Thomas Le Vert

Partner, Paris

Biography

Overview

Thomas Le Vert is the Head of the Capital Markets group in Paris and advises issuers, shareholders and banks on initial public offerings (incl. spin-offs and SPACs listings), equity (rights issues, ABBs), equity-linked (convertible/exchangeable bonds) and debt issues, including liability management transactions.

Recognized as a leading practitioner by top professional guides, Thomas advised in the recent years on most of the major initial public offerings on the French market, either as issuer's or underwriters' counsel. In 2024, Thomas advised on the three largest listings on the French market (Exosens and Pluxee as issuer's counsel, and Planisware, as underwriters' counsel). He also advised as underwriters' counsel on the rights issue of Alstom, the largest capital increase in France for 2024.

Prior to joining White & Case, Thomas practiced in the Paris offices of UK law firms for more than ten years.

Bars and Courts
Paris
Education
Postgraduate Degree, Magistère in Financial Law
University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne
Postgraduate Degree (DEA), Business and Financial Law
University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne
Languages
French
English

Experience

IPOs
Exosens (2024, €402m), Planisware (2024, €278m), Pluxee (2024, €4bn, spin-off), euroAPI (2022, €1.1bn, spin-off), Icade Santé (2021, €800m), OVHCloud (2021, €400m), Antin Infrastructure Partners (2021, €550m), I2PO (2021, €215m, SPAC), DEE Tech (2021, €165m, SPAC), Aramis Group (2021, €446m), Transition (2021, €200m, SPAC), Believe (2021, €300m), Accor Acquisition Company (2021, €300m, SPAC), Technip Energies (2021, €2.2bn, spin-off), 2MX Organic (2020, €300m, SPAC), Française des Jeux (2019, €1.8bn), Verallia (2019, €978m), Delachaux (2018, €445m), SMCP (2017, €623m), Carmila (2017, €632m), Maisons du Monde (2016, €380m), Kaufman & Broad (2016, €282m, re-IPO), Mediawan (2016, €250m – first ever listing of a French SPAC), Showroomprivé.com (2015, €260m), SPIE (2015, €1bn), Europcar (2015, €897m), Elis (2015, €750m), Elior (2014, €955m), Coface (2014, €957m), Numericable (2013, €750m).

Rights issues/Capital increases
Alstom (2024, €1bn), ID Logistics (2024, €135m), Sartorius Stedim (2024, €1.2bn), Mersen (2023, €150m), Neoen (2023, €750m), ALD (2022, €1.2bn), Air France-KLM (2021, €1bn), Neoen (2021, €600m), Alstom (2020, €2bn), Korian (2020, €400m), Eurofins (2020, €535m; 2017, €300m; 2016, €292m), SES Imagotag (2019, €35m), Showroomprivé.com (2018, €40m), Altran (2018, €750m), Direct Energie (2017, €130m), Europcar (2017, €175m), Suez (2017, €750m), Elis (2017, €325m), Vallourec (2016, €480m), CGG (2016, €350m), Capgemini (2015, €506m), Arkema (2014, €350m), Numericable (2014, €4.7bn – the largest rights issue in France for the five last years), Peugeot (2014, €3bn), Nexans (2013, €284m), CGG Veritas (2012, €414m), GL Events (2012, €73m), Michelin (2010, €1.2bn), AXA (2009, €2bn), Saft Groupe (2009, €120m).

Block trades
Peugeot Invest / SEB (2024, €236m), GIMD / Biomérieux (2024, €98m), Peugeot Invest / LISI (2024, €40m), BOE / SES imagotag (2022, €168m), Renault / Daimler (2021, €1.4bn), Compagnie de Saint Gobain / Sika (2020, €2.4bn), GIMD / Biomerieux (2020, €50m), JCMarian / Orpea (2020, €456m), FFP / DKSH (2019, CHF 212m), Vivendi / Ubisoft (2018, €1.3bn), CFER / Derichebourg (2018, €132m), BFCM / Eiffage-Safran (2017, €520m), Groupama/OTP Bank (2017, €208m), Ecofin / Direct Energie (2016, €42m), Airbus Group / Dassault Aviation (2016, €783m; 2015, €1.6 bn), Charterhouse / Elior (2015, €255m), JCDecaux SA / JCDecaux Holding (2015, €380m), Groupama / Veolia (2015, €485m), Groupama / Mediobanca (2015, €333m), Groupama / Saint-Gobain (2014, €450m), Lagardère / EADS (2013, €2.3bn), Groupe Bruxelles Lambert / Pernod Ricard (2012, €499m), Air France-KLM / Amadeus (2012, €467m), Michelin / Hankook (2011, €405m).

Convertible/Exchangeable Bonds
Schneider Electric (2024, €750m), Orpar/Remy Cointreau (2024, €200m), SPIE (2023, €400m), Ubisoft (2022, €470m), Voltalia (2021, €200m), Electricité de France (2020, €2.4bn), Schneider Electric (2020, €650M), Neoen (2020, €170m), Air France – KLM (2019, €500m), SOITEC (2018, €150m), Michelin (2018, U.S.$600m), Maisons du Monde (2017, €200m), Elis (2017, €400m), Korian (2017, €240m), Orpar (2017, €200m), Michelin (2017, U.S.$500m), Seb (2016, €150m), Rallye/Casino (2016, €200m), Crédit Agricole SA/Eurazeo (2016, €308m ; 2013, €338m), Airbus/Dassault (2016, €1bn), Orpar/Rémy Cointreau (2015, €170m), Suez (2014, €350m), Alcatel-Lucent (2013, €630m), Air France-KLM (2013, €550m), Nexans (2012, €275m), CGG Veritas (2011, €360m), Chargeurs (2010, €23m).

Bonds issues
Pluxee (2024, €1.1bn), Alstom (€750m), Praemia Healthcare (2023, €500m), Coface (2022, €300m), Verallia (2021, €500m), Icade (2021, €600m), Air France-KLM (2020, €750m), Icade Santé (2019, €500m), FFP (2019, €300m), SPIE (2019, €600m), Michelin (2018, €2.5bn), Elis (2018, €1bn), Icade (2017, €600m), Kaufman & Broad (2017, €150m), SPIE (2017, €600m), SES Imagotag (2017, €40m), Wendel (2016, €300m), Michelin (2016, €93m and 2015, €800m), Tereos (2016, €600m), Frey (2014, €25m and €11.2m), Société Générale (2014, JPY72bn), Alstom (2013, €500m), Tereos (2013, €500m), AXA (2013, €2bn), Engie (2010, €1bn), Rémy Cointreau (2010, €200m).

Liability management (tender/exchange offers)
Coface (2022, €380m), Air France-KLM (2018, €600m), Icade (2018, €200m), Wendel (2016, €400m), CGG (2015, €360m), Société Générale (2012, €1.3bn), BPCE (2012, €2.9bn), Crédit Agricole (2012, €2.1bn and U.S.$ 1.5bn), Air France (2011, €383m), Dexia MA (2010, €14.5bn), France Telecom (2010, €1bn), Veolia (2010, €1bn).

Awards and Recognition

Leading Lawyer (Band 1): Capital Markets – France, Chambers Global 2024

Leading Lawyer (Hall of Fame): Capital Markets – France, The Legal 500 2024

Leading Lawyer: Capital Markets – France, IFLR 1000 2024