Laurent Legein’s practice includes mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and equity capital markets transactions.

Laurent joined the firm as a partner in late 2006. Prior to joining Cleary Gottlieb he spent 12 years in another major international law firm.

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Notable Experience

Selected Corporate/M&A Experience

  • AbbVie in its successful acquisition of Syndesi for a total deal value of up to $1 billion, consisting of a $130 million payment and an $870 million earn-out based on the achievement of certain milestones.

  • AbbVie in its novel acquisition of an “option to acquire” all equity securities of iStar Medical SA for up to $535 million (including milestone payments).

  • AB InBev in the combination of its beer business in Russia and Ukraine with Anadolu Efes.

  • Allianz in several transactions including the sale of AGF Banque to ING; the acquisition of Mensura; and the sale of Allianz Benelux’s life insurance portfolio to Monument Re.

  • Alpha Private Equity in the acquisition of Ipcom.

  • Anbang in its acquisition of Bank Nagelmackers and its (ultimately abandoned) bid for Novo Banco in Portugal.

  • Asahi Glass Company in its tender offer for Glaverbel.

  • BC Partners in the acquisition (2007), and subsequent sale to Charterhouse (2011), of Bureau Van Dijk Electronic Publishing.

  • Befimmo in the €1.4 billion voluntary tender offer to acquire all of its shares launched by RE Invest Belgium, an entity fully controlled by one of Brookfield’s real estate private funds.

  • Bekaert in several transactions including the merger of its Ropes division with Bridon and its subsequent acquisition of the shares of OTPP in the combined entity; the acquisition of Pirelli’s captive steel cord; the acquisition of Bridgestone’s manufacturing plants, the sale of its Specialty Films activities to Saint-Gobain; and the sale of its worldwide industrial coatings business to Element Partners.

  • BNP Paribas in connection with the unwinding of its investment in Erbe (Frere group) and the related tender offer of Erbe on Compagnie Nationale à Portefeuille.

  • Carmeuse in connection with Cobepa’s equity investment.

  • Collibra in several matters, including a strategic investment by Snowflake Investment Holdings Inc. in Collibra; Collibra’s $250 million Series F financing round at a post-money valuation of $5.25 billion; and Collibra’s $112.5 million Series E financing round, where Collibra was valued at $2.3 billion (pre-money).

  • Credit Suisse as financial advisor to Adecco Group in its €2 billion tender offer for AKKA Technologies.

  • CVC Capital Partners in the acquisition (2013) and sale (2020) of Continental Foods (f/k/a Campbell Soup Europe).

  • Dexia in multiple transactions over the years, including its acquisition of Artesia Bank Corporation; its 2008 recapitalization; the sale of Financial Security Assurance; the 2011/2012 orderly resolution plan including the sales of BIL, RBCD, and DBB (now Belfius); and its 2012 recapitalization.

  • D’Ieteren in its bid for Moleskine and the sale of a minority interest in Belron to Clayton, Dubilier & Rice.

  • Finances & Industries in its tender offer for the shares it did not yet own of Spadel SA.

  • JC Flowers in its acquisition (2012) of Fidea and the resale (2015) of Fidea to Anbang.

  • Monument in the acquisition by its subsidiary MAB of a closed book of life retail insurances representing approximatively €2.6 billion of BEGAAP assets and liabilities from AXA Belgium.

  • NN in the sale by its subsidiary NN Belgium of a closed-book of life retail insurances representing approximatively €3.3 billion of assets and liabilities to Athora.

  • Novasep in the sale of Henogen to Thermo Fisher.

  • NVHL, a portfolio company of Silver Point Capital and Blackrock, in the sale of Novasep’s pharma solutions and process solutions businesses to PharmaZell, a portfolio company of Bridgepoint.

  • Ontex in several transactions, including in its acquisition of Grupo Mabe (Mexico); its acquisition of Hypermarcas’ personal hygiene business (Brazil); and in its defense against the unsolicited bid by PAI Partners.

  • Petercam and its shareholders in the merger of Petercam with Banque Degroof.

  • PSA in the acquisition of Hesse Noord Natie.

  • Umicore in several transactions including the sale of its Zinc Chemicals business to Open Gate; and the acquisition of Freeport-McMoRan’s cobalt refining and cathode precursor operations.

  • Vandemoortele and its shareholders in the equity investment by, and subsequent exit of, GIMV-XL.

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Selected Capital Markets Experience

  • Equity-linked. Convertible bond issues by Bekaert and Nyrstar (2009, 2011, 2013, 2016).

  • IPOs. The initial public offerings of Ontex; Celyad; Nyrstar; bpost; Elia System Operator; RHJI; and Belgacom.

  • Rights issues and other equity offerings. Follow-on equity offerings by Befimmo (2007, 2009 and 2016); Nyrstar (2011, 2014, 2016); Hamon (2006); Quick (2003); and Dexia (2000).

  • ABBs. Multiple primary and secondary accelerated bookbuilt placements of shares including of Befimmo, Umicore, Ontex, Nyrstar, and Dexia.

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Publications

“The EU Listing Act: Important Changes to MAR,” Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memo, October 2024 (co-author).

“The EU Listing Act: Important Proposed Changes to MAR,” Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memo, March 2023 (co-author). 

“Gun Jumping in M&A: General Court Judgment Affirms Strict Approach in Altice,” Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memo, November 2021 (co-author).

“Shareholder Rights Directive II: The Belgian Perspective,” Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memo, April 2020 (co-author).

“Emergency Equity Raises – Practical Guide for Belgian Companies,” Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memo, April 2020 (co-author).

“Belgium’s Response to Mitigate the Effects of COVID-19,” Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memo, March 2020 (co-author).

“Application du règlement abus de marché: aux opérations de fusion-acquisition et d’OPA,” Financiële Regulering: Een Dwarsdoorsnede, October 2019.

“The New Prospectus Regulation – The Story So Far,” Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memo, March 2019 (co-author).

“Le nouveau règlement Abus de Marché et ses conséquences pour les sociétés cotées belges,” TRV-RPS 2016, p. 479-522.

“Questions relatives à la notion de concert en droit financier belge,” Dieux, X. and Legein, L., Droit bancaire et financier 2012/III-IV, p. 143-157.

“Quelques questions spéciales de droit des sociétés en rapport avec les opérations d’appel au marché des capitaux,” Droit bancaire et financier 2008/V, p. 247-274.