Mr. Pérès is a member of Davis Polk & Wardwell’s Corporate Department, practicing in the Paris office. He joined Davis Polk in August 2005, becoming the firm’s first partner to practice the law of a country outside of the United States. He is a French corporate lawyer with extensive experience in public and private mergers and acquisitions, as well as equity capital markets and restructuring. He has been involved in some of the highest profile transactions in the Paris market.

Recent transactions in which Mr. Pérès was involved include advising: Gérard (William) Louis Dreyfus on the change of control and the related shareholders agreement of the family-owned group Louis Dreyfus in 2007; the sponsoring banks in connection with the €10 billion bid of Allianz for AGF in 2007 and the €27 billion bid of Mittal for Arcelor in 2006; the underwriters on the IPO of Amboise, a private equity vehicle sponsored by Apax, in 2006; Digicel on its acquisition of Bouygues Telecom Caraïbe in 2006; DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and Phoenix Equity Partners in connection with the disposal of their investment in Neuf Cegetel in 2006; AS Watson (Hutchison Whampoa group) on its takeover bid for Marionnaud Parfumerie in 2005; Goldman Sachs as underwriter on the IPO of Saft in 2005; the sponsoring banks for the €60 billion Sanofi hostile bid for Aventis in 2004; Euro Disney on its corporate and financial restructuring in 2004; Kingfisher on the demergers of Woolworth in 2001 and Kesa Electricals in 2003.

Mr. Pérès is a frequent author and speaker on mergers and acquisitions and capital markets matters.

Mr. Pérès received his Maîtrise de droit des affaires (law degree) in 1988 and his DEA de droit privé général (post-graduate law degree) in 1989, both from Bordeaux University. He is qualified as an avocat of the Paris bar. From 1999 to 2005, he was a partner at Freshfields.