by matt | Apr 4, 2025 | deals
Fairway advised the joint venture formed by Foncière Renaissance and Mimco on the transactional and financing aspects of the acquisition of 48 Notre-Dame des Victoires (Paris 2nd arrondissement) from Pontegadea. Foncière Renaissance and Mimco won the tender, which had attracted 30 letters of interest. This 7417m² building, which has been completely vacant since the departure of the Banque de France, will undergo a major restructuring before being leased to one or more tenants.
by matt | Mar 31, 2025 | news, Uncategorized
Fairway is pleased to be ranked in 3 practice areas in the Legal 500 EMEA 2025 rankings : real estate (Top tier), Environment (Band 3) and Tax (Band 5).
In addition, six of our lawyers are ranked in the real estate section : Aubry d’Argenlieu, Frédéric Lefébure (Hall of Fame), Alexandre Poupard, David Franco (Leading Partners), Franck Denis (Next Generation Partner) and Aurore du Marais (Leading Associate).
Legal 500 Editorial commentary :
Praised as a ‘specialist team in real estate, Fairway A.A.R.P.I. is well equipped to handle property development, financing, and tax matters. Aubry d’Argenlieu is well versed in leasing, and Frédéric Lefébure is skilled in the corporate aspects of real estate transactions, while David Franco handles financing. Franck Denis is highly regarded in the office, hotel, and residential sectors, and Cloé Teisson was promoted to partner in July 2024. Aurore de Marais, Mary Dutton, and Fanny Roiena are also key members of the team.
The environment and sustainable development practice group at Fairway A.A.R.P.I. addresses environmental law issues linked to real estate or corporate transactions within the industrial activities and renewable energy industries. Juliette Bril, who heads the team, has in-depth expertise in industrial regulations and real estate-related environmental law issues.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials :
‘They are a specialist team in real estate, with a full scope of services.’
‘They are very well connected to the French market, and the firm is on top of industry trends. They are very knowledgeable about our investment strategies and way of working.’
‘The Fairway team stands out for its unique combination of in-depth technical skills and a genuine sense of partnership with its clients. Their strength lies in their detailed knowledge of market dynamics and real estate law. They adapt their solutions according to the files and different interlocutors, offering a seamless “one-stop shop” experience.’
‘They are responsive, pragmatic, business-oriented, and have a 360-degree vision. It is a real pleasure to have them as advisers.’
‘Aubry d’Argenlieu is a key figure in the real estate sector. He has participated in all the market’s major structuring operations over the last 25 years.’
‘Franck Denis and his team are available, attentive, and deeply client-focused. They possess strong market knowledge, especially in real estate development, and have a business-oriented approach. Their innovative solutions demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the sector.’
‘David Franco is responsive, proactive, and an excellent strategist and negotiator. His ability to structure complex transactions and his deep understanding of real estate market dynamics make him an indispensable ally.’
‘Frédéric Lefébure combines a wide range of legal skills with a pragmatic approach. He is a deal-maker who prioritises client interests while maintaining constructive relations with counterparts.’
‘Responsiveness, availability, operational efficiency, pragmatism. Management of complex subjects. Digitalization.’
‘Juliette Bril: Responsiveness, availability, operational efficiency, pragmatism, results-oriented. Management of complex subjects.’
‘I have been a client of Juliette Bril for 20 years and I always use her services as she excels in Environmental Law and particularly in the Law of Classified Installations for the Protection of the Environment (ICPE).’
‘A team that is available, attentive to issues, experienced, proactive and innovative.’
‘When it comes to tax law, Emmanuel Galifer provides high-level advice and client support.’
‘Emmanuel Galifer is well regarded.’
‘I would like to highlight Fairway’s responsiveness, availability, and clarity in its explanations in a specialty like taxation, which is quite abstract for many.’
‘Personally, I was able to work directly and regularly with Mr. Galifer. It is very valuable to have access to the partner of the specialty in addition to the team members as this allows for increased fluidity in the discussions.’
‘Fairway’s tax team is competitive and responsive.’
by matt | Feb 13, 2025 | news
Fairway is ranked for the thirteenth consecutive year in the Chambers guide published by Chambers and Partners.
Fairway’s real estate department is ranked Band 2 in the real estate section.
Moreover, Chambers France has single out the skills of 6 of our partners (Frédéric Lefébure, Aubry d’Argenlieu, David Franco, Juliette Bril, Emmanuel Galifer and Franck Denis) in 4 different practices (Real Estate, Real Estate Finance, Environment and Real Estate Tax).
The Chambers review of the firm :
“Fairway offers a well-reputed real estate practice covering all aspects of real estate including M&A, leases and litigation. The team boasts particular expertise in real estate financing, representing a broad range of clients, including listed and non-listed real estate companies, investment funds and insurance companies. Lawyers in the practice are experienced in hospitality and office real estate matters.”
