Sonia Bouaffassa
Overview
Sonia Bouaffassa is a tax partner in the Paris office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Sonia focuses on French and international tax planning and structuring in the context of cross-border private equity, M&A and restructuring transactions. Sonia also has experience in the tax aspects of corporate reorganisations and debt finance.
Sonia is recognised by ITR World Tax (2024) as “Highly Regarded” and The Legal 500 EMEA (2023) as a “recommended lawyer”, with clients describing her as “efficient” and “creative”, with an ability to “innovate and resolve difficulties while maintaining a concern for sustainable and reliable tax structures.”
Experience
Representative Matters
Since joining Kirkland, Sonia has worked on the following matters, advising:
- Atlas Luxco to announce $8 billion financing of public tender offers to take Millicom private
- Iliad to complete the high yield bond offerings of $1.8 billion and liability management transaction
- Gallant Capital on the acquisition of Fime and its combination with UL Solutions’ payments testing business
- KKR-backed April to complete €1.4 billion refinancing
- Parts Europe on its €1.2 billion refinancing
- SK Capital Partners on the $538 million sale of IPACKCHEM
- Vantiva Technologies on the implementation of an €85 million bridge facility
- Banijay to complete €910 million bond refinancing
- IDEMIA Group on the amendment and extension of its revolving credit facility and cross-border TLB facilities
- HgCapital on its majority investment in Nomadia
- Thomas H. Lee Partners and Frazier Healthcare Partners on the sale of Adare Biome
- Nordic-backed ArisGlobal on the acquisition of Amplexor Life Sciences
- Banijay Group to amend, extend and upsize its senior secured debt
- Warburg Pincus and ArchiMed on the sale of Polyplus
- Core Equity Holdings and the Provalliance Group on its refinancing
- Univar on a Global ABL Credit Facility
- Technicolor on the spinoff and listing of its creative visual arts services division
- Clearwater Analytics on the acquisition of JUMP Technology
- Parts Europe on its new €180 million super senior revolving credit facility entered into in connection with the acquisition of Parts Holding Europe by D’Ieteren Group S.A.
- Fortius, a portfolio company of Warburg Pincus, on the acquisition of Once For All (Attestation Légale)
- IVC Evidensia, a portfolio company of EQT Private Equity, on the acquisition of VetOne group
- Ares on the acquisition of a majority stake in Point Vision Group from Abenex
- IVC Evidensia, a portfolio company of EQT Private Equity, on the acquisition of a majority stake in Veternity
- Goldman Sachs and other shareholders of Talentsoft on the sale of Talentsoft
- Continental Grain Company on its strategic investment in Cérélia
- InPost S.A. on the €565 million proposed acquisition of Mondial Relay
- Technicolor on the tax aspects of its successful comprehensive financial restructuring
- Providence Equity Partners on the exclusive negotiations relating to the potential acquisition of a majority stake in Groupe La Centrale
- Trinseo on the €1.137 billion contemplated acquisition of Arkema’s PMMA business
- Appfire, a portfolio company of Silversmith Capital Partners, on its acquisition of Innovalog
- The Arc group (“Arc”), the world leader in tableware, on the reorganization of its financial structure
- Warburg Pincus on its investment in Polyplus, a developer of innovative and cost-effective technology used in gene and cell therapy
Prior to joining Kirkland, Sonia worked on the following matters, advising:
- the founder and managers of the Euro Techno Com group in connection with Carlyle’s investment
- Dentressangle in connection with the acquisition of the Actéon group
- Weinberg Capital Partners on the reorganization of the share capital of Adit and the subsequent sale of the group to Parquest Capital
- Cerea and Ardian, co-investors, in connection with the acquisition of Mademoiselle Dessert by IK Investment Partners
- InVivo Retail (Gamm Vert / Delbard) in connection with the acquisition of Jardiland from L-Gam
- Alchemy in connection with the sale of the JOA group
- the Ethypharm group on the refinancing of its unitranche debt by Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan and the acquisition of DBA
- the Ethypharm group on its acquisition by PAI from Astorg
- the lenders in relation to the restructuring of the debt and takeover of the Desmet Ballestra group by its senior lenders
- Private Theory in relation to the debt restructuring and take-over of Arc International
- the senior lenders in relation to the restructuring of the debt and takeover of the Winoa group
- ICG in relation to the debt restructuring and takeover of the Parkeon group
Prior Experience
De Pardieu Brocas Maffei, Paris
- Counsel, 2017–2019
Ashurst LLP, Paris
- Senior Associate, 2012–2017
STC Partners, Paris
- Associate, 2008–2012
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Credentials
Admissions & Qualifications
- Avocat à la Cour (France)
Languages
- English
- French
Education
- University of Nancy IIMaster II, Business Law & Taxation2005