Value is not argued. It is prepared.
The thirteen-week programme was not born of a marketing idea. It was born in data rooms, watching the same discounts come back matter after matter.
The same line items, in every matter
“On the day of the sale, no one pays for the work done. The buyer pays for what is readable, transferable and proven.”
Sales and acquisitions, SMEs and international groups alike: the same scenario kept recurring. A profitable company, an owner who built everything — and, at due diligence, reservations unrelated to the quality of the work done.
Dependence on the owner, unwritten processes, contracts concluded intuitu personae, property mixed in with operations, accounts that do not show true profitability. Each line item becomes a discount, each discount an argument, and the price falls — or becomes conditional.
Knowing what the buyer looks at, because we have been the buyer’s counsel
The firm has advised sellers and buyers on more than €120m in transactions. Due diligence questions, the clauses that shift risk, the order in which a fund reads a file: none of this is theoretical for us.
The gap between the price you hope for and the price you sign is decided 18 to 24 months before the sale. Not in the negotiating room.
Once negotiations begin, a lawyer defends what exists. No lawyer can invent delegation that never worked, or processes that were never written down. So we moved our work upstream: preparing the company so that, when the day comes, there is nothing left to argue — only documents to show. And if the sale never happens, the owner gains something priceless: a company that runs without them.
From matters to method: thirteen weeks, six workstreams
Buyers’ reservations are always the same; so are the workstreams that close them out. Six workstreams, run in parallel: legal opens, the value case closes, and every week produces a written deliverable.
A defensible multiple, backed by evidence, a larger share paid at closing, less earn-out and fewer warranties imposed.
Weeks that no longer hinge on their decisions, a margin that no longer depends on their hours, a structure already in order.
We do not sell your company and we take no commission on any transaction. Our work stops where the intermediaries’ work begins — with a file whose quality they recognise immediately.
The preliminary assessment is conducted by the lawyer who would handle the matter. You leave with a frank opinion, even if the answer is: the programme makes no sense for you.
This is not an audit to be read once. The thirteen weeks transform the company itself — the body of documentation stays with you, sale or no sale.
The lawyer’s duty of professional secrecy covers everything you entrust to us — even before a matter is opened.
Listening, clarity, support
“Very good support. He took the time to understand my situation and to explain things to me clearly.”
“A very human lawyer who truly listens to his clients.”
“Beyond his unquestionable technical skills, I appreciated how well he listened and how quickly he understood what was at stake for me personally.”
“I wanted to leave a review because tax is often a complex and stressful subject, but here I found truly reassuring support.”
“One of the best services I have ever received, in any field.”
“A professional who listens, with the rigour always to find the right solution!”
“I wanted to reduce my tax burden. The first meeting was excellent: Maître Pateoueille immediately understood my issue and my tax situation.”
“An excellent lawyer who quickly grasped my tax issue and gave me a more than relevant answer.”
“At last, a tax lawyer who lives up to expectations.”
“Excellent support, with expertise I greatly appreciated.”
“Precise, professional support, suited to my needs.”