Sonia Bouaffassa

Associate Tax

Paris +33 188 245 713

Sonia Bouaffassa

Overview

Sonia Bouaffassa is a tax associate 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 The Legal 500 EMEA (2021) as “key support”, with clients describing her as “expert in tax matters” who is able to “take into account other key areas in the context of a transaction”.

Since joining Kirkland, Sonia has worked on the following matters, advising:

  • 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

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