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Sonia de Kondserovsky

Sonia de Kondserovsky

Partner
Sonia is an excellent adviser in M&A transactions and negotiations in life sciences. Her expertise, calm and capacity to adjust to difficult situations or environment was very much appreciated.
Client, Chambers Europe 2023
About

Sonia de Kondserovsky is dual-qualified from the Paris and Madrid bars and was raised in the United Kingdom. She has 22 years of experience in advising corporations on complex, domestic and cross-border, public and private mergers and acquisitions, with a particular focus on regulated industries. Her experience covers over 20 jurisdictions, including emerging markets (Latin America, Africa, China and Vietnam).

In addition, Sonia heads the Paris life sciences practice and advises pharmaceutical and medical device companies on domestic and cross-border public and private acquisitions and divestments (share interests, marketed products and manufacturing sites), on joint ventures, strategic partnerships, product development (R&D and clinical trials agreements), strategic collaborations and licenses, industrial agreements (manufacturing and supply agreements), distribution agreements, and regulatory matters in connection with M&A transactions in the sector (transfer of marketing authorizations and interim distribution of products in the EU).

Professional QualificationsAbogada registered with Ilustre Colegio de Abogados de MadridAvocat admitted to the Paris Bar

EXPERIENCE

Corporate transactions

  • Advising BIC in connection with the acquisition of Advanced Magentic Interraction.
  • Advising SpendHQ (US, Atlanta) regarding the purchase of procurement performance management specialist Per Angusta SAS.
  • Advising Renault on the sale of its car distribution business in 7 jurisdictions (Sweden, Denmark, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Croatia).
  • Advising Société Générale on its participation in a Cap Gemini/Credit Agricole joint-venture named “Azqore”.
  • Advising Société Générale group affiliate ALD on the negotiation of a JV in Thailand with Bangkok Mitsubishi HC Capital Co., Ltd and Mitsubishi HC Capital Inc.
  • Advising Emergent Biotechnologies regarding its acquisition of a JV stake and a portfolio of products from Sanofi.
  • Advising ALD, a subsidiary of Société Générale specialising in operational vehicle leasing and fleet management, in the context of the acquisition of Bansabadell Renting.
  • Advising Pierre Fabre on the sale of two production units near Pau and Saint-Julien-en-Genevois to Fareva.
  • Advising Société Générale on its acquisition of Shine, a French fintech and neobank dedicated to entrepreneurs.
  • Advising Société Générale on its acquisition of Treezor, a French fintech with pioneering Banking-as-a-Service platforms, providing services across the entire payment chain through API to many innovative financial-sector companies.
  • Advising ALD Automotive (part of the Société Générale group) on its joint-venture with Mitsubishi, establishing a multi-brand, full service operational leasing and fleet management business for corporate clients in Malaysia, this strategic partnership should facilitate the group’s development in all the key markets of South East Asia.
  • Advising ALD Automotive on its acquisition of SternLease BV in the Netherlands, the leasing arm of Stern Group, the Dutch listed market leader in automotive retail.
  • Advising ALD Automotive on its acquisition of Reflex Alquiler Flexible de Vehiculos in Spain.
  • Advising AON on a number of acquisitions, including the acquisition of Apollo Conseil & Courtage, a specialist broker providing insurance to companies operating in new technologies, the acquisition of Chapka Assurances, a specialist broker of online travel insurance, the acquisition of Ovatio, a specialist broker in entertainment risk management.
  • Advising Coca-Cola in the context of its acquisition of Tropico.
  • Advising Alcatel-Lucent on a number of matters including: the sale of its cyber security and legal interception businesses to Thales; the sale of its worldwide RFS business to Alcatel Shanghai Bell (China); the sale of its EUR200 million sale of its worldwide Adixen business to Pfeiffer; and the EUR145 million sale of its worldwide Dunkermotoren business to Triton and on its acquisition of Velocix.
  • Advising Allianz on the transactional merger of its French affiliates with German parent company.

