Operations
JAN/ 12
Latournerie Wolfrom & Associés on the concession contract regarding the construction and operation of the A-150 autoroute
The Ministry of transports signed in December 2011 a concession contract approved in decree by the Conseil d'Etat with ALBEA, special purpose vehicle, set up by NGE, Fayat, Infravia, and TIIC Holding consortium, for 55 years. Its purpose deals with the conception, realization, management, and exploitation of the A150 highway from Ecalles-Alix to Barentin (Seine Maritime, France).
LWA assisted the Ministry with Jean Latournerie (Partner) and Karine Hennette-Jaouen (Of counsel) in public procurement matters, and Pierre Lafarge (Partner) and Eric Charvillat (Of counsel) in financing matters.
La Lettre des Juristes d'Affaires n°1053 du 30 janvier 2012
OCT/ 11
Latournerie Wolfrom & Associés assists Systra for the commercial lease contract concerning the building “Le Farman”
Systra, specialized in urban and railroad transport's engineering, an affiliate of SNCF and RATP, signed a commercial lease contract concerning the building "Le Farman" (Paris 15). This 27 000 m² energy-saving building was designed by Jean-Michel Wilmotte and developed by Bouygues Immobilier.
For this transaction, Systra was advised by Latournerie Wolfrom and Associés (Christian Wolfrom, Partner and Eric Charvillat, Of Counsel). Bouygues Immobilier was advised by Gide Loyrette Nouel (Renaud Baguenault, Partner). Finally, Jones Lang LaSalle (Matthieu de Saint Albin, Director) advised both parties as real estate council.
Article Businessimmo com - Systra - Le Farman
SEP/ 11
Latournerie Wolfrom is counseling the DGA on the PPP for the equipment of the French Air force Army base in IP network services.
The Ministry of Defense and CIBAIR signed on August 22nd, 2011, a partnership agreement, over a period of 16 years, dealing with the conception, deployment, financing, management, administration and support of telecommunication networks under internet protocol on the metropolitan territory, essentially for the Air force Army (RDIP-Air).
The Minister of Defense was represented by the General Directorate for Armament (DGA), and CIBAIR is the project company created for the needs of the performance of the partnership agreement by the contractor (Alcatel-Lucent France, Inéo, Inéo Défense, the Caisse des depots et Consignations and South Europe Infrastructure Equity Finance).
These telecommunication networks shall be essentially destined to the Air force army.
Latournerie Wolfrom and Associés assisted the DGA, the awarding authority, with a team led by Jean Latournerie, partner, and including Karine Hennette-Jaouen, Of Counsel (Public Business Law), Eric Charvillat, Of Counsel (Finance and Banking Law), Pierre Lafarge, partner (Corporate Law), Marie-Hélène Tonnellier, partner, and Aude Dutheil (Intellectual Property).
La Lettre des Juristes d'Affaires n°1035 du 12 septembre 2011
JUL/ 11
Latournerie Wolfrom & Associés assists Bricorama in its transfer from Euronext to Alternext
Latournerie Wolfrom & Associés (counseled by Christian Wolfrom, Partner, and Claire Langelier, Of Counsel) advised and assisted BRICORAMA (valued at 260M€) on the transfer of its listing from EURONEXT (compartment B) to ALTERNEXT.
BRICORAMA benefited from the 2009 reform which has opened the possibility to a company listed on a regulated market to request its admission to the negotiations on ALTERNEXT. BRICORAMA met the required eligibility conditions, i.e. a market capitalization inferior to 1 billion Euros and a free float superior to 2,5 million Euros.
The transfer project, announced a long while ago, was approved by the general meeting of BRICORAMA. The request of admission of the shares of BRICORAMA on ALTERNEXT received a favorable opinion from the NYSE Euronext board of administrators on July 18th, 2011. The admission was performed on July 26th, 2011.
With this operation, BRICORAMA aims to reach a balance between the management of the requirements of the SME's in terms of regulation and the need for transparency expressed by the investors.
BRICORAMA is accompanied by ALLEGRA FINANCE as listing-sponsor.
JUN/ 11
Latournerie Wolfrom advises « RATP » in the framework of a legal assistance mission related to the signing of the Pentagone PPP in Balard (Paris 15th)
The Ministry of Defence wished to group together on the site of Balard (Paris 15th district) all staffs and central services currently scattered across various sites in Paris.
The Project includes the shell realization of a new subway exit for station Balard which will be created by the RATP to cope with the increased traffic resulting from the consolidation of staffs and central services.
To that end the Ministry of Defence concluded a partnership agreement in order to entrust a private entity with the realization of the necessary constructions for the consolidation of staffs and central services and the building of the shell of the additional entrance to the new subway exit.
In this context, Latournerie Wolfrom et Associés, represented by Jean Latournerie (Public Law Partner) and Céline Record (Associate in the Public Law department), assisted the RATP for this operation.
