Jerome Levrat

Jérôme Levrat specialises in corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, commercial law, contract matters and competition law.

He regularly advises companies (including in the industrial, distribution, health, finance and energy sectors) in international and national M&A transactions, private equity matters, corporate restructurings and relocations (headquarters transfers, cross-border mergers, split-ups, transformations, asset transfers, etc.).

Jérôme has solid experience in regards to commercial contract law (in particular joint ventures and shareholders agreements), with a particular focus on distribution contracts and issues related to customer compensation. He also assists clients in all proceedings with the competition authorities (merger control and investigations).

Jérôme Levrat studied law at the Universities of Fribourg and Berlin (FUB, Allemagne). After graduating magna cum laude, he worked as a teaching assistant in the Department of Contract Law at the University of Fribourg. Afterwards he completed a traineeship with the Court of Justice of the canton of Geneva and then with a leading Swiss arbitration law firm. Admitted to the bar in 2008 (ranked third), he worked for five years in a prominent business law firm in Geneva before joining CMS as a Senior Associate in January 2015.

M&A & investment capital

• SNCF Mobilités, the main French rail operator, on the acquisition of a 45% stake in BLS Cargo AG, a major player in the Swiss rail freight market.
• A major French bank, on several stake acquisitions in Swiss or foreign groups, particularly in the sector of watchmaking technology.
• MICHELIN, a world leader in the tire industry, on the acquisition of a minority stake in the German group A.T.U., a service provider in the automotive sector owned by the Mobivia Group.
• A French hotel group, on the acquisition of a historic hotel in the city of Geneva.
• A global leader in security inks for banknotes and sensitive documents on various M&A and refinancing transactions.
• INEOS, a world leader in the pharmaceutical industry, on the acquisition of FC Lausanne-Sport, a historic club of the Swiss Football Championship.
• The founders of My-Store SA, online store leader in Western Switzerland, on the sale of a majority stake to the Ringier Group.
• Several start-ups, particularly in the perfume, jewelry, food-processing and new technologies industries, on the establishment of the structure and profit-sharing plans, the financing and the participation to capital, shareholders agreements and related agreements (distribution, supply, sale, etc.).

Restructuring and relocation & Corporate law

• An American multinational, world leader in the aerospace industry, on several domestic restructuring operations and corporate law issues.
• A French commodities dealer, relocating its Swiss trading activities to France.
• A global blockchain player on the relocation of shareholding structure in Switzerland and the intellectual property rights.
• A French industrial group, leader in the motorisation and automation of housing and building openings, on relocation operations (headquarters transfer), restructuring and corporate law issues.
• A French group, leader in the production, processing and distribution of materials, on a cross-border merger (to France) of a holding company.
• A Swiss leader in outpatient surgery, on domestic restructuring and corporate law issues.

Distribution and other contracts

• A world leader in the production and distribution of beverages, on different contracts for distribution, franchise and license matters, particularly on customer compensation issues.
• An American multinational, on setting up a joint venture in Asia for the manufacture and distribution of baby care products.
• A global leader in the luxury goods and perfume industry on international distribution contracts.
• A major car manufacturer on the implementation of framework agreements related to maintenance.
• An American multinational based in Switzerland, world leader in the manufacture and distribution of consumer goods, on various aspects of international distribution contracts (contract law, competition and private international law).
• A joint venture between a global leader in leasing and management of industrial wagons and containers and an asset management company.

Competition

• A large publishing and content distribution group, on the sale of its press distribution and news products activities to a Swiss player.
• A leading French publisher in the context of a supposed ban on parallel imports for the French books sector.
• A global group of delivery services, on antitrust matters as part of a sponsorship agreement with an international sports federation.
• Public producers and suppliers of electricity, on mergers in the energy sector and as part of a request for provisional measures based on alleged abuse of dominance.
• A European private equity fund, on the acquisition of a major international sports marketing company based in Switzerland.

Memberships & Roles

• Geneva Business Law Association
• Swiss Association of Competition Law (ASAS)

Publications

• Introduction générale au droit commercial suisse, Commentaire Romand du Code des obligations II, Helbing Lichtenhahn 2017 (2nd ed.) (with Pierre Tercier)
• Le contrôle des concentrations d’entreprises dans le secteur de l’électricité, Pratique de la Commission de la concurrence, Jusletter, 27 october 2014 (with Pascal G. Favre)
• Les perquisitions en droit de la concurrence, Bulletin SEV/AES (electrosuisse et Association des entreprises électriques suisses), 7/2010 (with Pascal G. Favre)
• Merger control in Switzerland, Competition & Cartel Leniency Multi-jurisdictional Guide 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014/15 (with Pascal G. Favre)
• Restraints of trade and dominance in Switzerland, Competition & Cartel leniency Multi-jurisdictional Guide 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014/15 (with Pascal G. Favre)
• Cartel leniency in Switzerland, Competition & Cartel Leniency Multi-jurisdictional Guide 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014/15 (with Pascal G. Favre)
• Introduction générale au droit commercial suisse, Commentaire Romand du Code des obligations II, Helbing Lichtenhahn 2008 (with Pierre Tercier)
• Romania and Switzerland, A Comparative Study on the Implementation of the acquis communautaire, Romanian Journal of International Law 3/2006, pp. 130 ss (with Ionut Raduletu)

Lectures list

• Association des entreprises électriques suisses (VSE/AES)
• Le droit de la concurrence – Défis pour la branche, Lausanne, April 2010
• Association des entreprises électriques suisses (VSE/AES)
• Les conditions générales, validité et mise en œuvre par les acteurs du marché suisse de l’électricité, aspects contractuels et de droit de la concurrence, Lausanne, October 2009

Education

• 2008 – Bar exam
• 2003 – Universities of Fribourg (Switzerland) and Berlin (Germany)