Jean-François has a general and structured debt finance practice covering a large array of transactions on loan and bond format, including corporate, project, acquisition corporate and funds finding. He has a focus on receivables and tangible asset-based and asset-backed lending, bespoke deconsolidated and non-recourse financings and secured transactions. He assists clients on arrangements involving financial collateral, derivatives repos and fiducie. Jean-Francois also advises lenders, creditors and investors in debt instruments on in / out of court financial restructurings, where he is able to review financing structures toward downside protection and has been involved in large market cases. His practice is essentially cross border.
His clients, banks, credit funds, agents and trustees, credit insurance companies and large corporates, recognize the technical skills and the strategic sense of this professional with over 35 years of experience. Directories have mentioned Jean-François as “finance specialist who enjoys a “stellar reputation”, who “not only demonstrated exceptional legal acumen, but also outstanding leadership“, “a strong negotiator, highly committed and solution-oriented.”
Jean-François started his career in a leading international law firm and joined Jeantet as a lateral partner in 2003. He is a member of the P.R.I.M.E Finance panel of experts, Senior Advisor and former Co-Chair of the International Bar Association’s Banking and Financial Law Committee, and leads the firm’s Legal Opinions Committee. He has chaired committees of Paris Europlace (French Financial Forum) which inspired legislative reforms in the field of fiducie (trust), security interests and security agent, and co-chaired the International Financing Work Stream of an ICC Task Force. He is the author of numerous publications and a frequent speaker at financial and banking law conferences
Background
Lawyer since : 1979
Bar. : Paris
Language(s) : French - English
Training :
- Master 2 (DESS-DJCE) in business and tax law – University of Lorraine
- Master 2 (DEA) in European Community Law – University Panthéon-Assas (Paris II)
- Institute of comparative law – University Panthéon-Assas (Paris II)
- Sciences Po – Paris (economic and social policy section) (alumni)
- LL.M, University of Pennsylvania, Carey law School
Member of :
- R.I.M.E Finance panel of experts
- International Bar Association (IBA) – Co- Chair of the Banking Law Committee (2023-2024)
- International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
- Paris Europlace, Financial law committee – former chair of the fiducie and security law committee (2003 – 2011)
Publications
- News Flash: Draft ordinance transposing CRD VI Directive in France on track: Navigating impact on cross-border lending by third-country institutions
- A closer look at the Euro PP, USPP and schulschein standard, based on their standad documentation, IGTA Winter Journal 2024/2025
- Derivatives Guide 2025 French Chapter, ICLG, June 2025
- A Closer Look at the EURO PP, USPP and SCHULDSCHEIN Standard, Based on their Standard Documentation
- Structuring Secured Debt, Enforcing Security, and Navigating Secured Claims through the Lenses of Financial Restructuring in France: Lessons from the security and workout reforms of 2021 and recent large case precedents
- “Secured claims in French restructurings: lessons from the 2021 reforms and recent large case precedents”, JIBFL, november 2024
- Fintech: how is the world shaping the financial innovation industry? (2024) – IBA Banking & Financial Law Committee – France
- Enhanced secured creditors in France after cornerstone reform of security law and collective proceedings of 15 september 2021 – Butterworths Journal of International Banking and Financial Law, 01/02/2022
- Enhanced secured creditors in france after cornerstone reform of security law and collective proceedings of september 15, 2021, october 2021
- IBA Banking Law Committee Survey: Covid-19 emergency measures relating to funding and claims recovery, november 2020
- Asset-backed credit: a relevant financing tool for companies weakened by the covid crisis19 – La lettre du trésorier, September 2020
- Support for asset-based financing as a relay for EMPs: exceptional government measure in favor of factoring – Option Droit & Affaires, update 28/09/2020
- Secured claims in French restructurings : lessons from the 2021 reforms and recent large case precedents, Butterworths Journal of International Banking and Financial Law, November 2024
- Fintech: how is the world shaping the financial innovation industry? (co-written with Olivier Lyon Lynch), IBA, September 2024
- Regards croisés sur les standards Euro PP, USPP et Schuldschein au vu de leurs documentations-types (co-written with Kati Beckman, Dorothée Fischer-Appelt et Charles Kolín), La Lettre du Trésorier, September 2024
- Derivatives Laws and Regulations France 2024, The International Comparative Legal Guide 2024
- Orpea’s financial restructuring: lessons for foreign banks granting unsecured loans in France, GRR, 23/01/2024
- Derivatives 2022, Chapter France ICGL
- “French law security and insolvency reform enhances secured creditors Butterworths Journal of International Banking and Financial Law, 03/2022
- Cryptocurrency offerings, exchanges and payments in France : towards a mix of hard and soft law” International Bar Association, Banking Law Committee publications, 2018
- Project finance in 45 jurisdictions worldwide 2013: France, Getting the Deal Trough
- Technical Guides EACT: Regulatory framework, legal and tax constraints for centralized cash management. Coordination and Chapter France, European Association of Corporate Treasurers, Numéro spécial EACT, March 2009
- ‘L’adoption de la fiducie a-t-elle remédié à la prohibition des cessions de créances en garantie de droit commun ?’, Revue de Droit Bancaire et Financier – Mars Avril 2007
- ‘Does French banking monopoly unduly restrict syndicated loans in France? ‘, Butterworths Journal of International Banking and Financial Law – Avril 2005
Financing
- Assisted Apollo Global Management in financing by way of subscription €500 million perpetual super-subordinated notes issued by Air France-KLM dedicated bankruptcy remote and deconsolidating SPV holding a pool of spare engines for use in the engineering and maintenance operations of the Air France-KLM group.
