Laura Bavoux is a partner in Proskauer’s Restructuring & Special Situations group in Paris.
Laura advises companies, sponsors, shareholders, debt funds and lenders across the full life cycle of stressed and special situations, from complex restructurings to the much earlier stage when refinancing, liquidity and capital structure issues first arise, well before a situation becomes distressed.
Having spent much of her career advising companies and sponsors, she has developed a deep understanding of how special situations unfold from inside businesses facing operational and financial pressure. She also works closely with debt funds and lenders, drawing on Proskauer’s market-leading private credit platform. Drawing on extensive experience acting for both debtors and creditors, she advises each side with equal credibility and insight often a decisive advantage in complex negotiations.
Her practice covers amicable proceedings (mandat ad hoc and conciliation), court-supervised restructurings, LBO debt restructurings, distressed M&A transactions, governance disputes and lender-borrower conflicts, including cross-border matters involving French stakeholders.
Laura regularly writes and speaks on the evolving role of private credit in European restructurings and special situations. She is recognized by Legal 500, Leaders League and IFLR1000.
Most recent publications:
Le private credit dans les restructurations françaises : d’apporteur de liquidités à acteur de gouvernance ? , Mars 2026
Education
- University of Paris I, Pantheon Sorbonne, M.A.
- University of Glasgow, LL.M.
Memberships
Association for Business Recovery (ARE)
Women in Restructuring (WIR)
Association of Young Restructuring Professionals (AJR)
Awards & Recognition
Legal 500 EMEA (France): Insolvency, 2026
Leaders League (France): “Restructuring & insolvency : Board of companies and shareholders - Upper mid & large-cap”, 2026
Leaders League (France): “Restructuring & insolvency : LBO transactions in difficulty”, 2026
The Legal 500 EMEA (France): “Insolvency”, Next Generation Partner / Grand Avocat de Demain, 2025-2026
Best Lawyers in France: One to Watch - Insolvency and Reorganization Law, 2026 (recognized since 2022)
IFLR1000 (France): “Restructuring and insolvency“, Notable practitioner, 2025
Option Droit & Affaires: “Procédures collectives”, 2025
Option Droit & Affaires: “Prévention des difficultés et renégociation de dette”, 2025
Languages
- English
- French
Matters
Previous experience includes advising:
- Advised a French industrial group specializing in bridge engineering and crossing solutions on the restructuring of its financial indebtedness and the raising of new financing.
- Advised a unitranche lender on the financial restructuring and acquisition of control of a healthcare group through the consensual enforcement of its security interests.
- Advised a Tier 1 automotive supplier on the restructuring of its financial indebtedness, the withdrawal of a key automotive partner and the closure of a dedicated manufacturing site.
- Advised Ocean Peak Capital on the acquisition of various entities of the ACI group.
- Advised Telma Group on the acquisition of the assets and business of Aviatube*
- Advised a sponsor on the financial restructuring of a portfolio company operating in the strategic sovereignty, defense and security sectors.
- Haier in connection with the contemplated distressed acquisition of Brandt.*
- OG Clean Fuels BV and Pioneer Point Partners, in connection with the prepack distressed acquisition of Proviridis.*
- Qualcomm Inc. in connection with the takeover of the assets of UPMEM.*
- Valco in connection with its financial and judicial restructuring .*
- Intersport in connection with the distressed acquisition of Go Sport.*
- The Judicial Administrators of Ciel Group, in connection with the consensual lease restructurings of the group Lion Air (without any safeguard/receivership plan sanctioned by the Court).*
- Tricon Energy, in connection with the contemplated distressed acquisition of Emeraude.*
- NJJ Presse Sud, in connection with the contemplated acquisition of the newspaper “La Provence” and the related litigation.*
- Corsair, in connection with its financial and shareholding restructuring following the COVID-19 pandemic.*
- Arc Holdings, in connection with different financial restructurings.*
- Rallye, the holding company of the Casino Group, in connection with its financial restructuring.*
- Sonia Rykiel, in connection with its financial and judicial restructuring.*
- The ad hoc committee of shareholders in connection with the restructuring of the debt and equity of the listed French oil services company CGG, one of the largest financial restructurings in France with USD 3 billion of indebtedness, and the first restructuring conducted simultaneously under French court-supervised proceedings (safeguard) and U.S. proceedings (Chapter 11 and Chapter 15)*
*Aforementioned matters handled at prior firm.