Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner advises France-based and internationalmanagement companies, investment funds, investment managers and institutional investors on private equity fund formation. Practice head Damien Luqué, who joined the firm in January 2025, holds extensive experience in asset management and financial services regulation.

The team at De Gaulle Fleurance & Associés brings expertise to the structuring of private equity funds. Practice head Mireille Mull-Jochem advises portfolio management companies as well as industrial and service groups on the structuring of their investment vehicles and regulatory issues.

In January 2025, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP welcomed Gilles Saint Marc, Nicolas Capelli and Tristan Bonneau, further strengthening the firm’s capabilities in private equity fund formation. The firm advises leading French and international asset managers throughout the entire fund lifecycle, with extensive experience in private equity, private debt, infrastructure, securitization and fund-of-funds.

Clifford Chance offers a wealth of experience advising on the structuring and fundraising of infrastructure, real estate, venture capital, private debt, secondary and impact funds. The team has a strong focus on French, Luxembourg and pan-European funds and is also highly active in secondary transactions, regularly assisting both GPs and LPs on continuation funds and GP-led processes. Practice head Xavier Comaills regularly leads on high-profile fundraisings and GP stakes transactions, while Marie Préat advises portfolio managers on the management of their business activity and co-investment programmes. Elodie Cinconze advises portfolio managers in the context of secondary transactions and continuation funds.

Goodwin provides comprehensive support across a broad range of funds, including growth, infrastructure, technology and life sciences. Co-led by Arnaud David and Sarah Michel, the team advises on large-scale GP-led liquidity events, LP-led transactions, GP stakes, fund restructurings and complex incentive schemes. David brings extensive expertise in advising clients on GP-led and LP-led secondary transactions and designing employee leveraged co-investment structures, while Michel offers experience across all aspects of fund formation and structuring, carried interest schemes and co-investment structuring. Sarah Barrau-Ceville joined the team in October 2025 from Sullivan & Cromwell LLP.

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP team advises on the formation of distressed, infrastructure, real estate, venture capital, debt, philanthropic, ESG and impact funds. The practice is also active in complex GP-led secondary transactions and fundraisings of new types of products. Practice head Nathalie Duguay offers extensive expertise spanning fund operations, transactional matters and regulatory compliance in asset management. Tiana Rambatomanga advises across the full spectrum of private funds, with particular strength in private equity, infrastructure, renewable energy, debt and real estate. Thibault Dupont-Nougein left the firm in February 2026.

A&O Shearman advises fund managers and institutional investors across a broad range of funds including alternative investment, private equity, infrastructure, debt, real estate, and hedge funds. The team offers deep expertise in structuring analysis, while operating comfortably across the full spectrum of fundraising and fund launches. The practice is co-led by Antoine Sarailler and Brice Henry, with Sarailler specialising in asset management and Henry focusing on regulatory matters. Benjamin Lacourt concentrates his practice on investment funds, with a focus on alternative assets in European jurisdictions.

Dechert LLP advises on corporate matters throughout the investment fund and asset management lifecycle including secondary transactions, fund reviews and management company deals. The practice has extensive experience establishing a wide range of investment funds and strategies, including venture capital, small-cap and mid-cap buyout, and direct lending. The team is jointly steered by Sabina Comis, who focuses on advising private equity firms on domestic and international tax structuring, and Cyril Fiat, a key contact for regulatory topics who frequently supports investors with alternative asset investments.

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. repertoire extends to advice on private equity, real estate, infrastructure and debt funds The practice, co-led by Stéphane Puel , Guillaume Goffin and Benjamin Delaunay, is also regularly instructed by fund managers and institutional investors on the establishment of management companies and the negotiation of investment terms for unlisted and alternative assets. Puel is a port of call for financial institutions for advice on all regulatory aspects of fund formation. Goffin brings extensive experience in the structuring and distribution of investment funds, and Delaunay is another expert in regulatory topics, frequently acting in investigations and enforcement matters.

Jones Day advises portfolio management companies on the legal, tax and regulatory aspects of investment fund formation and fundraising, while also providing guidance on regulatory compliance, investment vehicle structuring, performance schemes and VAT matters. The team regularly advises LPs and handles secondary transactions and is headed by Florence Moulin, who focuses primarily on advising general partners on the legal and tax structuring of their alternative investment funds and carried interest arrangements. Marine L’Hostis advises across a diverse range of investment funds, including real estate, impact, co investment and continuation funds.

The Kirkland & Ellis LLP investment funds group boasts experience in private equity transactions, with particular strength in cross-border and international deals across Europe. The team's portfolio extends to advice on sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, and investments for financial sponsors. Further areas of expertise include GP-led fund restructurings, the establishment of fund management companies, and the design of carried interest and co-investment schemes. Practice head Raphaël Bloch counsels European capital sponsors on the formation and operation of funds and separate accounts across the full spectrum of alternative assets.

