Emmanuel du Douët

Bignon Lebray & Associés, Paris, FRANCE

Emmanuel du Douët advises French and foreign companies (in particular American and British companies), both listed and unlisted, involved in complex operations where broad experience in French and international tax and corporate law is a determining factor for success. This is particularly the case when clients' transactions involve cross-border financing operations and LBO business.

Much of Emmanuel's practice is applied to client strategy in terms of group structure, organisation of revenue streams, and cross-border transfer pricing issues. Emmanuel also advises private equity buyers in the context of investment planning and LBOs, and has been particularly active over the past decade in the software, hotel and real estate sectors. His other particular areas of expertise include representation of parties to tax disputes and advising families and individuals on issues of ownership and disposition of corporate assets.

Emmanuel du Douët graduated simultaneously with a degree in business administration (Ecole Supérieure d'Administration des Entreprises de Rouen - 1998) and a Masters Degree in business law. He also holds the French first level professional accountancy qualification (DECS - 1979). Admitted to the Paris Bar, 1987.

As a member of the International Fiscal Association (IFA), Emmanuel served as a French national reporter at the IFA Toronto Congress in 1994. Member of the IACF (Institute of French Tax Lawyers). Recognised by the Paris Bar as a specialized tax law practitioner. Occasional lecturer at the Paris Bar School and occasional speaker and lecturer at professional conferences (most recently on "Setting up a Holding company for Private investments: legal and tax aspects", on "Tax treatment of Preferred shares", and on "LBOs: which stakes and perspectives" (co-speaker with representatives of one of France's foremost independent private equity investment groups).

Emmanuel started his career by joining the Arthur Andersen International law firm (then Andersen Legal) in 1981 as a tax counsel. He then joined a Paris law firm as partner in charge of the tax department, before joining BIGNON LEBRAY & ASSOCIES as a partner to create the firm's tax department in 1994. Emmanuel was head of this department until 2006, since when he has focused on international aspects of our practice and private equity transactions.