Fairway is very homogeneous and has a very agile team. I find that the lawyers are professional, friendly, available and very trustworthy.
I appreciate the team’s availability, their responsiveness and the fact that our agenda is respected. The lawyers have good business acumen and can negotiate well.
Fairway’s team is distinguished by deep technical expertise and a very strong commitment to client satisfaction. The team stand out for their personalised and attentive approach.
The Chambers review of our lawyers :
Frédéric Lefébure (Band 2 – real estate section) acts on a range of complex transactions involving retail and mixed-use assets. His clients include prominent real estate investors and developers.
Frédéric is an excellent lawyer with extensive experience and knowledge.
I like Frédéric’s pragmatic approach and the trust we have in him.
He is highly technical, competent and has a good approach to client care.
Aubry D’Argenlieu (Band 2 – real estate section) advises corporates and investors on acquisitions and lease negotiations. He is active across a diverse class of assets, including supermarkets, hotels and warehouses.
I found Aubry very good and charismatic. He has a deal-maker mindset and is very good at defending our interests.
Aubry is a very smart lawyer. He always has the best out-of-the-box ideas and comes up with good solutions.
Aubry D’Argenlieu is simply remarkable in his role.
David Franco (Band 2 – real estate finance section) moves up the rankings this year on the back of market recognition. He assists with the financing of major real estate transactions. He represents insurance companies, private equity funds and investment firms.
David provided good support. He is a business-savvy lawyer who can find solutions very quickly.
David is very pragmatic and intelligent. He has a good vision and can find a good solution.
Franck Denis (Up & coming – real estate section) boasts expertise in lease negotiations and construction matters.
Franck is an excellent adviser, I can only warmly recommend him.
Franck Denis is a great expert with strong communication skills and good sense of humour, which is important in negotiations.
Juliette Bril (Band 3 – environment section) of Fairway advises on industrial site contamination and remediation matters. She also assists with renewable energy and waste-related mandates.
I had a very good experience with her. She is an expert in her field and I find her nice and constructive.
She is very efficient and always available to talk. I really enjoy working with her.
She is very business-oriented; she’s very good at finding solutions and closing deals. She was very good at taking care of our interests.
Emmanuel Galifer (Band 3 – real estate tax section) of Fairway regularly advises on the tax aspects of real estate acquisitions as well as property investments and cross-border portfolios.
He offers good advice and clear analysis of the French tax framework and its impacts on the sector.
Emmanuel gives fine and precise analysis.
Emmanuel Galifer is an excellent professional who delivers quality advice that fully take into account the risks, including on complex cases. He also has excellent interpersonal skills.
by matt | Dec 16, 2024 | deals
Fairway advised the shareholders of Atout-Box, one of the leading self-storage companies in the Occitanie region, on the sale of Atout Box to a fund managed by Ardian.
Atout-Box was founded in 2010 with a first center of almost 1,600 m² in Montpellier. By 2024, the company will have 7 storage centers totalling some 40,000 m2 of storage space. It employs around thirty people. Atout-Box has also developed complementary services such as coworking for businesses, daily removal truck rental, and dedicated areas for the delivery of heavy goods.
With the support of Ardian and its experience in acquisitions and asset management, Atout-Box will continue its nationwide geographic expansion through the acquisition and development of self-storage sites.
“We are delighted to start this new adventure with Ardian. Their experience in asset management and real estate will enable us to continue to expand throughout France and become a major player in the self-storage market. Our know-how in customer relations and our expertise in the operational management of large-scale centers will ensure this development. Faithful to its values and with its in-depth knowledge of its markets, Atout-Box will continue to expand throughout France, and we’re delighted about that. Jean-Baptiste Bertrand, President, Atout-Box.
by matt | Dec 13, 2024 | deals
Fairway advised Pithos Capital in setting up a joint venture with PGIM Real Estate to build a portfolio of self-storage assets across France. The venture will develop buildings from the buyout and the repositioning of existing assets; conversions of obsolete light industrial and retail assets; as well as greenfield developments. The venture will operate under the leading Swiss-based self-storage brand, Zebrabox. To date, this joint venture has secured six assets and has a strong pipeline of identified acquisitions.
Alexandre Hamaide, managing director and co-founder of Pithos Capital, comments: “Self-storage has historically outperformed other real estate asset classes even in the toughest of times, and the French market is very under-supplied versus comparable markets like the UK, presenting a compelling investment opportunity. Our investment proposition for Zebrabox is to build an institutional-grade French self-storage portfolio through a programmatic aggregation of assets in targeted geographical locations.”
