LBO & buyouts

Take over or hand over with controlled leverage.

MBO, MBI, OBO, build-up: leveraged transactions make it possible to transmit, acquire or grow a company by mobilising debt and the right partners. We structure them at your side, from set-up to closing.

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Your situation

Four structures, four owner projects

Behind the LBO acronym lie very different realities. The right structure is the one that serves your project — not the other way round.

Hand over to your managers (MBO)

Your managers know the company and want to take it over. An MBO organises this succession, reconciling the seller's price with the team's financing capacity, supported by debt and often a minority fund.

Secure your wealth while staying in charge (OBO)

An OBO lets you sell part of the capital to a holding company you control, turn part of your professional wealth into cash — and keep running the business, with a new partner on board.

Acquire a company to run it (MBI)

You want to buy an SME and lead it. We validate the target, structure the financing and support the negotiation — with an investor's eye on your side.

Grow through acquisitions (build-up)

Backed by a fund or your own holding company, a build-up finances a consolidation strategy: identifying, valuing and integrating targets while preserving the group's financial balance.

Our method

Structure the deal, then finance it

A successful LBO rests on the balance between price, debt and project. We build all three together.

01

Scoping & valuation

Analysis of the target or of your company, valuation, sustainable debt capacity: the realistic scope of the transaction, before any discussion.

02

Deal structuring

Holding architecture, equity/debt mix, management package, shareholders' agreement: a clear, robust structure that stands up in front of financing partners.

03

Finding the partners

Banks, investment funds, private debt: relevant financers put in competition to obtain the best terms — pricing, covenants, governance.

04

Negotiation & due diligence

Negotiation of financing offers and of the purchase agreement, steering of due diligence alongside your usual advisers, timetable kept under control.

05

Closing & beyond

Signing, drawdown of financing, governance put in place. After closing, managing debt repayment begins: we stay at your side.

What advisory changes

A deal is negotiated on every floor

Price, debt, agreement, package: every parameter shifts your final position. Looking at them together avoids winning on one what you lose on the other.

The price/debt balance held

Too high a price is paid for in suffocating covenants. We calibrate debt the business can repay without strangling the company — or your project.

Your shareholder position protected

Shareholders' agreement, governance, exit clauses, management package: what will determine your situation in five years is negotiated now.

Competition organised

Funds and banks put in competition at the right moment: the most effective lever to improve your financing terms.

Frequently asked questions

What business owners ask us first

What is an LBO in practice?

A holding company buys the business by combining equity and borrowings; the debt is then repaid out of the company's profits. Leverage makes it possible to acquire a company worth more than the equity available.

What is the difference between MBO, MBI and OBO?

An MBO is a buyout by the existing managers, an MBI a buyout by an external manager, and an OBO a sale to yourself through a holding company, releasing cash while staying in charge. The financial structure is similar; the human project is very different.

How much equity do you need for an LBO?

It depends on the profitability and stability of the target: the more recurring the cash flows, the more room for debt. Equity can be supplemented by a fund or a vendor loan — each deal finds its own balance.

Does an OBO really let me stay in charge?

Yes — that is its principle: you remain the manager and reference shareholder while having secured part of your wealth. The terms — governance, the partner's exit horizon — are negotiated in the shareholders' agreement.

How long does an LBO take?

In the region of 6 to 9 months from scoping to closing, depending on the complexity of the structure and the number of partners to bring to the table.

Confidential first conversation

Your project deserves a structure built to measure

Thirty minutes to understand your situation and tell you whether leverage can serve your project — with no commitment.

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