RomainGuirault

Counsel

Paris + 33.1.56.59.38.85

Romain Guirault focuses his practice on banking and finance matters, with a particular emphasis on the financing of acquisitions of listed and nonlisted companies (leveraged buyouts and strategic acquisitions). He also handles corporate financing for all types of lenders (credit funds and banks).

Before joining Jones Day, Romain was an associate for a major law firm in Paris and London, where he advised on many finance deals, including BNP Paribas and the lenders on: the bridge financing of the acquisition of FastMatch and iBabs by Euronext and the €900,000,000 corporate financing of Société Anonyme de Gestion de Stocks de Sécurité (SAGESS, entity managing strategic oil reserves in France).

He also advised Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank and the lenders on the €400,000,000 corporate financing of the Maïsadour group and advised Société Générale and the lenders on the €104,000,000 LBO financing of Climater.

In addition, he worked on the corporate debt team at a leading French investment bank.

Experience

  • Aluminium Dunkerque Group obtains $375 million financingJones Day advised the Aluminium Dunkerque Group and its shareholder, American Industrial Partners in the context of the refinancing of the existing indebtedness of the Aluminium Dunkerque group and the financing of its general corporate purpose.
  • BNP Paribas, ING Belgium, and KBC Bank provide €420 million facilities to Agristo groupJones Day acted as legal counsel to BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV, ING Belgium SA/NV, and KBC Bank NV in connection with the €420 million facilities provided to the Agristo group.
  • Belfius Bank, ING Belgium, and KBC Bank amend, increase, and extend existing financing to Equine Care GroupJones Day acted as counsel to Belfius Bank SA/NV, ING Belgium NV/SA and KBC Bank NV, as lenders, in connection with the amendment, increase, and extension of the existing financing granted to the Equine Care Group (an international provider of high-quality equine care through specialist equine clinics, ambulatory care and nutrition/supplements) for the purpose of, amongst others, acquiring the Irish company Thoroughbred Remedies Manufacturing Limited and the English company Equine Products U.K. Limited.
  • Diebold Nixdorf obtains $1.25 billion senior secured exit credit facilityJones Day represented Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated, a multinational financial and retail technology company that specializes in the sale, manufacture, installation, and service of self-service transaction systems (such as ATMs and currency processing systems), point-of-sale terminals, physical security products, and software and related services for global financial, retail, and commercial markets, in connection with a new $1.25 billion senior secured term loan facility as part of it’s emergence from chapter 11 bankruptcy and other domestic and foreign court-supervised restructuring proceedings.
  • Diebold Nixdorf successfully restructures over $2.7 billion in funded debt and completes the first-ever dual proceeding under the U.S. bankruptcy code and Dutch restructuring law in 71 daysIn the first-ever cross border restructuring involving dual main proceedings under chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and a scheme of arrangement (the "Dutch Scheme") under the Dutch Act on Confirmation of Extrajudicial Plans (Wet Homologatie Onderhands Akkoord ("WHOA")), and the first-ever chapter 15 recognition of Dutch Scheme proceedings and a sanctioned WHOA reorganization plan (the "WHOA Plan"), Jones Day represented Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated ("Diebold") and certain of its U.S. and Canadian subsidiaries (the "Debtors") in connection with (i) the prepackaged chapter 11 cases of In re Diebold Holding Company, LLC, et al., (Case No. 23-90602-DRJ) commenced on June 1, 2023, in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas (the "Bankruptcy Court"); (ii) the Dutch Scheme, commenced on June 1, 2023 by Diebold Nixdorf Dutch Holding B.V. (the "Dutch Issuer") in the District Court of Amsterdam (the "Dutch Court"), and (iii) the chapter 15 proceedings before the Bankruptcy Court commenced by the foreign representative of the Dutch Issuer, wherein the Bankruptcy Court recognized the Dutch Scheme proceeding as a foreign main proceeding and recognized and extended comity to the WHOA Plan that was sanctioned by the Dutch Court.
  • Baring Asset Management Limited provides financing for acquisition of Sinari InvestJones Day advised Barings Asset Management Limited and some of its affiliates on the bonds financing of the acquisition of Sinari Invest by funds managed by Bridgepoint Capital Development.
  • Société Générale and BNP Paribas Fortis provide €100 million financing to John Cockerill groupJones Day acted as legal counsel to Société Générale, Belgian Branch and BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV in connection with a €100 million term loan granted to John Cockerill Hydrogen Belgium SA.
