Expert Opinion: Maryline Pic-Dehongher and Sophie Gsell (Lamartine Conseil)

Our future closings will be 100% electronic and carried out via Closd, which provides ease of use and of which the availability and responsiveness of its teams we particularly appreciate! 

Maryline Pic-Dehongher et Sophie Gsell, partners specialized in M&A and private equity at the firm Lamartine Conseil, talk about how Closd precisely meets the needs of their practices.

Closd: Hello. Could you describe the firm and the types of cases you work on in a little more detail?

S. Gsell: Hello and thank you for giving us the floor! Lamartine Conseil has been a leader in M&A and private equity operations in the Smid Cap category since 2006. We mainly work on behalf of numerous private equity players, but also with SMEs/mid-cap companies and their shareholders and on behalf of banks in the context of M&A and private equity transactions.

M. Pic-Dehongher: Since November 2019, Lamartine Conseil has diversified its expertise in all areas of business law to become a multidisciplinary law firm with new capabilities, particularly in competition and distribution, restructuring, and business litigation. Today, Lamartine Conseil comprises around a hundred lawyers spread across four offices throughout France (Paris, Lyon, Aix-Marseille and Bordeaux).

Closd: Why did you choose Closd and what need(s) does the platform meet?

S. Gsell: We have been using your service for over a year, primarily for our M&A and private equity operations. The platform meets our needs precisely in that it acts as a secure tool to monitor our projects, notably with solutions for document sharing, electronic signature and electronic bibles.

Closd: Could you describe the operations that you carry out on the platform?

M. Pic-Dehongher: Electronic signatures are now the rule in our M&A and private equity operations. In addition to those practices, our financing law teams, which I co-lead, and our restructuring teams, led by Lionel Hanachowicz, have also been using the platform for a few months. Regarding financing operations, thanks to the adaptability that banks have demonstrated in the current circumstances, we use Closd as a platform to collect and validate conditions precedent and to sign all the financing documentation.

Our restructuring teams regularly use Closd for the signing of deeds as part of conciliation protocols and ad hoc mandates.

Closd: What is your assessment of your use of Closd, and what were your clients’ reactions to using electronic signatures for closings, and more generally throughout your collaboration on Closd?

S. Gsell: We are very satisfied with the platform. It allows us to share documents in a fluid and secure environment, even with a multitude of participants on the project. The platform allows us to save precious time, particularly in the preparation of signings, closings or the assembly of post-operation bibles. 

Closd: As we enter a new lockdown, how will you organize yourselves in order to continue to meet the needs of your customers?

M. Pic-Dehongher: We believe all of this will continue to intensify. As they are currently working remotely, digital solutions, with Closd in the lead, are now routine tools used by lawyers executing transactions. Our future closings will be 100% electronic and carried out via Closd, which provides ease of use and of which the availability and responsiveness of its teams we particularly appreciate!