La Lettre des Juristes d'Affaires n°1025 du 6 juin 2011
MAR/ 11
Latournerie Wolfrom et Associés advised SQLI in the framework of its OBSAAR
Latournerie Wolfrom & Associés (represented by Christian Wolfrom, partner, and Claire Langelier, Of Counsel) advised SQLI, company listed on NYSE Euronext in Paris, in the framework of its debenture loan of EUR 17 million, by the issuance of bonds with redeemable share warrants (OBSAAR) realized with the retention of the preferential subscription right of shareholders. The operation was the subject of a prospectus approved by the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) on March 25th, 2011.
The proceeds of the offering is intended to reimburse the financial debt, to fund organic growth (strengthening of the working capital) and potential target acquisitions. The exercise of the entirety of the redeemable share warrants would furthermore strengthen the Group's equity capital by € 13,6 million. SQLI plans to involve the Group Managers to this development endeavor and to the market performance of the security by offering them the opportunity to purchase the redeemable share warrants which would not have been purchased by the shareholders.
The operation receives firm commitments to subscribe the OBSAAR not subscribed by the shareholders by Banque Palatine, Société Générale and BNP Paribas, covering the entire loan.
JAN/ 11
Latournerie Wolfrom on the airport concession contract “Greater West”
The State and the grantee company "Aéroports du Grand Ouest", held by VINCI, the Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie (CCI) of Nantes and ETPO, signed, on December 30th, 2010, a concession contract for a period of 55 years, approved by decree of the Conseil d'Etat, for the future international airport of the Greater West. This airport should be in service by 2017 in Notre Dame des Landes, near Nantes and will be essential to the economic development of the Greater West. The airport of the Greater West is also the first airport to be acknowledged as presenting a High Environmental Quality.
The concession contract provides for the realization, management and exploitation of the airport of Notre Dame des Landes and on the management and exploitation of the airports of Nantes Atlantique and Saint Nazaire Montoir.
The executive board of the civil aviation was counseled by the law firm Latournerie Wolfrom & Associés, with Jean Latournerie, Partner, and Karine Hennette-Jaouen (public business Law), Jean-Luc Marchand, Partner, and Maxime Boh-Masson (tax Law) and Pierre Lafarge, Partner (corporate and project finance).
NOV/ 10
Latournerie Wolfrom et Associés counsel for AP-HM of Marseille
Pierre Lafarge (partner) and Jennifer Sourisse (corporate law), Jean-Luc Marchand (partner) and Maxime Boh-Masson (tax law), Marie-Hélène Tonnellier (partner) and Aude Dutheil (IT/IP), Jean Latournerie (partner) and Pierre-Antoine Rohan (administrative law) assisted the Public Assitance - Marseille Hospitals (AP - HM) in its conclusion of a public/private partnership signed on November 19th, 2010 and aiming to put into place a new logistic platform on the Saint-Louis-au Rove site at Marseille.
La Lettre des Juristes d'Affaires n°999 du 29 novembre 2010
OCT/ 10
Latournerie Wolfrom & Associés, counsel of Free Mobile in the procedure of attribution of the 4th Mobile License
Latournerie Wolfrom & Associés (Terence Cabot, Nacéra Berthelot and Marcos Portela Barreto) has assisted Free Mobile before the Conseil d'État following the claim formed by Bouygues Télécom, Vivendi and SFR to obtain the annulment of the attribution procedure of the 4th third generation Mobile Phone License awarded to Free Mobile, by claiming that some of the decisions taken during the procedure were illegal.
In a decision dated October 12th, 2010, the Conseil d'État ruled that, on one hand, the determination of the amount of the fixed fee due by the fourth operator at an amount of 240 million Euros was neither underestimated, nor discriminatory with regards to the amount paid in 2001-2002 by the three mobile operators in place (619 million euros), given, in particular, the smaller quantity of spectrum at its disposal and its entry on the mobile market with a 10 year delay compared to its competitors, and, on the other, that the attribution procedure had taken place pursuant to the principles of transparence and objectivity and that the conditions of the frequency use authorization awarded to Free Mobile were not discriminatory to the three existing operators, reminding that the general interest attached to the opening of the market to a fourth operator to enable an improvement of the competition situation on the French market of mobile phones.
The Conseil d'Etat also approved the choice of the Authority which selected Free Mobile on these criterions and dispelled the criticisms regarding any intention of the Authority of favoring the candidacy of Free Mobile.
La Lettre des Juristes d'Affaires n°998 du 22 novembre 2010
JUN/ 10
Latournerie Wolfrom et Associés assisted NextStage in the fundraise performed by KXEN
Latournerie Wolfrom et Associés (represented by Pierre Lafarge, Partner and Jennifer Sourisse, Associate) advised and assisted the investment funds managed by NextStage for a fundraise of USD $8 million performed by KXEN, the leading provider of data mining automation solutions.
Out of these USD $8 million, USD $4.5 million were raised through NextStage. The round included participation from existing investors (XAnge Capital, Sofinnova Ventures, Saints Capital and Motorola Ventures).