Cohen & Gresser (AARPI) assisted Otoqi in its new €10 million Series B round of funding. This funding sets a new strategic turning point for the Otoqi group.

Cohen & Gresser, a law firm specialized in business law, is pleased to announce that it has advised Otoqi in its new €10 million Series B round of financing from its historical shareholders: Seventure, Aster and Verve Ventures, and from two new investors: Digital Transition Fund from Cdp Venture Capital SGR (CDP VC and Swiss Post Ventures.

Founded in Paris in 2016, Otoqi is a leading provider of vehicle convoying and fleet management services. Three years after its Series A and already present in three European markets (France, Germany, Italy), Otoqi now plans to expand its convoying and fleet management services to six new countries in Europe with the next launches scheduled for early 2025. The aim is to reach 100 million euros in annual sales within four years, and thus strengthen its position as one of the European leaders in the sector.

To support this growth, the historical partners have decided to reinforce their initial investments, alongside new European investors Cdp Venture Capital and Swiss Post Ventures, thus renewing their "trust in Otoqi's ability to continue innovating and creating value in its sector.” (Bruno Rivet, Investment Director, Seventure Partners).

Cohen & Gresser advised Otoqi with a team comprising partner France Portmann Loy and associates Pauline Thuet and Eléonore Messina. Cdp Venture Capital SGR's Digital Transition Fund (CDP VC) was advised by Squair (Olivier Lopez, partner) and the Italian firm QLTLex (Francesco Fiore, Nicola Romano, partners, Lorenzo Scapellato, counsel).

For additional information, please contact parisassistant@cohengresser.com.

International law firm Cohen & Gresser announced today that France Portmann Loy has joined the firm as a partner in its Paris Corporate practice, together with two associates, Pauline Thuet and Eleonore Messina. This strategic expansion reaffirms Cohen & Gresser’s commitment to delivering unparalleled legal expertise and further solidifies its position as a leading player in the corporate landscape.

France advises on a full range of corporate matters, with expertise in venture capital. She advises her clients — founders of SMEs, ETIs and start-ups, family groups, and family offices — on their growth and transformation operations (growth and venture capital, mergers and acquisitions), as well as on their internal reorganization issues. Her clients are primarily technology and impact companies, which gives her a deep knowledge of these businesses, their way of functioning, their values, and their challenges. She recently advised the majority shareholder family on the sale of control of Biose Industrie to Bpifrance and L-Gam, and advised Intact Regenerative on a major industrial investment.

“My arrival is the outcome of a fruitful meeting with partners who are a perfect match for me, both in terms of the skills we bring to the table and the structure of the firm,” said France. “The firm’s agility and international footprint is key for my clients and the support they need for their projects.”

France’s deep experience strengthens the firm’s ability to support French and international clients in mergers and acquisitions, equity financing, expansion capital, and early-stage deals. For cross-border transactions, the Paris office works closely with the New York, Washington, D.C., and London offices. Most recently, Cohen & Gresser’s Paris team was involved in the sale of La Tribune to CMA CGM and the sale of part of the Atalian group’s activities to CD&R.

France’s background contributes to the collective strength of the Paris team and seamlessly integrates with the experience of other partners in the office: Johannes Jonas, who specializes in transactional work; Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, who specializes in financial markets and financial services, both in advisory and litigation work; Angéline Duffour, who specializes in employment law; and Franck Le Mentec, who specializes in tax law.

“We are delighted to welcome France and her team, with whom we share a similar vision of the legal profession, blending technical expertise, market knowledge, and values. Their arrival fits in perfectly with the firm’s growth strategy and complements the strengths and experience of other members of the Paris team,” said Johannes Jonas, Managing Partner of the Paris office.

About France Portmann Loy

France started her career at Linklaters in 2000 before joining Debevoise & Plimpton in 2005. In 2010, she set up her own firm, FPL Avocats, and joined Rossi Bordes & Associés as a partner in 2018. In January 2024, she became a partner in the Corporate department of Cohen & Gresser, which she joined with two associates.

She holds a Master’s degree in Litigation, Arbitration, and ADR from the University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas and an LLM in Commercial Law from the University of Bristol. She has been a member of the Paris Bar since 2001.

About the Team

Pauline Thuet holds a Master’s degree in Private Litigation Management from the Université Côte d’Azur and has been a member of the Paris Bar since 2017. She started her career at Rossi Bordes & Associés and joined Cohen & Gresser’s Paris office in January 2024 as a senior associate.

Eleonore Messina graduated in business law from the Universities of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne and Paris II Panthéon-Assas, and holds Master’s degrees in business taxation from Inseec and in M&A from Paris Saclay. After gaining experience with firms such as Grant Thornton and Rossi Bordes & Associés, she joined Cohen & Gresser’s Paris office as an associate in January 2024.

Press Coverage

France Portmann-Loy rejoint Cohen & Gresser avec son équipe, La Lettre des Juristes d'Affaires (Feb. 2, 2024)

Cohen & Gresser Adds Venture Capital Team in Paris, Law.com International (Feb. 2, 2024)

Press Contacts

France: Amélie Lerosier, amelie@blue-wall.com, +33 06 63 58 34 62; Juliette Rohmer, juliette@blue-wall.com, + 33 07 60 21 20 34

United States: Angela Turturro-Sabella, aturturro@cohengresser.com, +1 212 957 7600

 

In this article for Finascope, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Guillaume Guérin, and Eleonore Messina discuss the regulatory changes effective January 1, 2024, which extend the scope of foreign investment control in France.

Dans cette chronique pour Finascope, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Guillaume Guérin, et Eleonore Messina abordent les modifications réglementaires, applicables à compter du 1er janvier 2024, étendant le champ d’application du contrôle des investissement étrangers en France.