Olivia Lê Horovitz
Founding Partner of Paris Office
*Attorney is a member of a French separate legal entity, Rimôn Electa Law S.E.L.A.S. and not Rimôn P.C.
Ms. Olivia Lê Horovitz has extensive experience practicing corporate law. Her practice is primarily focused on cross-border mergers and acquisitions as well as private equity transactions. She represents clients in a variety of complex multijurisdictional acquisition transactions, including acquisition or sale of businesses, distressed companies, restructurings, divestitures, spin offs, recapitalizations, joint ventures and complex commercial contracts. Ms. Lê Horovitz regularly advises US, European, Israeli and Chinese companies wishing to invest in Europe in the context of private and public acquisitions as well as French companies looking to expand internationally. She also advises French and foreign investment funds and strategic investors in their financing and acquisition activities as well as private and public companies at all stages of their development.
On the counseling side, Ms. Lê Horovitz advises clients on a full range of domestic and international sensitive corporate governance and responsibility issues, including environmental social governance (ESG). She also helps companies navigate European and French regulations in the growing industry of cannabis and CBD.
She has a thorough knowledge of the technology, media and telecom (TMT) sector and also represents companies in the life science, renewable energy, industrial and aeronautical sectors.
PUBLICATIONS
- BSPCE, A Very Attractive Incentive Tool for Start-ups, Now Available to Foreign Companies to Retain Their Employees in France, Rimonlaw.com, August 30, 2021
SELECTED EXPERIENCE
Mergers and Acquisitions: Technology, Media and Telecom
- Representation of Pervasive Display Inc., a Taiwan based engineering company specializing in the design of very low-energy E-paper screens, on a complex multi jurisdiction transaction involving the contribution of all the shares of Pervasive Display Inc. to SES-imagotag, a French listed company on Euronext Paris, specialist in digital solutions for physical commerce and world leader in electronic labeling systems.
- Representation of Microsoft Corporation on the acquisition of SyntaxTree, a French startup and creator of UnityVS plug-in for Visual Studio, one of the most heavily used tools in the gaming industry.
- Representation of Microsoft Corporation on the acquisition of Captain S.A.S., (a French company provider of CRM solutions to help mobile and web applications analyze user behavior and respond by pushing targeted messages). This was a complex transaction with conflicting interests between the majority fund and the other shareholders.
- Representation of Amazon.com on the acquisition of a digital comics company which was a subsidiary of ComiXology.
- Representation of 3D Systems Europe Ltd, a subsidiary of 3D Systems Corporation and leading global provider of 3D printing technology, on a very strategic and complex acquisition of a significant majority of the share capital held by the funders on one side and investment funds on the other side followed by a mandatory public tender offer of Phenix Systems (a company listed on NYSE Alternext in Paris, leading provider of metal laser printers). This transaction was followed by a simplified public tender offer and subsequent squeeze-out of Phenix Systems.
- Representation of 3D Systems Corporation on the acquisition of CoWeb, a French start up company creating consumer customized 3D printed products and collectibles, as well as CEP and Protometal, two leading French rapid prototyping and manufacturer service providers.
- Representation of UTC Fire & Security Corporation and UTC Fire & Security France, specializing in climate, fire and security solutions and services, on the sale of their French Industrial Explosion Protection business to IEP Technologies. This was part of a global transaction involving the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Switzerland.
- Representation of NEP Inc., a US broadcasting company, on its contemplated acquisition of Euromedia, a French broadcasting leader company present in six jurisdictions in Europe.
- Representation of CapGemini on the acquisition of the French Order to Cash (OTC) business from Vengroff Williams & Associates.
- Representation of a Chinese company, a leader in the field of telecommunications, on regulatory compliance issues.
Mergers and Acquisitions: Life Sciences
- Representation of Amphastar Pharmaceutical, a generic and specialty pharmaceutical company, on a complex acquisition from Merck of Diosynth business and real estate assets in France.
- Representation of Degania Silicone Ltd, a leading Israel based OEM manufacturer of silicone based catheters and other devices, on the acquisition of Arthesys SAS, an original equipment manufacturer of stent delivery cardiovascular catheters.
- Representation of Biomarin, a US company developing and commercializing innovative biopharmaceuticals with respect to regulatory issues and negotiations of contracts for clinical trials.
- Representation of Covance, a biopharmaceutical development services company with preclinical and clinical research operations across the globe, on due diligence matters in view of the contemplated acquisition of Pfizer Global Research and Development toxicology & research facility located in Amboise.
Mergers and Acquisitions: Energy
- Representation of Boralex Inc. (TSX: BLX), a renewable energy power producer, in connection with the acquisition of Enel Green Power France SAS from Enel Green Power SpA, Italy’s largest power company.
- Representation of Boralex Inc. on its acquisition of a 34.5 MW wind farm in operation from AES corporation as well as three wind projects of 56 MW installed capacity from Innovent SAS.
- Representation of Solaria Inc., a major U.S. solar supply company, with respect to the negotiation of the supply of photovoltaic modules to EDF Energie Renouvelable.
