Lionel Lesur

Partner

Lionel Lesur is a partner in our Corporate-M&A and Private Equity departments and the chair of our Antitrust-Competition department. Admitted to the bars of Paris and Rome, he also heads our Italian Desk.

Lionel mainly advises international companies, as well as investment funds across a broad range of industries, including Life Sciences, Fashion & Luxury and Technologies. He has substantial experience negotiating corporate / private M&A transactions (mergers and acquisitions, joint-ventures, minority investments, strategic alliances, etc.) and complex commercial contracts, as well as advising foreign companies seeking to establish and strategically expand their presence in France.

Lionel also has significant experience in French and EU antitrust and competition law, and routinely advises on multi-jurisdictional merger control filings, as well as cartel and abuse of dominance investigations. Lionel’s breadth of experience also includes private enforcement, distribution, compliance and FDI screening issues.

He regularly lectures on M&A and competition law at leading French universities and business schools, such as Aix-Marseille University and Paris II Panthéon-Assas University, as well as ESCP Business School, and is an active member of the IBA and AIJA.

WHAT THEY SAY
  • Quoted in Best Lawyers in France 2024 Guide
  • Who’s Who Legal 2023: Lionel Lesur is recognized as “National Leader” in “Competition
  • Leaders League 2022: Lionel Lesur is ranked in the “Mid-cap LBO transactions ” (Excellent) categorie of the Private Equity Guide
  • Legal 500 EMEA 2023: Lionel Lesur is quoted in the categories Mergers & Acquisition et Private Equity: LBO
    ‘Lionel Lesur and Laura-Isabelle Danet are two high quality, rigorous and very available lawyers. It is a pleasure and an asset to have them in your team as part of a project.’
    ‘Lionel Lesur and Laura Danet demonstrated very strong engagement and availability. On top of M&A/PE Lionel Lesur was also very knowledgeable in competition law, providing very clear guidance and pragmatic on these – sometimes – quite obscure matters of EU competition law. Very good knowledge of the practice, of the sector, and precedents, including in emerging markets. Excellent ability to work with other advisors. Very good quality of documents produced. Excellent at advocating and defending client position.’
    ‘Strong partner involvement and only senior associates with relevant knowledge and experience.’‘The Franklin team is tight and offers quality service on classic M&A transactional themes. During their last transaction with us, I was particularly impressed by their responsiveness and their ability to collaborate effectively and coordinate a large number of stakeholders. The pleasant mode of collaboration and the quality of the work make me want to renew the experience.’
    ‘A good quality team, very available and strongly involved in supporting and carrying out transactions alongside its clients.’
  • Leaders League 2023: Lionel Lesur is ranked in the categories “Antitrust & Anticompetitive Practices” (Excellent), “Merger Control” (Excellent) and “Distribution Law and Restrictive Practices” (Reputed Practice) of the Litigation & Arbitration Guide and in the categories “E-Health” (Highly recommended), “Capital, joint venture, and corporate transactions” (Highly recommended), “Regulatory law” (Highly recommended) and “Distribution law” of the Healthcare, pharmaceuticals & biotech Guide
  • Option Droit & Affaires 2023: Lionel Lesur is quoted in the category Equity development and LBOs, the majority of which involve companies with less than €50 million in assets (3 stars)
  • Leaders League 2023: Lionel Lesur is ranked in the “Transactions between €75m and €500m” (Excellent) categorie of the Mergers & Acquisitions Guide
  • Option Droit & Affaires 2022: Lionel Lesur is quoted among the leading firms for M&A deals under 200 million euros ranking (4 stars)
  • Leaders League 2022: Lionel Lesur is ranked in the “E-health”, “Competition & Distribution: Health & Pharmaceuticals”, “Capital Transactions, Joint Ventures & Corporate Health & Life Sciences” and “Regulatory Law: Health, Pharma, Medical Devices” categories of the Health, Pharma & Biotechnology Guide
  • Leaders League 2022: Lionel Lesur is ranked in the “Mid-cap LBO transactions ” (Highly recommended) categorie of the Private Equity Guide
  • Legal 500 EMEA: Mergers & Acquisition
    The team demonstrates impressive speed of analysis and execution. The challenges and needs are well integrated, in a dynamic dealmaker fashion that is much appreciated.’
  • Leaders League 2022: Lionel Lesur is ranked in the categories “Antitrust & Anticompetitive Practices” (Excellent), “Merger Control” (Excellent) and “Distribution Law and Restrictive Practices” (Reputed Practice) of the Litigation & Arbitration Guide
  • Option Droit & Affaires 2022: Lionel Lesur is quoted in the category Equity development and LBOs, the majority of which involve companies with less than €50 million in assets
  • Leaders League 2022: Lionel Lesur is ranked in the “Transactions between €75m and €500m” (Excellent) and “Merger Control” (Excellent) categories of the Mergers & Acquisitions Guide
  • Leaders League 2022: Lionel Lesur is ranked in the “E-health”, “Competition & Distribution: Health & Pharmaceuticals”, “Capital Transactions, Joint Ventures & Corporate Health & Life Sciences” and “Regulatory Law: Health, Pharma, Medical Devices” categories of the Health, Pharma & Biotechnology Guide
  • Option Droit & Affaires 2021 : Lionel Lesur is quoted among the leading firms for M&A deals under 200 million euros ranking
  • Chambers Global and Europe 2021: What the team is known for: Advises a large roster of clients including a number of multinational entities. Particular expertise in corporate transactions arising in the TMT sphere. Experienced in an array of processes including industrial M&A and restructurings. Adept at handling cross-border transactions. Represents clients involved in the retail, real estate and healthcare industries.
    Strengths: Clients report that the lawyers are “flexible, reliable and imaginative.”
  • Leaders League 2021: Lionel Lesur is ranked in the “E-health”, “Competition & Distribution: Health & Pharmaceuticals”, “Capital Transactions, Joint Ventures & Corporate Health & Life Sciences” and “Regulatory Law: Health, Pharma, Medical Devices” categories of the Health, Pharma & Biotechnology Guide
  • Legal 500 EMEA 2020: Corporate – Fusions-acquisitions, « Tier 5 »
  • Who’s Who Legal 2019: Lionel Lesur achieves recognition for his “excellent corporate knowledge” and “high quality service”.
  • Who’s Who Legal 2017: Lionel Lesur is a ‘rising star’ who has notably been involved in many high-profile cases before the French competition authority.
Education
  • HEC Paris : School of Management
  • CEMS (Community of European Management School) : Master in International Management
  • University of Paris-Nanterre : Postgraduate degree (DEA) in European and International Business Law
  • University of Paris XI – Sceaux : Postgraduate degree (DESS) in Business Law
  • University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas : B.A (Maîtrise) in Tax and Business law