- Assisted Enbridge Inc. in 3 offshore wind turbines financings (Fécamp, Saint-Nazaire, Courseulles) of more than EUR 2 bn each in joint venture with EDF RE.
- Assisted Thoma Bravo in the acquisition financing of the Talend group.
- Assisted FGI Worldwide LLC in the asset-based financing of the acquisition of Acal BFI by Coöperatieve H2 Equity Partners Fund V.U.A.
- Assisted Barings LLC in a bond financing for Elis.
- Assisted Banco Santander S.A. with the setup a bridge facility agreement and an ancillary overdraft facility agreement to the benefit of Axa IM InMOTION RCF FUND.
- Assisted Coface Finanz in various deconsolidating financings.
- Assisted ABN Amro Commercial Finance in various asset-based financings.
- Assisted Pemberton and Partners Group in Unitranche and PIK financing.
- Assisted Intesa SanPaolo in various deconsolidating asset-based financings.
- Assisted Ceetrus SA in a mezzanine financing of real estate projects in Italy.
- Assisted K2 in pan-European asset-based financing.
- Assisted Eurofins Scientific Inc. in several listed subordinated bonds issues.
- Assisted FEI-Ongrid LP in the financing of power generation site projects in Sierra Leone and Liberia.
- Advising a consortium of banks on the financing of the acquisition and renovation of the Paris-Charles de Gaulle hotel by the Luiten Van Der Valk Group for the acquisition of SHIR
Distressed – Special situations
- Assisted 16 Chinese and German banks, holders of unsecured Schuldschein debt, in EUR 9 bn financial restructuring of ORPEA S.A. (European leader in nursing home company, listed with SBF 120) in second conciliation and accelerated safeguard – Largest debt restructuring in France to date.
- Assisted leading foreign bank creditor to Casino in the safeguard proceeding of Rallye.
- Assisted international consortium of telecommunications operators MECMA, holder of deposit repayment claims, in insolvency proceedings of Bulgarian bank CCB.
- Assisted Total Energies in defense to several claw back actions before foreign courts on the basis of Article 16 of the European Insolvency Regulation.
Financial engineering (special situations, fiducie, derivatives, Fintechs)
- Assisted Telecom Invest in the establishment of a management trust with Natixis.
- Assisted Assicurazioni Generali in a European cash pooling.
- Assisetd a large foreign bank creditor in the safeguard proceeding of Rallye.
- Assisted several major English and American investment banks on their collateralised prime brokerage documentation.
- Assisted Two European banks in setting up deposit raising platforms in collaboration with a German fintech.
- Assisted ProBtp in the outsourcing of the management of its equities tier 1 coverage.
- Assisted a company operating crypto-assets exchange platform in its contractual documentation in France.
- Assisted an international consortium of telecommunications operators MECMA in insolvency proceedings of Bulgarian bank CCB.