  • Financial institutions provide financing for acquisition of AB&C GROEP B.V. by entity of EPSA GroupJones Day advised the financial institutions and some of their affiliates or related funds in relation to the financing of the acquisition of AB&C GROEP B.V. by an entity of the EPSA Group.
  • Diebold Nixdorf obtains $1.25 billion senior secured superpriority DIP credit facilityJones Day is representing Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated (the “Company”), a multinational financial and retail technology company that specializes in the sale, manufacture, installation, and service of self-service transaction systems (such as ATMs and currency processing systems), point-of-sale terminals, physical security products, and software and related services for global financial, retail, and commercial markets, and certain of its domestic and foreign subsidiaries (collectively, the “Debtors”) in (i) a pre-packaged chapter 11 proceeding in front of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas (the “Bankruptcy Court”), (ii) a scheme of arrangement by Diebold Nixdorf Dutch Holding B.V. (the “Dutch Issuer”) and the related voluntary proceeding in front of the District Court of Amsterdam under the Dutch Act on Confirmation of Extrajudicial Plans (Wet Homologatie Onderhands Akkoord), and (iii) an anticipated proceeding commenced by the Dutch Issuer under chapter 15 in the Bankruptcy Court, seeking recognition of such scheme of arrangement.
  • Permira Credit refinances Sportscape GroupJones Day advised Permira Credit, as unitranche lender, in connection with the refinancing of the newly created European online sporting goods retailer, Sportscape Group.
  • Armor sells stake in ARMOR-IIMAK to AstorgJones Day advised EN5, controlling shareholders of the Armor group, on the management buyout of Armor Iimak group and the simultaneous 40% investment by Astorg Midcap in the Armor Iimak group.
  • Direct lender provides $100 million term loan facility to designer and developer of enterprise softwareJones Day advised a direct lender, as administrative agent, collateral agent, and sole lead arranger, in connection with a $80 million senior secured term loan facility and $20 million senior secured delayed draw term loan facility provided to a designer and developer of enterprise software, the proceeds of which were used, in part, to finance the acquisition of a data technology provider.
  • Simpson Manufacturing Company announces offer to acquire Etanco GroupJones Day advised Simpson Manufacturing Company, Inc. in the €725 million acquisition of the Etanco Group.
  • BNP Paribas Fortis, ING Belgium, and KBC Bank finance acquisition of Group Claes and Weidelco Foodpartners by SofindevJones Day acted as legal counsel to BNP Paribas Fortis NV/SA, ING Belgium NV/SA, and KBC Bank NV in connection with the financing of the acquisition of Group Claes and Weidelco Foodpartners by Sofindev.
  • Tikehau Investment Management finances acquisition of SQLI by Synsion BidCoJones Day advised Tikehau Investment Management, as arranger, and direct lending funds managed or advised by Tikehau Investment Management, as lenders, in connection with (i) the financing of the acquisition by way of tender offer of SQLI, a French-listed company, by Synsion BidCo, a SPV owned and controlled by DBAY Advisors, (ii) the partial refinancing of the existing indebtedness of SQLI, and (iii) the financing of future acquisitions and capital expenditures.
  • Solmax acquires U.S. geosynthetics manufacturer PropexJones Day served as antitrust and financing counsel to Groupe Solmax Inc. (Solmax) in the acquisition by Solmax of Propex Operating Company, LLC, a leading geosynthetics manufacturer with a long track record in the construction, transportation, mining, and automotive industries.
  • Forsee Power completes €115 million offering and IPO on regulated market of Euronext in ParisJones Day advised Forsee Power in connection with its initial public offering on the regulated market of Euronext in Paris and an offering of up to €115 million.
  • ARMOR USA acquires industrial segment of International Imaging Materials, Inc.Jones Day represented Armor SAS and ARMOR USA, Inc., a French-based company that specializes in the industrial formulation of inks and the coating of thin layers onto thin films, in the acquisition and financing of International Imaging Materials, Inc. ("IIMAK"), a global developer and manufacturer of value-added consumable solutions for industrial applications.
  • Belfius Bank, BNP Paribas, and ING Belgium provide acquisition financing of Bontexgeo group by WaterlandJones Day acted as legal counsel to Belfius Bank NV/SA, BNP Paribas Fortis NV/SA, and ING Belgium NV/SA in connection with the acquisition financing of the Bontexgeo group by Waterland.
  • Macquarie Euro Ltd and CDPQ Revenu Fixe refinance Berger Levrault groupJones Day advised Macquarie Euro Ltd and CDPQ Revenu Fixe Inc. in connection with the refinancing of the Berger Levrault group.
  • The following represents experience acquired prior to joining Jones Day.

