Luxembourg, 8 February 2024 - Arendt is pleased to announce the appointment of four new Partners: Fouzia Benyahia, Stéphanie Lhomme, Stéphanie Maschiella and Serge Zeien. They will leverage their expertise to enhance the firm's capabilities across six different domains.

These appointments underscore Arendt's commitment to further developing its strategy, aimed at providing clients with comprehensive guidance across all facets of their projects, showcasing the breadth of our expertise and support.

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Fouzia Benyahia

Fouzia Benyahia is a Partner in the Corporate Law, Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity & Real Estate and Restructuring & Insolvency practices of Arendt & Medernach. She is also a member of the freshly reinforced team of Arendt's representative office in Paris.

Fouzia advises multinational companies, financial institutions, private equity and real estate funds on structuring and executing domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, leveraged buy-outs, corporate reorganisations and refinancings. She also represents companies facing financial difficulties and acts for creditor institutional investors or banks in financial restructurings, distressed transactions, cross-border reorganisations and insolvency proceedings.

Fouzia will contribute to developing and consolidating the leadership of Arendt & Medernach's Corporate Law, Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity & Real Estate practices, with a particular focus on the fund industry. She will also work closely with existing teams to strengthen the firm's Restructuring & Insolvency practice.

"Due to the increasingly complex legal environment in an uncertain global social, political and economic context, market players are looking for reliable, effective, proactive and innovative lawyers. Today's lawyers must consider and anticipate the expectations and needs of their clients, whether they have expressed them or not, be they legal, commercial, financial or regulatory. My ambition is to strengthen Arendt & Medernach's expertise in these fields, based on the firm's comprehensive offer," explains Fouzia.

Please click here to read Fouzia's full CV_

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Stéphanie Lhomme

Partner | Head of Forensic Investigations, Corporate Intelligence & Litigation Support

Stéphanie Lhomme is a Partner at Arendt Regulatory & Consulting. She built and leads the now well-established Forensic Investigations, Corporate Intelligence & Litigation Support practice at Arendt Regulatory & Consulting.

Stéphanie has more than 25 years of experience in international firms providing pragmatic assistance in complex engagements for corporates, private equity houses, financial institutions and public organisations, covering fraud and corruption investigations, worldwide asset searches, AML investigations, anti-bribery and corruption reviews and strategic intelligence assignments. In the past two years at Arendt, she has managed complex assignments for the private sector (corporates, financial institutions, investment funds and insurance companies), public institutions and governments in Luxembourg, other European countries, the Middle East and Africa, expanding Arendt's regional reach.

Stéphanie's team has significantly strengthened Arendt's advisory services relating to investigations (financial crime, harassment, whistleblowing, fraud, embezzlement), compliance and M&A due diligence (corruption, sanctions, ESG) and asset search.

"I am extremely proud of the unique model we have built at Arendt and I am looking forward to contributing further as a Partner. At a time when regulatory pressures and scrutiny are increasing rapidly (greenwashing, harassment, sanctions, corruption), external threats are multiplying and the world is increasingly complex to decipher, we have a unique combination of expertise and collective experience that positions us as valuable advisors to our clients in managing risks, making smarter decisions and handling difficult times," says Stéphanie Lhomme.

Please click here to read Stéphanie Lhomme's full CV_

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Stéphanie Maschiella

Partner I Tax Compliance Services | Tax Law

Stéphanie Maschiella is a Partner at Arendt. She heads the Arendt Tax Compliance Services.

Stéphanie advises on both national and international tax issues, with practical implementation as part of her tax compliance expertise. She works on funds, private equity, real estate and finance transactions, and seamlessly integrates her extensive legal expertise in tax with practical considerations, delivering clients an efficient, unique and comprehensive service. She also has a particular focus on the Italian market.

Stéphanie will continue integrating tax compliance into Arendt's suite of services, collaborating with the other departments of the firm to provide clients with holistic solutions that address both legal and tax aspects. By enhancing the synergy across our services, she aims to contribute to the overall growth and profile of Arendt.

"I plan to focus on the development of expertise in tax compliance. My particular emphasis will be on enhancing our capabilities in tax compliance, recognising its key importance in the current regulatory landscape as tax regulations become increasingly complex and are under scrutiny. My objective is to position Arendt as a leader in tax compliance, to serve our clients by ensuring they can confidently navigate ever-evolving tax laws and regulations," declares Stéphanie Maschiella.

Please click here to read Stéphanie Maschiella's full CV_

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Serge Zeien

Partner | Finance & Capital Markets

Serge Zeien is a Partner in the Finance & Capital Markets practice of Arendt & Medernach. He specialises in capital markets regulations and securities law.

Serge advises clients on the entire range of debt and equity capital markets transactions, including debt issuance programmes, securitisation, structured products, equity offerings, takeovers, buy-backs and tender and exchange offers. He also advises on securities listing and admission to trading on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, on the regulatory compliance arising from such listings and on corporate governance matters for public companies.

Serge is committed to further developing the firm's equity and debt capital markets activities.

"The Luxembourg securitisation market ranks among the leading hubs in Europe, and the Luxembourg Stock Exchange plays a central role in debt securities listings. My goal is to keep Arendt at the forefront of these dynamic and evolving markets. I am determined to further enhance our investment management business, to provide services such as listing agency capabilities, corporate governance advice and specific training to clients with listed securities. This will further grow Arendt's presence in both debt and equity capital markets and entrench our leading position," states Serge.

Please click here to read Serge's full CV_