Litigation and arbitration
- Assisted a Libyan Sovereign Wealth Fund in a dispute to relating the equity financing of Quinta Communications
- Assisted SOCRIF and SOFIAP (SNCF group bank) in a dispute relating to the central body and governance of Crédit Immobilier de France
- Assited several large French companies defending in claw back proceedings before foreign courts on the basis of Article 16 of the European Insolvency Regulation
- Assited a Tunisian oil group in ICC arbitration dispute between shareholders relating to intra-group financing
News Flash: Draft ordinance transposing CRD VI Directive in France on track: Navigating impact on cross-border lending by third-country institutions
The draft French ordinance transposing the CRD VI Directive is on track! Jean-Francois Adelle and Chuanyu Fan examine the impact on non-EU institutions providing cross-border lending in France, highlighting in particular the new set of exemptions from the French banking monopoly, including reverse solicitation. This News Flash streamlines : • The new framework applicable to third-country institutions […]
Jeantet advises Sinia Renovables (specialized subsidiary of Banco Sabadell) and Enersos Wind IV (group Sydis) on the financing of a wind project in previllers (Haut-de-France)
Paris, February 2026 – Jeantet acted as lead counsel and French legal adviser to Sinia Renovables, S.A.U., specialized subsidiary of Banco Sabadell, and to Enersos Wind IV S.L.U., a company of the group Soluciones y Desarrollos de Ingeniería y Servicios S.L. (SYDIS), in connection with a wind project financing located in northern France, governed by […]
| BANK-FINANCE-REGULATORY | TAX | PUBLIC LAW – PUBLIC CONTRACTS
A closer look at the Euro PP, USPP and schulschein standard, based on their standad documentation, IGTA Winter Journal 2024/2025
A closer look at the Euro PP, USPP and schulschein standard, based on their standad documentation, IGTA Winter Journal 2024/2025
Jeantet advises a consortium of banks on the financing of the acquisition and refurbishment of hotel Paris-Charles de Gaulle by LUITEN VAN DER VALK GROUP
Paris, July 23, 2025 – Jeantet has advised ING BANK N.V., COÖPERATIEVE RABOBANK U.A. and ABN AMRO BANK N.V., in connection with a structured secured financing to LUITEN VAN DER VALK hotel and leisure group for the acquisition of the SHIR, a company owning the Atrium Hotel & Conference Centre Paris – Charles de Gaulle, […]
Paris | BANK-FINANCE-REGULATORY
A Closer Look at the EURO PP, USPP and SCHULDSCHEIN Standard, Based on their Standard Documentation
Three major bond or quasi-bond disintermediated financing instruments have particularly attracted issuers’ and borrowers’ interest on the french market in recent years: US private placements (“USPP”), Schuldscheindarlehen (“SSD”, Schuldschein, promissory note based loan placements) and Euro private placements (“Euro PP”). Read the article: here
Paris
Structuring Secured Debt, Enforcing Security, and Navigating Secured Claims through the Lenses of Financial Restructuring in France: Lessons from the security and workout reforms of 2021 and recent large case precedents
Jean-François Adelle, partner, conducted a webinar with Sara El Mouttaqi, associate, on the topic: “Structuring Secured Debt, Enforcing Security, and Navigating Secured Claims through the Lenses of Financial Restructuring in France: Lessons from the security and workout reforms of 2021 and recent large case precedents”. Key Points discussed: 1. The introduction of a new classes […]
Paris | BANKING AND FINANCE LAW
Derivatives Guide 2025 French Chapter, ICLG, June 2025
Derivatives Guide 2025 French Chapter, ICLG, June 2025
Jeantet has assisted NatWest Markets plc in connection with a €240 Million NAV Line to Clarion Partners Europe
16 December 2024 The Facility includes sustainability features which align with built environment decarbonisation ambitions of both businesses. Clarion Partners Europe, the real estate investment fund manager specialising in European logistics and industrial assets, has agreed to a €240 million NAV Line facility with NatWest for one of its co-mingled funds, which reports under Article […]
Paris | BANKING AND FINANCE LAW
“Secured claims in French restructurings: lessons from the 2021 reforms and recent large case precedents”, JIBFL, november 2024
The treatment of secured claims in restructuring and insolvency is paramount for secured lenders whose risk-taking is based primarily on the quality of their collateral and its effectiveness in future restructuring scenarios and insolvency proceedings. Read the article : here
Paris | BANK-FINANCE-REGULATORY
Fintech: how is the world shaping the financial innovation industry? (2024) – IBA Banking & Financial Law Committee – France
In France, there is no single set of regulation for fintechs. There is also no legal definition of fintechs. They are generally considered to be companies carrying innovative technologies in digital, artificial intelligence and data processing (big data) applied to the finance industry, where they play a role of accelerator of change, often disruptive. Read […]
| BANK-FINANCE-REGULATORY
Jeantet advises STANDARD BANK OF SOUTH AFRICA on a bespoke structured financing
Paris, February 2024 – Jeantet assisted Standard Bank of South Africa on a bespoke and innovatively structured financing solution to facilitate the acquisition of a company specializing in the energy sector and developing a project in Kenya by French infrastructure funds Standard Bank Group is the largest African bank by assets with a unique footprint […]
Paris | BANK-FINANCE-REGULATORY
Jeantet advises Apollo in the context of the signing of a definitive agreement to provide EUR 500 million quasi-equity financing to Air France-KLM’s engineering and maintenance (MRO) activities
Paris, July 17, 2023 – Jeantet has advised Apollo Global Management in the context of the signing of a definitive agreement for a EUR 500 million quasi-equity financing into an operating affiliate entity of Air France owning a pool of components dedicated to Air France’s engineering and maintenance (MRO) activities. Apollo Global Management and Air […]
Paris | CORPORATE – M&A – PRIVATE EQUITY | BANK-FINANCE-REGULATORY | RESTRUCTURING – LAW OF COMPANIES IN DIFFICULTY | TAX