    Advised Société Générale and the lenders on: the corporate financing of Provepharm life solutions; the LBO financing of Coutot-Roehrig; the LBO financing of Nedap France; the financing of the corporate reorganization of the Dom'Hestia Group; the €70,000,000 MBO financing of Scaff'Holding; the €65,000,000 corporate financing of the Minafin/Minakem group; the €65,000,000 refinancing of Peters Surgical; the €350,000,000 corporate financing of Faiveley Transport; and the €650,000,000 refinancing of the construction costs of an uranium enrichment plant, which earned "Industry Deal of the Year, Europe" at the PFI Awards in 2014.

    Advised Société Générale and Natixis and the lenders on the €650,000,000 corporate financing of Avril SCA.

    Advised Bpifrance Investissement and the bondholders on the unitranche financing granted to Sinari Invest for the acquisition of Gestion Plus Informatique, HC Invest 2016, and OMP Informatique Transport.

    Advised Surys on its €90,000,000 refinancing by a pool of French banks.

    Advised Banque CIC Ouest and Credit Lyonnais on the LBO financing of Explore.

    Advised Caisse Régionale de Credit Agricole Mutuel Pyrenées Gascogne on the LBO financing of Nelite Corporation.

    Advised Cellnex on the financing aspects of its agreement with Iliad France, Iliad Italy, and Salt (Switzerland) to acquire 10,700 towers in France, Italy, and Switzerland for €2.7 billion and on the roll out of a "built to suit" program for up to 4,000 new towers for an estimated amount of €1.35 billion.

    Advised ICBC Paris on the financing of Midea Group's €5,000,000,000 voluntary bid for all shares in German robotics specialist, Kuka AG.

    Advised China General Nuclear Europe Energy (CGN EE) on the acquisition refinancing of the largest Belgian onshore wind project (total capacity 81 MW).

    Advised Crédit Industriel et Commercial and the lenders on the €500,000,000 corporate financing of the Clarins group.

    Advised Q-Park on the finance aspects relating to the corporate restructuring of the Q-Park Group in France.

    Advised The Royal Bank of Scotland, Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, and the lenders on the €725,000,000 corporate financing of Rallye.

    Advised a major commodities trader, in relation to a US$300,000,000 prepayment agreement to Société Marocaine de l'Industrie et du Raffinage (SAMIR), regarding SAMIR's insolvency procedure.

    Advised Caisse d'Epargne et de Prévoyance Provence-Alpes-Corse and the lenders on a €125,000,000 financing of photovoltaic solar projects developed by GreenYellow.

    Advised NEOEN in relation to a mezzanine bonds issue subscribed by INFRAGREEN II – 2015 – 1 for the refinancing of Neoen's equity in two solar projects in Portugal.