Alexandre Balat
Biography
Overview
Alexandre Balat is an associate in the EMEA private equity team of our Global Mergers & Acquisitions practice at White & Case.
Fluent in French and English, Alexandre is at ease navigating both domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, as well as private equity and venture capital matters, on behalf of multinational clients, including investment funds, investment banks, entrepreneurs, industrials, listed and non-listed companies.
Alexandre has worked on a number of transactions including Private Equity transactions (e.g. the takeover by funds managed by Partners Group of Foncia group*, the takeover by funds managed by Astorg and Montagu of Nemera group*, the takeover by funds managed by Silverfleet of Coventya group* and the sale by Eurazeo of Asmodée group to funds managed by PAI Partners*). He has also worked on several M&A transactions (e.g. the investment of Comcast – NBC Universal in Euronews share capital).
Alexandre joined the Firm in October 2019 from an international law firm in Paris, where he was an associate in the M&A-Private Equity Group.
*Transactions worked on previous to joining White & Case
Experience
Geopost SA (2023)
Representation of Geopost SA, Europe's largest parcel delivery network and a subsidiary of La Poste Group, on the sale of its delivery platform Stuart (SRT Group) to the international investment fund Mutares.
Covage Infra (2023)
Representation of Covage Infra, part of the Altitude Group, on setting up a medium-term loan and liquidity line for a total amount of €156 million with NORD/LB, a German bank already a partner in the financing of Altitude Group's fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) infrastructure.
Altitude Group (2021-2023)
Representation of Altitude Group, France's leading independent fibre operator:
- on its acquisition of infrastructure fund Quaero Capital's stake in the two major fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) concessions of the Grand Est region: Rosace Fibre and Losange Fibre.
- on its acquisition of infrastructure fund Marguerite's stake in three major French FTTH concessions: Losange (Grand Est region), Rosace (Alsace) and Fibre 31 (Haute Garonne).
- on its acquisition from Covage, a wholesale fibre operator in France, of 26 public and private fibre networks.
Cathay Capital Private Equity (2022)
Representation of Cathay Capital Private Equity on the acquisition of a significant stake in the independent French video game developer Shiro Games.
Cube Infrastructure Managers (Cube) (2022)
Representation of Cube Infrastructure Managers (Cube), a leading European mid-market infrastructure investor, on the acquisition through its Cube Infrastructure Fund III of Trail's majority stake in leading pure-play French municipal waste collection operator Sepur, in partnership with its founder Hervé Matuszewski who will remain a minority shareholder alongside Cube.
EPSA (2022)
Representation of EPSA, a French consulting firm, and its main shareholders on a joint minority investment from TowerBrook Capital Partners L.P., RAISE Investissement and CAPZA Expansion.
Liberty Global (2021)
Representation Liberty Global, one of the world's leading converged video, broadband and mobile communications companies, on the signing of an agreement with iliad for the sale of 100% of the share capital in Polish cable operator UPC Poland to iliad's Polish mobile subsidiary Play for an enterprise value of $1.8 billion.
Altitude Infrastructure THD (2020)
Representation of Altitude Infrastructure THD and its sole shareholder, Altitude Infrastructure Holding, in connection with the investment of an US pension fund represented by UBS Asset Management in Altitude Infrastructure THD's capital and issuance of junior debt for a total amount of €500 million.
DRT and Ardian (2020)
Representation of DRT ("Les Dérivés Résiniques et Terpéniques"), a world leader in plant-based chemistry, mainly from pine trees, and one of the leading suppliers globally of high quality, renewable ingredients and its majority shareholer Ardian, in connection with Firmenich's exclusive agreement to acquire DRT from Ardian, Tikehau Capital and family shareholders.
Play Communications (2020)
Representation of Play Communications SA, the leading mobile network operator in Poland, and Kenboune Invest II SARL and Tollerton Investments Limited (affiliates of Novator Partners LLP and Olympia Group S.A., respectively) on the all cash tender offer by ILIAD SA, the French telecoms group, for all shares in Play.
Pernod Ricard (2020)
Representation of Pernod Ricard México, S.A. de C.V., a Mexican subsidiary of Pernod-Ricard SA, a multinational company dedicated to the manufacturing, distribution and sale of alcoholic beverages and spirits, on its acquisition and investment of 40% of the capital stock in Mezcal Ojo de Tigre, S.A.P.I. de C.V., a Mexican entity dedicated to the manufacturing, distribution and sale of the mezcal brand "Ojo de Tigre", and a subsidiary of Casa Lumbre, S.A.P.I. de C.V.
Zadig & Voltaire (2020)
Representation of Zadig & Voltaire in connection with the sale by TA Associates to Peninsula Holding of 30% of the share capital and voting rights.
Altitude (2020)
Representation of Altitude in connection with its offer on Covage.
