Europe: On the Road to Recovery

BloWin is a French boutique law firm, providing highly specialised services in restructuring. Formed in July 2014 by Partners Bertrand Biette and Laïd Estelle Laurent, the firm combines their wealth of experience to deliver the very best for their clients. We got in touch with Laïd Estelle Laurent to find out more about their company.

Like all developed economies, France has suffered since 2007 from the effects of the global recession, but the effects in the country have been partly cushioned by a more cautious banking and investment market, and by a tradition of political and state intervention in the economy. In addition, in France the proportion of the labour force working in public sector jobs is high and has reached almost 25% in 2005 – few of whom were affected by the economic downturn.

While the French economy has not run out of control like the economies of Greece, Italy, Spain or Portugal – largely thanks to the political framework put in place by our government – France remains at risk. Until now, the French Government has been able to steer the economy onto the right track, making us competitive on a global scale.

In order to protect French businesses and employment, the country’s restructuring and insolvency law was radically changed in 2005 and it is BloWin’s mission to advise companies on how best to use these laws to their advantage.

As a firm specialised in the turnaround and restructuring markets, we are working in partnership with companies and people able to transform old business-models and markets into new ones, frequently based on new technologies.

In order to offer the best services to our clients, BloWin develops and maintains the following:
• Significant experience in dealing with specialised bankers, judicial mandatories, credits insurers, public authorities
• Sector focused, pragmatic and deep analysis of issues with respect to intermediate and secured solution of the encountered difficulties
• Capacity to provide specific advice thanks to BloWin’s network of friendly partners specialised in specific laws, such as banking law, employment law, tax law and intellectual property law.

In other words, BloWin partners have developed extensive knowledge of how businesses work, an ability to integrate the specific features of their activities, combined with their tried and tested practice of crisis management. All of these combined enable us to support clients in all of their social, industrial and financial restructuring operations and help them when they are faced with complex litigation that could have strategic consequences.
Adding to their diverse set of skills, BloWin lawyers have expert knowledge of French and European preventive and insolvency procedures. This allows them to prevent and handle business difficulties, build the relationship of trust that they have established with key stakeholders (judicial officers, courts, experts, institutional creditors) and their experience in managing complex and multidisciplinary litigation.

Our way to handle client files includes the following steps:
• 360° diagnosis
• Strategy definition
• Management of procedures and relationships with different stakeholders
• Preparation and drafting of agreements, recovery plans and takeover plans
• Implementation of restructuring and agreements
• Litigation management

In terms of our philosophy, the following values drive BloWin:
– Expertise: Since our legal and jurisprudential environment is constantly changing, BloWin is always monitoring it and benefits from the research work carried out by its members who are both authors and teachers in this field. Our comprehensive theoretical knowledge and know-how from our experience enable us to develop strategies for each case that is entrusted to us.
– Commitment: Because each client is unique and the interests that they entrust us with are always strategic, the commitment of BloWin teams working alongside them is not just a promise but a daily reality.
– Responsiveness: Because crisis management is also characterised by urgency and the unexpected, BloWin’s responsiveness is a deciding factor for success in dealing with it.
– Inventiveness: Because experience has taught us that every case is different and BloWin’s creativity needs to be constantly mobilised to identify new solutions.

Looking towards the future, we will continue to support and assist our clients. We like to look at it like a sailing race where they are the sail and we are the wind. It’s our vision to both develop BloWin while maintaining our standards and culture.

Company: BloWin
Partners: Bertrand BIETTE and Laïd LAURENT
Contact name: Laïd Laurent
Email: laid.laurent@blowin-avocats.com
Web: www.blowin-avocats.com
Address: 109, avenue Henri Martin 75116 PARIS
Telephone: +33 (0)1 40 72 28 15