Bénédict Vidal

Carler Avocats has always been committed to its clients, offering a genuine partnership to a diverse cross section of companies. Its framework of global support guarantees both security and simplicity in the implementation of legal solutions recommended by its partners.

The Corporate, Merger/Acquisition & Assets Department is the heart of Carler’s activity, bringing together 10 senior lawyers in corporate private equity, financing, corporate and personal taxation, property law, as well as restructuring. The department’s lawyers consistently play a strategic role prior to any proceedings, equipped with a deep understanding of financial issues.

The firm’s experience has enabled it to develop both nationally and internationally recognised expertise in such areas as: transactions (LBO, OPEN BID, TARGETING OPTIONS); overhaul of organisational charts and structures; private equity; restructuring; legal, tax and social asset strategy; mergers and similar transactions; restructuring; taxation of mergers; transnational transactions; transmissions; optimisation of organisations; acquisitions/sales; preparation of sales (VDD); strategic prerequisites; due diligence; negotiation and establishment of legal documentation; global support; turnaround situations; prevention (ad hoc mandate, conciliation); solutions (recovery plans, takeover offers); turnaround funds; investment funds / private equity; choice and selection of funds; relevance of alternative solutions (sponsorless); shareholder agreements; management package; funding; negotiation of structured finance; as well as terms and conditions (RAO, covenants).

Bénédict Vidal, Partner, is primarily involved in M&A by mutual agreement or open bid, and in all private equity transactions. In addition, he is a recognised specialist in economic law, contract law and distribution law – and particularly in trade fair law, a “niche” activity for which he is renowned. Sciences Po Paris (1986) and dual training in law and finance at the Sorbonne and Dauphine (1988) led Mr Vidal to begin his career not in law, but in financial auditing at Ernst & Young. He initially set up a firm as a legal and tax consultant, becoming a lawyer in 1992 when the professions were merged. However, he soon had the opportunity to take over the French office of a firm founded by the Swedish Gunnar Carler, who operated with a “human scale and international dimension” that Mr Vidal admired. This was the beginning of Carler Avocats’ present iteration, with its signature approach that has been characterised by “an original model with extremely democratic modes of governance”.

As a lawyer, Mr Vidal describes himself first and foremost as an adviser and strategist. Today, he serves groups in contractual matters – with elements of international private law and international distribution law – as well as mid-cap companies in matters of M&A. Meanwhile, he acts as a Director of the Association of Company Valuers (A3E), and is a lecturer at CELSA (École des hautes études en sciences de l’information et de la communication).