Overview
Arnaud is a senior M&A partner at Linklaters, based in Brussels, advising multinational corporations, financial institutions and investors on their most strategically significant transactions.
He has extensive experience in complex domestic and cross-border M&A, joint ventures and strategic investments, particularly in situations involving significant regulatory, political or stakeholder considerations. He regularly advises on transactions that attract considerable public and market scrutiny, helping clients navigate the interplay between their commercial objectives and the broader environment in which they operate.
Arnaud is global co-head of the firm’s Energy & Utilities Group, and has particular expertise in energy, infrastructure and other regulated sectors, combining a deep understanding of these industries with broad transactional experience. His practice also encompasses public M&A, equity capital markets and complex corporate matters.
He has advised on major transactions across Europe, the Americas and Asia and has spent two periods working in Linklaters’ London office.
Experience
Arnaud has advised on a wide range of major corporate transactions, with a focus on regulated sectors. These include advising:
- Elia Group on its €2.2bn equity package including a €850m private placement to BlackRock, CPPIB, ATLAS Infrastructure and Publi-T/NextGrid.
- bpostgroup on its € 1.3bn acquisition of Staci from Ardian and other shareholders.
- Indosuez Wealth Management (Crédit Agricole group) on its acquisition of a controlling stake in Banque Degroof Petercam followed by a voluntary public takeover bid on the remaining shares, for a total transaction value of €1.55bn.
- Dajia Insurance on its diposal of Nagelmackers to Caisse d’Epargne des Hauts de France.
- Groupement Les Mousquetaires – Intermarché on its acquisition of supermarket group Mestdagh.
- AKKA Technologies on its € 2bn business combination with the Adecco Group (including a mandatory takeover bid).
- Greiner AG on its acquisition of a reference shareholding in Recticel, followed by a non-solicited takeover bid.
- ENGIE on the disposal of four coal-fired power plants in Germany and the Netherlands (including coal optimisation business) to Riverstone Holdings.
- Elia, the Belgian electricity transmission system operator, on its strategic reorganisation aimed at ring-fencing its regulated activities in Belgium.
- Ablynx on its defence against a hostile takeover bid and on its eventual €3.9bn recommended takeover by Sanofi.
- SABMiller on its £79bn merger with AB InBev, the world’s largest brewer.
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