real estate financings to be refinanced through the issue of Pfandbriefe, mezzanine financings, restructuring of real estate structured debts, transfer of real estate debts portfolio, and financings of sale & lease-back transactions.

Rémi Tabbagh has recently acted for French and EU credit institutions in major real estate finance transactions:

• Financing of the Tour First acquired by institutional investors represented by AXA REIM from Beacon Capital Partners (April 2016);
• Refinancing of the Gecimed portfolio of assets in the health sector for a total amount of EUR 1 billion (March 2016);
• Refinancing of the Four Seasons George V hotel in Paris (November 2015);
• Financing of the acquisition of the InterContinental Grand Hôtel by the Constellation Group from InterContinental Group Hotels (November 2015);
• Refinancing of the Paris Bourse building held by Tishman Speyer (November 2015);
• Refinancing of the French, Dutch, English and Polish budget hotels owned by Groupe du Louvre (affiliate of the Starwood Funds) (July 2011 - EUR 650m);
• Refinancing of the Logistis investment funds managed by AEW Europe (Dec. 2011 - EUR 450m);
• Restructuring of Islamic real estate financings through a trust scheme (2012 - EUR 150m).

Rémi Tabbagh is regularly ranked as a leading expert in banking and finance by the various international legal directories, such as Chambers, Legal 500, IFLR1000 and Best Lawyers in France. He also coordinates the activities of the firm's Scientific Council.

« Rémi Tabbagh is "a smooth operator," according to one market commentator. He is widely renowned for his advice on high-stakes real estate financings and refinancings, including those pertaining to hotels. »
Chambers Europe 2021

« Rémi Tabbagh is adept at handling real estate finance, notably on the lender side. Sources appreciate the quality of his work and add that 'he has great relations with clients in general, always trying to find alternative solutions, and he doesn't count the time he spends on files.' »
Chambers Global 2018

« 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

« 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

« 'Best in class', Gide Loyrette Nouel has ‘in-depth knowledge and ability to react quickly on any competitive bid or process’ in property finance. The practice advises banks on the market’s largest transactions and assisted BNP Paribas and CACIB with the €410m financing of the acquisition of Tour First in La Défense. Rémi Tabbagh ranks among the market’s top advisers in the sector, along with the ‘extremely well-known’ Kamel Ben Salah. »
Legal 500 EMEA 2017

« Sources appreciate Rémi Tabbagh for his 'excellent capacity to anticipate problems.' His principal area of expertise is structured finance, with a particular focus on real estate transactions. »
Chambers Global 2017

« Rémi Tabbagh focuses on the financial aspects of real estate, including real estate structured finance. He assists clients with the drafting, negotiation and restructuring of sophisticated transactions. »
Chambers Europe 2017

« The 'imaginative and proactive' Rémi Tabbagh is experienced in structured finance, with particular expertise in real estate finance. Clients praise him for his knowledge of the economic aspects of deals. »
Chambers Europe 2016

« Gide has ‘very strong expertise and knowledge in the property and hotel fields’. The practice assisted CACIB with the financing of Blackstone’s acquisition of the Concorde Saint-Lazare Hotel. The highly experienced Kamel Ben Salah and Rémi Tabbagh are the main contacts, in the 56-lawyer team, which is known for its ‘efficient advice and swift execution’ of corporate and acquisition financing deals. »
Legal 500 EMEA 2015