Linklaters advises on the corporate, regulatory and tax aspects of structuring and establishing investment funds. The practice supports retail and institutional investors across a broad range of fund types including UCITS, private equity, funds of funds, ETFs and debt funds. The team is co-led by Edouard Chapellier, Cyril Boussion, Ngoc-Hong Ma and Marc Perrone. Chappellier and Boussion are particularly experienced in launching private equity and real estate investment funds, while Perrone and Ma bring extensive expertise in the marketing of foreign funds, financial management of funds and regulatory investigations.

Proskauer Rose LLP offers expertise in the formation of mid-market and large-scale funds spanning private equity, infrastructure, energy, private credit and real estate. The team also advises on carried interest and co-investment arrangements, as well as long-dated, evergreen and levered or unlevered parallel vehicles. Co-led by Agnès Rossi and Marcela Moraru, the practice provides counsel on acquisitions of asset management companies, investments in and seeding of fund management platforms, funds-of-funds and spin-outs. Rossi brings experience in structuring sophisticated funds, including multi-currency and emerging market funds. Moraru advises fund managers and institutional investors on fund formation, secondary transactions and fund reviews.

Chammas & Marcheteau guides clients through every stage of the investment fund structuring process, from identifying the most suitable fund vehicle and navigating marketing or tax constraints, to preparing fund documentation, negotiating with LPs and finalising closing arrangements. The practice also advises on secondary transactions and regulatory matters, including securing licences from supervisory authorities. The team is co-led by Christophe Sevennec and Lola Chammas. Chammas focuses on private equity fund formation, secondary transactions and corporate matters, while Sevennec advises both public and private clients on fund formation and regulatory topics.

From fund inception to exit, CMS Francis Lefebvre provides comprehensive support to investment funds, asset managers, and institutional investors at every stage of the investment lifecycle. Jérôme Sutour leads the firm’s financial services and asset management practice, drawing on deep expertise in guiding managers through the creation and ongoing management of investment vehicles, with a particular focus on alternative and private equity funds.

With a truly global perspective, DLA Piper advises on the establishment and full lifecycle of investment funds. Co-head Raphaël Béra brings extensive experience to tax structuring of alternative investment funds, particularly in relation to carried interest mechanisms, sponsor economics and cross-border structuring. Co-head Diane Campion de Poligny is a key contact for complex fund structuring, cross-border fundraising and institutional investor negotiations.

 

McDermott Will & Schulte advises across the full spectrum of investment funds work, from the establishment of French and international alternative investment vehicles including FPCI, FIPS, and SLP structures, to complex secondary market transactions. The team has deep sector expertise in life sciences, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, energy transition, technology, environmental and sustainable private equity investments. Practice head Guillaume Panuel advises both sponsors and institutional investors, while specialising in fund formation, secondary transactions and regulatory matters.

Stephenson Harwood provides comprehensive counsel across the investment landscape, advising on fund formation, investor representation, secondary transactions and general advisory matters. The team has developed particular expertise in matters related to impact and sustainable investing, new technologies and emerging markets. The department is led by Julien Vandenbussche, who focuses on fund structuring, corporate, financial and regulatory law. Ngowari Adikibi maintains a diverse funds practice, spanning traditional private equity and venture capital work, as well as impact funds and DFI-oriented products.

Couderc Dinh & Associés assists clients in establishing investment vehicles, including holding companies, club deals and professional or retail funds with a particular focus on private equity, private debt and real estate. The firm's services include advising on optimal fund structures, drafting legal documentation, negotiating investor terms and managing regulatory filings. The team is also active in secondary market transactions, portfolio transfers and management buyouts. The practice is led by Frédéric Bucher, who has extensive experience in transactions, fundraisings and reorganisations.

Dentons has extensive experience in the creation, financing and operation of a broad range of closed-ended funds. The team provides ongoing corporate support to investment funds across transactional, marketing, governance and regulatory matters. The practice is particularly recognised for its strength in GP-led secondary transactions. Practice head Olivier Genevois handles a busy workload, including the structuring of a wide array of funds such as growth capital, mezzanine, venture capital, private debt and infrastructure.

Joffe & Associés's portfolio extends to advice on venture capital, LBO, debt, seed, real estate, infrastructure, and social and environmental impact funds. Practice head Olivier Dumas is a highly experienced practitioner in fund formation and financial services, with particular strength in advising on the tax aspects of fund structuring, the establishment of management companies, and related investment services providers.

The fund formation team at Racine is regularly instructed to structure private equity vehicles for sponsors, management companies, and first-time funds first-time teams. The practice is particularly recognised for its proficiency in fundraising operations, fund reviews and secondary transactions. Practice head Rima Maitrehenry specialises in fund formation, with a strong focus on structuring private equity funds and advising on the associated regulatory and governance aspects of investment structures.

Sullivan & Cromwell LLP advises clients on all aspects of their investments, fund formation and related regulatory matters. The firm’s expertise in fund formation includes a particular focus on structures such as evergreen vehicles, customised mandates and other investment platforms. The team guides clients through every stage of the fundraising process, providing advice on regulatory and operational matters throughout the entire lifecycle of a fund. Nicolas De Boynes leads the practice and specialises in tax structuring and investment funds. Sarah Barrau-Ceville left the firm in October 2025.