Life Sciences transactions

Sonia de Kondserovsky has been the lead lawyer with respect to the following transactions:

  • Advising Groupe Pierre Fabre, an international pharmaceutical and dermo-cosmetic group, on its sale to Fareva of two manufacturing sites, specialized in development, manufacturing, and subcontracting of small scale biotechnology products (with a focus on monoclonal antibodies and antibody drug conjugate active pharmaceutical ingredients) and small scale batches of fill-and-finish sterile injectables, the transaction included several spin-offs to newly created entities.
  • Advising Groupe Pierre Fabre, on its strategic collaboration with Foresee regarding R&D and industrial development of pre-filled syringe products.
  • Advising Japan-based global pharmaceutical group Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. several transactions, including on its purchase of rights for ophthalmic drugs in Japan, Asia/Pacific and Europe from Merck & Co. for USD600 million and on its public tender offer on Novagali (Euronext C) and subsequent squeeze out.
  • Advising a major French pharmaceuticals group on various transactions, including the sale of its Quétigny manufacturing site, the USD300 million sale of worldwide marketed products to a US pharmaceutical group; several spinoffs to private equity funded joint-venture companies, followed by a majority holding held by a syndicate of investors; a USD315 million collaboration and license agreement with a Japanese laboratory, and the split and sale of several product manufacturing sites.
  • Advising Becton Dickinson on its French corporate restructuring in the context of the transfer of its respiratory solutions business to Vyaire Medical, a newly created joint venture.
  •  Advising Terumo Corporation on its acquisition of Bolton Medical SAS.
  • Advising Nordic Pharma on its strategic collaboration and license with Nippon Kayaku on Spanidin® (gusperimus) in selected territories outside Japan, including Europe.
  • Advising Innothéra on its strategic partnership with Bioserenity for the R&D and industrial development of connected medical devices.

Languages
  • French
  • Spanish
  • Russian
  • English
Education
  • University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas, Post graduate degree in business and tax law (DEA de droit des affaires et fiscalité), with honors, 1992
  • University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas, Masters degree in business and tax law (Maîtrise de droit des affaires et fiscalité), with honors, 1991

Recognitions

Team Recognitions

  • Legal 500 - Industry Focus: Healthcare And Life Sciences - Tier 2 - 2023
  • Chambers Europe – Life sciences / Healthcare : Corporate – Band 3 – 2023 

Individual Recognitions

  • Chambers Europe – Pharma/Life Sciences : Corporate – Band 3 – 2023
  • Best Lawyers – Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice; Mergers and Acquisitions Law – 2020-24
  • Sonia is commercially savvy as well as very knowledgeable about contracts in the life sciences and pharmaceutical sectors.", Chambers, 2023

Publications

Legal doctrine

  • "The reform of French Contract law and its impact on mergers and acquisitions", Revue de Droit Bancaire et Financier - Revue Bimestrielle Lexis Nexis/Jurisclasseur
  • "The Reform of French Contract Law in an M&A context: revolution or status quo?", Journal of International Banking and Finance law
  • "International and Transnational Mergers", Actes Pratiques
  • "Contributions under the spin off regime", Jurisclasseur Commercial

Press publications

  • "M&A transactions in the pharmaceutical sector", Les Echos
  • "Lock-Boxes in distressed M&A transactions", Les Echos
  • Healthcare & Digital Transformation article, Les Echos Executives, Fusions et Acquisitions Magazine, July 2019
  • Chapter "Healthcare & Digital Transformation", DLA Piper Digital Guide: Impact on Sectors, Lettre des Juristes d’Affaires (LJA), April 2019
  • Chapter "Santé & transformation numérique”, Livre blanc: Le numérique et ses déclinaisons sectorielles, Lettre des Juristes d’Affaires (LJA), March 2019

Seminars

Sonia lectures in the Business Law Master II of Paris II University.

Memberships And Affiliations

  • American Bar Association
  • Institut Français des Administrateurs
  • France Biotech

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