International law firm Reed Smith has announced the appointment of Marc Fredj to its partnership. Marc and his team (associates Kenza Margaoui and Nadia Nevzi) join the firm's corporate group in Paris from Simmons & Simmons.

Marc specialises in private equity and cross border M&A, as well as general company and commercial law. Many of his clients are active in the renewable energy and life sciences sectors, where Marc has developed a strong reputation. Marc has acted for domestic and international producers in wind farm portfolio acquisitions (including debt financing) and provides M&A, regulatory and project development advice in the solar sector. In the life sciences sector, Marc has acted for UK and US pharmaceutical companies in French acquisitions and for French companies on US and international joint ventures.

James Wilkinson, partner and head of Reed Smith's European and Middle East corporate group, commented:

"Our corporate team in Paris (led by Lucas D'Orgeval, Philippe Lecler and Emmanuel Vergnaud) has a growing reputation in the Paris private equity market in particular. The arrival of Marc and his team will enhance our corporate offering and enable us to tap into the increasing demand for private equity advice in the renewable energy and life sciences sectors."

Benoit Charot, office managing partner of Reed Smith's Paris office, commented:

"Just two years ago our corporate team in Paris had seven lawyers, with the arrival of Marc and his team we now have eleven lawyers specialising in M&A and capital investment. It's an exciting time for our Paris office, which we plan to expand further, and we're delighted to have such a dynamic team join us."

Marc Fredj added:

"The strength of Reed Smith's international network and its excellent reputation in the energy sector will enable me to continue to assist my clients with their projects in Europe, the United States, the Middle East and Asia."

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Note to Editors:

About Marc Fredj
After spending three years in the capital investment department at Salans, in 2003 Marc Fredj joined the M&A / corporate department of Simmons & Simmons, where he became partner in 2008.

About Kenza Margaoui
Kenza has been a member of the New York bar since 2006 and the Paris bar since 2007, she joined Simmons & Simmons in September 2007 after two years at Shearman & Sterling in Paris and Singapore. She specializes in cross-border M&A transactions for industrial clients and in capital investment, particularly in LBO and MBO transactions. She has also worked on numerous projects in the renewable energy sector.

About Nadia Nevzi
Nadia has been a member of the Paris bar since 2007, she joined the M&A/corporate department of Simmons & Simmons in the same year. She has significant experience in M&A and particularly on purchase and sale transactions, and restructuring and external growth transactions on the behalf of publicly-listed and privately-held industrial groups and investment funds. Furthermore, Nadia Nevzi has developed a specific expertise in the area of renewable energy, an area in which she has advised both French and international stakeholders in the sector in a large number of transactions.

About Reed Smith

Reed Smith is a global law firm, with 23 offices and more than 1,600 lawyers in offices across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the United States.

For further information please visit www.reedsmith.com or contact Jeyda Star (PR Manager EME) on +44 (0)20 3116 2571.