Michel Jimenez Lunz

Practice Areas

Michel is the Managing Partner and heads the Banking & Finance, Corporate and Restructuring & Insolvency practices of SJL.

Career

Michel founded SJL after having spent part of his carrier at Clifford Chance Luxembourg, Arthur Andersen and Ernst & Young.

Endorsements

Banking & Finance

Chambers Europe

Michel is highly recommended as a Leading Lawyer in Banking & Finance by Chambers Europe since 2011.

• "Head of department Michel Jimenez Lunz " delivers an excellent work product and is a great negotiator," according to clients. He is recognised among interviewees for his notable and long-standing banking and finance experience." – Chambers Europe, 2016.
• "Co-founding partner Michel Jimenez Lunz leads the banking and finance department and regularly advises on bank financing facilities, securitisations and capital market financings." – Chambers Europe 2015.
• "Department head Michel Jimenez Lunz is praised by clients for his responsiveness: "He has great technical skill and is also extremely reactive.” – Chambers Europe, 2014.
• "Head of the department Michel Jimenez Lunz receives glowing praise from interviewees: "He is fantastic, a choice lawyer, and I am really pleased to have found him." – Chambers Europe, 2013.
• Michel is "warmly recommended by his peers. His busy practice covers banking and finance, corporate and restructuring and insolvency” – Chambers Europe, 2012.
• Michel is "especially valued by clients for his ability to handle urgent requests and his vigour in negotiations" – Chambers & Partners, 2011.

Legal 500

• "Team head ‘Michel Jimenez Lunz has a strong reputation for new money financings and restructurings." – Legal500, 2016.
• "Michel Jimenez Lunz has ‘broad and extensive knowledge of finance work" – Legal500, 2013.
• He is commended for "‘going the extra mile, providing a ‘robust legal analysis for specific points’, and being ‘responsive’ and ‘reliable’" – Legal500, 2011.

Corporate

Chambers Global and Chambers Europe

Michel is highly recommended as a Leading Lawyer in Corporate and Commercial by Chambers Global and Chamber Europe since 2014.

• "Co-founder of the firm and advises on a range of matters for private equity and real estate funds. He acted for Marfrig Global Foods on its EUR330 million restructuring." – Chambers Global 2016 and Chambers Europe 2016
• "Michel Jimenez Lunz of SJL heads the corporate team at the firm, where he advises private equity and real estate funds on their investments. His scope of expertise also covers mergers, restructurings and wind-ups. " – Chambers Global 2015 and Chambers Europe 2015
• "Michel Jimenez Lunz is highlighted for his responsiveness and strength on international mandates. He advises on matters including M&A, shareholder agreements, Luxembourg holding structures and financing." – Chambers Global 2014 and Chambers Europe 2014

Legal 500

• "Michel Jimenez Lunz heads SJL’s corporate practice, which advised Infracapital Partners on its equity arrangements pertaining to its acquisition of a 90% stake in Veolia Environnement. The team ‘produces good-quality work, and is both reliable and highly responsive’“ " – Legal500, 2013.
• Michel "provides ‘knowledgeable and accurate advice’ across a range of corporate issues“" – Legal500, 2012.

Fields of Expertise

Michel's practice stretches from financial services to real estate, energy and power, telecom and media, global industry, consumer and retail, infrastructure, mining and hi-tech sectors focusing on Finance, Corporate and Restructuring and Insolvency law matters.

He represents many of the largest and global corporate groups and institutional investors including investment and commercial banks, funds and opportunity funds.

Banking & Finance

Michel has a long experience in advising on all types of bank financings (acquisition, real estate, export-trade, projects, corporate...) and security interest creation over all types of assets. Michel has also been involved in numerous transactions involving US and European capital markets financings.

He has represented his clients in the full spectrum of debt origination including term, bridge and revolving loans and equity, notes and convertible bond issuances. Michel has also been active in a variety of other secondary market transactions, including the purchase, the sale and the refinancing of senior and mezzanine loans, acquisition of performing and nonperforming loans (NPL) and securitisations and note issuance programmes.

He is also active in financial regulatory and clearing system matters (Clearstream's CMSA, Customer Handbook and Tripartite pledges). Michel has further represented specialised investment funds (SIFs) in the update of their offering memorandum and the change of their depositary banks, paying agents, registrars and central administration agents.

Corporate

Michel also specialises in giving advice in a wide range of corporate matters. He represents some of the largest US, Chinese and European private equity, real estate and LBO funds in their acquisition of equity interests in industrial, commercial and real estate companies all around the world (Groupe Eminence, Schlumberger, Compagnie de Fives-Lille...), real estate properties (like the Cologne Tower, hotels or shopping centers) and in joint venture transactions.

He often negotiates SPAs and JV agreements. He also advises some global leading corporate groups in the setting up of companies and restructuring, capital increase, merger, demergers and winding-up matters.

Restructuring & Insolvency

Michel has acted for trustees, investment banks, senior and junior lenders and borrowers in insolvency law and counterparty exposure analysis, restructurings of loans, foreclosures (ia the Monier case) and bankruptcies (ia the Chapter 11 Lyondell Basel case).

Publications

"Merger-demerger of commercial companies other than public limited companies: Myth or reality?" (Fusion-scission des sociétées commerciales autres que les sociétés anonymes: Mythe ou réalité ?), Bulletin du Cercle François Laurent, 2003.

Professional Associations and Memberships

Michel is a member of Luxembourg professional bodies, including the Association of the Luxembourg Fund Industry (ALFI) and the Luxembourg Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (LPEA).

• Luxembourg Bankers' Association (ABBL) - Former Member of the Securities Committee
• Association of the Luxembourg Fund Industry (ALFI) - Member
• Luxembourg Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (LPEA) - Member

Michel is fluent in English, French and Spanish.