Patricia Le Marchand

Patricia Le Marchand is the founding partner of PLM Avocats, which she created in 2007.

She has been a French Avocat since 1999 and is a Member at the Paris Bar.

Patricia’s interest in insolvency and restructuring was first fed by Pr. Professeur Corinne Saint-Alary Houin of the Univerity of Toulouse (and one of the main living author in French insolvency jurisprudence). She started her career in 1993 with the boutique firm Borloo & Associés led by Jean-Dominique Daudier de Cassini, Philippe Saigne and Jean-Yves Marquet, first as a legal and financial counsel and then as a lawyer. She kept from this first professional experience a practical approach and a clear understanding of the economic stakes of restructuring. In 1998, She became a manager with the firm Archibald Andersen, where she worked for five more years with the financial teams led by Philippe Taupin and Cédric Colaert (today, lead Partners at Eight Advisory). She then had the opportunity to work on well-know insolvency cases such as AOM Air Liberté, Bourgoin… In 2003, she anticipated the Chapter 11 à la française reform, and continued her career as a Counsel with Willkie Farr & Gallagher where she mainly focused on distressed LBOs.

With this background in small and large law firms, inclined to remain independant in the choice of the cases she chooses to defend, and convinced that the close relationship between lawyers and the managers of the distressed companies is a key success factor, Patricia set up her own boutique in 2007.

Patricia has been handling numerous amicable and court insolvency proceedings and connected disputes, including over the last two years :

• Advising several distressed companies and their directors in the context of amicable restructuring proceedings under French law (French ad hoc mandate and conciliation proceedings) ;
• Advising several investment funds in the renegotiation of ailing LBO debts worth from EUR 30 to 50 million ;
• Advising a Food & Beverage company subject to an ad hoc mandate in finding a new shareholder (namely an Asian company) and restructuring its acquisition debt ;
• Advising the potential buyers of several businesses (including fast-food franchise group and a company service group) group in scourt-supervised sales.
• Defending company directors in several personal liability suits before the French Courts.
• Advising a Far East creditor in the recovery of real estate assets belonging to a European debtor.
• Representing shareholders and former shareholders in the context of a dispute on the alleged breach of a shareholders’ agreement.
• Representing European clients in French court claims relating to the construction of buildings.

Patricia graduated from Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Toulouse where she majored in Banking and Finance, and from the Law School of Toulouse where she earned a Master’s degree (DJCE) and a post-graduate degree in Business Law (DESS de droit des Affaires). She also graduated as a chartered accountant (DECF).

She is a regular speaker at seminars and professional trainings in insolvency and restructuring. She namely takes part, as a jury member and a sponsor, to the annual Seminar hosted by the Entrepreneurship Major of HEC (French top business schools), entitled « Turnaround of distressed Businesses». She also teaches specific courses held by IFPCC (which is the training center of court receivers).

Her main hobbies are skiing, climbing, sailing and theater

Languages : French, english
Business Sector : santé/biotech, télécoms, cosmétique/luxe, aéronautique, sous-traitance automobile, agroalimentaire/coopératives agricoles, CHR, media/imprimeries, communication/internet, fonds d’investissement et family office
Member : ARE, AFFIC and APIA partner
plemarchand@plm-avocats.fr