Mergers and Acquisitions: Other Industry
- Representation of Burrana Inc. (previously named digEcor Inc.), an aircraft cabin technology company, in the acquisition of Collins Aerospace’s IFE business activity.
- Representation of a leading Chinese aviation company, in the context of the due diligence of a French aeronautical company.
- Representation of Kion Group subsidiary Egemin Group Inc., which designs, integrates and maintains automated handling solutions on the acquisition of Retrotech, a US subsidiary of Savoye SA, one of the three divisions of Groupe Legris Industries, which is an established US systems integrator for automated warehouse and distribution solutions.
- Representation of a private equity fund listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange, in connection with commercial and corporate contracts following the acquisition of a prestigious hotel in France.
- Representation of APPE France, the packaging and recycling division of La Seda de Barcelona, on the creation of a joint venture with Coca Cola Enterprises (named Infineo Recyclage).
- Representation of of APPE France and La Seda de Barcelona on the sale of their packaging and recycling division to Plastipak Packaging.
Private Equity: Technology, Media and Telecom
- Advising a leading European private equity fund in connection with the portfolio sale of 18 ownership interests to English secondary fund.
- Representation of a European private equity fund on various purchase and sale of interests in several different funds.
- Representation of Apax France on the acquisition of Outremer Telecom the first telecom operator in the French Overseas Department.
- Representation of the investment funds of Travelprice (including Apax, Partech, Avenir Entreprises, AGF PE, Pictet & Cie), French online travel and leisure provider, with respect to a very complex sale transactions to Lastminute.com online travel retailer.
- Advising Spef LBO (became Actem Partners) on the management buyout of Datavance Informatique, an IT service company.
- Representation of Avenir Entreprises (FCPR) on its investment in Datacet, specializing in security communication technology.
- Representation of Vizille Capital Innovation on its investment in Avilinks, designer of intelligent switches for broadband services.
- Representation of BV Capital, a Californian investment capital fund focused on the intersection of consumer internet, media and communications software investment, on its investment in Aelitis (Azureus Inc.) a French company providing an easy and cost effective way to distribute high quality media to very large audience, followed by the completion of a share exchange transaction (“flip”) of the French company into a U.S. company.
- Representation of Webraska investors (including Apax Partners, Aryo, GSM Capital and Cipio Partners), a French wireless navigation services company, with respect to a complex merger with Airflash Corporation, a provider of location based technologies and services.
- Representation of investment funds MC Capital Europe and Spef Venture with respect to their investment into Streamcore, a French company provider of intelligent traffic management solutions and then representing all the investment funds and managers of this company, with respect to their exit through a share exchange transaction with Boostworks Inc. a U.S. company publisher of software solutions to accelerate fluidity of traffic.
- Representation of investment funds – Partech International, Innovacom, CIC Capital Privé, Turenne Capital, Rothschild Investment Partners, Pictet, FCJE, FD5 – along with managers of Right Vision – with respect to their exit through a share exchange transaction with Alcatel, a French listed company world leader of telecom equipment provider.
- Representation of Valoris investment funds shareholders, a management consultant firm in business intelligence and CRM, with respect to its sale to Sopra Group. Valoris shareholders include Apax, Altamir, Morgan Stanley Venture, Rothschild Gestion.
- Representation of GIMV and AGF Private Equity with respect to their investment in Cril Telecom Software, a leading supplier of IT solutions for the telecommunication industry.
Private Equity: Other Industry
- Representation of Genomic Vision, a company specialized in the development of in-vitro diagnostic tests (IVD) for the early detection of cancers and hereditary diseases, as part of an equity financing set up with Winance.
- Representation of the French FCJCE biotech fund of the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations on several due diligences in view of investment in biotech companies, including Urogene and OTL Pharma.
- Representation of Apax Partners on their investment in DrugAbuse Sciences SAS, first bio pharmaceutical company focused on developing therapies for treatment of substance abuse.
- Representation of Clal Biotechnologies Industries, Israeli leading investor in life sciences, on its investment in IDM Immuno Designed Molecules SA French.
- Representation of Boralex Inc., a major Canadian and European renewable energy producer, on establishing their first European partnership with Cube Infrastructure Fund in Luxembourg, raising € 33 million equity financing to accelerate development in Europe.
News, Events, & Insights
- Foreign Investment Control in France – A Practical Guide for Investors; The World Financial Review
Insights August 16, 2023
- Navigating U.S. Investment In Macron's France; RealClear Markets
Insights July 17, 2023
- Is Cannabidiol (CBD) Authorized for Sale in France?
Insights January 26, 2022
- Reinforcing the attractiveness of French Startups: BSPCE, an Incentive Tool Now Available to Foreign Companies (Published by Wall Street Lawyer)
Insights January 20, 2022
- Climate-responsible finance and the European Union's taxonomy
IM Report November 22, 2021
- 3D Systems Sells On Demand Manufacturing Business to Trilantic North America
News September 22, 2021