France

Cooley’s multidisciplinary team advises French technology and life sciences companies in all stages of growth, as well as represents US, European and French investors and acquirers of those companies. Clients trust us to help them successfully navigate their unique challenges because of our vast experience advising dynamic venture-backed companies, and their investors, globally.

Our team’s approach provides clients in France with access to thought leaders in complex areas, including private financing and public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, tax and more.

Many of our team members are fluent in French and, in some cases, are French-qualified lawyers. And, given our decades of history in the region, we have deep knowledge of the French legal system, practices and culture.

We routinely provide our French clients with such legal services as:

• Setting up local US subsidiaries and assisting with other aspects of establishing a presence in the United States.
• Working with French counsel to guide startup and growth companies through all stages of private financings and public offerings.
• Leading IPOs of French issuers on US exchanges, as well as advising clients and boards of directors on foreign private issuer (FPI) legal, regulatory, and listing requirements throughout the IPO life cycle.
• Counseling buyers, sellers, investors, and other stakeholders in connection with mergers and acquisitions.
• Structuring and implementing US and international business operations, strategic alliances, joint ventures, and reorganizations.
• Establishing and executing US option and employee benefits plans, grants of options, and other incentive compensation.
• Advising on corporate, litigation and employment matters.
• Providing international tax planning for French companies across a range of business transactions, including cross-border M&A, joint ventures, and tax-efficient structuring or restructuring of international operations.
• Advising clients on how to protect and commercialize their technology.
• Assisting with international financing and derivative transactions, financial instruments, Subpart F and PFIC issues, and US real estate investments.

By the numbers

• 7,000+ innovative, high-growth private company clients worldwide
• 1,700+ VC financings annually, with an equal split between investor and company representation
• 1,540+ M&A transactions globally, for an aggregate value of more than $745 billion, since 2019
• #1 law firm for completing venture-backed IPOs for 15+ years, according to IPO Vital Signs
• #1 law firm for European FPI IPOs, according to Deal Point Data (2016 – 2023)
• 78% of French FPI IPOs, according to Deal Point Data (2016 – 2023)
• 88% of French biotech FPI IPOs, according to Deal Point Data (2016 – 2023)
• 35% market share for European FPI IPOs, according to Deal Point Data (2016 – 2023)
• 53% market share for all European biotech FPI IPOs, according to Deal Point Data (2016 – 2023)

Representative matters

• Amolyt Pharma in its agreement to be acquired by AstraZeneca in an up to $1.05 billion cross-border transaction
• Abivax in its $235.8 million IPO
• Valneva in its $93.5 million IPO
• Contentsquare in its agreement to acquire Heap
• Contentsquare in its $400 million Series F, which doubled its valuation
• GENFIT in its win against a Section 11 suit
• Checkr in its Series E, which raised its valuation to $4.6 billion
• Aircall in its Series D, which led it to reach unicorn status
• Contentsquare in its Series E, which raised its valuation to $2.8 billion
• Nanobiotix in its $113 million IPO
• Sazerac in the acquisition of Paul Masson Grande Amber Brandy from Constellation Brands
• Sazerac in the acquisition of Whiskey Brands and Distillery from Brown-Forman
• Aircall in its $65 million Series C funding
• Contentsquare in its $190 million Series D funding
• PeopleDoc in its sale to Ultimate Software for approximately $300 million
• ScorePlay in its $5 million Series Seed funding
• Upway in its $30 million Series B and $25 million Series A funding rounds
• Lectra in the acquisition of the majority of the capital of Launchmetrics
• Inventiva (as issuer counsel) on its multi-tranche equity financing of up to 348 million euros and its $107.7 million US IPO
• Cellectis (as underwriter counsel) on its $60 million at-the-market facility and its $25 million follow-on offering
• ERYTECH Pharma (as issuer counsel) on its $143.7 million US IPO and European private offering; multiple private placements totaling 106 million euros to US and European investors; $30 million at-the-market facility; and $37.85 million in registered direct offerings
• Innate Pharma (as issuer counsel) on its $79 million US IPO and European private offering and its $75 million at-the-market facility
• Valneva SE (as issuer counsel) on its $107.6 million US IPO and European private placement; 190.9 million euros in aggregate global follow-on offerings; 60.0 million euros global private placement; and $75.0 million at-the-market facility
• GENFIT SA (as issuer counsel) in its $155.4 million IPO
• DBV Technologies (as issuer counsel) in follow-on offerings raising $831 million in aggregate
• DBV Technologies (as underwriter counsel) in its $133 million US IPO and European private offering
• Criteo (as issuer counsel) in its $288 million IPO
• ERYTECH Pharma in its acquisition by Pherecydes Pharma, resulting in new entity PHAXIAM Therapeutics
• ERYTECH Pharma in the sale of its US manufacturing facility to Catalent Pharma