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Anne-Sophie Coustel, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton's tax chief in France, led colleagues advising Lafarge in the sale of its European and South American gypsum operations to Etex. Lafarge received net cash proceeds of about €850 million and a 20% ... [more]

Anne-Sophie Coustel, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton's tax chief in France, led colleagues advising Lafarge in the sale of its European and South American gypsum operations to Etex. Lafarge received net cash proceeds of about €850 million and a 20% interest in the new partnership, which combined the European and South American gypsum activities of both groups.

Franck Berger and Patrice Jan advised a client in the logistics industry on the design and implementation of a global transfer pricing documentation model for 124 entities as well as advising on the project's management.

Jan also advised a company in the software industry on the design of a transfer pricing policy in the context of the 'on cloud' activity of the group.

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton has a small German tax practice comprising one partner, Daniel Weyde and four other professionals, who work closely with the firm's global and European tax practices, and is known for its corporate restructuring and tax ... [more]

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton has a small German tax practice comprising one partner, Daniel Weyde and four other professionals, who work closely with the firm's global and European tax practices, and is known for its corporate restructuring and tax optimisation of M&A transactions, particularly within the real estate market.

One transaction that demonstrates this is Weyde's continuing advice to Michael Zimmer as he sold off his 25% stake in Corpus Sireo to Sparkasse KölnBonn, the savings bank, brings the bank's holding in the company to 50%, with Corpus Siero having €15.4 billion worth of real estate under management. Weyde also teamed up with colleagues in London and Paris to advise Lafarge as it sold certain gypsum operations in Europe and South America to Etex Group for €1 billion.

And Weyde is also advising the Republic of Argentina on the tax aspects of a $1 billion issue of new money bonds to exchange for its defaulted debt totalling $35 billion.

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton provides specialist advice on a range of complex Italian and cross-border tax issues. Led by Vania Petrella, the department focuses on matters including the tax optimisation of M&A transactions, hybrid financing and investment ... [more]

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton provides specialist advice on a range of complex Italian and cross-border tax issues. Led by Vania Petrella, the department focuses on matters including the tax optimisation of M&A transactions, hybrid financing and investment structures as well as debt and pre-IPO tax restructurings.

The firm is also distinguished for its expertise in sovereign debt restructurings and has been involved in substantial work in this area. Petrella has taken the lead role in advising the Greek government, since the July 2011 bailout, on the planned bond exchange and debt payback. It is a key part of the €130 billion bailout and the largest ever sovereign debt restructuring. The deal involved lawyers in the firm's London, New York, Buenos Aires, Frankfurt, Cologne, Paris, Rome and Milan offices.

The firm is also advising Iceland and Iraq on debt restructuring matters.

Other work includes M&A, finance and capital markets advice provided by multi-office teams including lawyers based in the Paris, London and Moscow offices.