“I am pleased to announce the election of our new partner and the promotion of the lawyers set to advance on 1st May. At Linklaters, we are fortunate to have a wealth of exceptional talent, and it’s always rewarding to recognise colleagues who stand out through their technical expertise and how they engage with clients and teammates.
Our firm is dedicated to supporting the growth and development of its people at every stage of their careers. Some have been with us from the start, while others have brought valuable experience from elsewhere — but all share a strong commitment to excellence, a keen understanding of our clients’ business needs and an innovative mindset ready to embrace new challenges.” Nicki Kayser, National Managing Partner.
Corporate M&A
Partner
Florence Forster has been elected Partner in the Corporate M&A practice. She joined Linklaters Luxembourg in 2011. Over the years, Florence has gained extensive experience in private equity transactions, corporate restructurings, joint ventures and M&A, with a strong focus on the German market. She worked in our Paris and Frankfurt offices for several years. Florence is also actively involved in mentoring female talent and contributing to the PE4W committee of the Luxembourg Private Equity Association (LPEA).
Senior Managing Associates (Luxembourg)
Ida Jacotey joined Linklaters Luxembourg in 2016 after having gained experience at law firms in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Her practice focuses on general company law, private equity, group restructuring and both domestic and cross-border M&A.
Irene Sanna joined Linklaters’ Corporate M&A practice in July 2017 after working with a local Luxembourg law firm. A specialist in corporate law, she advises private equity funds on acquisitions and co-investment structures. Irene is also an expert in capital markets, having advised banks on special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), as well as issuers on the establishment of listed companies in preparation for their initial public offering on regulated markets.
Senior Associate (Knowledge)
Marie Arnaud-Rio joined Linklaters’ Corporate M&A team in 2017 after some six years as an associate at major Luxembourg law firms. Marie has extensive experience advising on corporate transactions, including M&A, joint ventures and restructurings. In her current role, she is responsible for developing and sharing internal knowledge and preparing client-facing know-how for the practice.
Managing Associate
Nathalie Zurel joined Linklaters Luxembourg in January 2022 after gaining experience in corporate and litigation practices of leading Luxembourg law firms. Nathalie advises private equity funds and investment structures on corporate law and transactional matters, including a wide range of private and public M&A, restructurings and syndications. On two occasions, she was seconded to a France-based, independent private equity investment house, supporting both its Customized Solutions team (2022) and its Infrastructure team (2024).
Investment Funds
Senior Managing Associate (Luxembourg)
Marie-Christine O’Mahony joined Linklaters in February 2022, bringing experience from international law firms in France and Luxembourg. Marie-Christine specialises in setting up Luxembourg UCITS, AIFs and ELTIFs, advising clients on investment eligibility under the UCITS and ELTIF frameworks. She also supports funds, fund managers, and other investment firms on regulatory matters, including licensing, financial regulations, and has been involved in several regulatory due diligences.
Managing Associates
Désirée Catalano joined Linklaters in April 2021, bringing experience from top Italian and international law firms. She specialises in the structuring, set-up and distribution of a wide range of investment funds with a particular focus on alternative funds and UCITS. Désirée also advises global financial institutions on a variety of regulatory matters, notably licensing requirements and major financial services regulations (MiFID, AIFMD, PSD, AML, etc.). She is active in the FinTech sector focusing on EU payments regulations and is also involved in ALFI and ABBL Instant Payments working groups.
Giorgiana Dunca joined Linklaters in March 2022 and specialises in investment funds and regulatory matters. She advises fund sponsors and managers mainly on the structuring, set-up, and management of regulated and non-regulated alternative investment funds (RAIFs, SIFs, SICARs, Luxembourg ELTIFs, Part II funds). Her expertise extends to both regulatory and transactional aspects, as well as to asset management, with a focus on alternative assets strategies, such as private equity, private credit, real estate, venture capital and infrastructure. Giorgiana completed a seven-month secondment at a leading investment manager in London, supporting its European Funds legal team. She is also a member of ALFI and a corporate ambassador of LILLA.
Romain Payre joined Linklaters in 2021. He returned in 2024 after a year with a leading investment manager in London. Romain advises fund sponsors and managers on the structuring and management of alternative investment funds as well as co-investment vehicles, including private equity, venture capital, infrastructure, real estate and private credit funds. He also supports investors with their investments across diverse asset classes, and provides guidance on compliance and regulatory issues, particularly anti-money laundering.
Alice Yanni joined Linklaters in 2021 after gaining experience in law firms in Luxembourg and Brussels. She specialises in structuring and restructuring alternative investment funds (regulated and unregulated) established as umbrella funds (with closed-ended and open-ended compartments) with a particular focus on ELTIFs, private equity, real estate, infrastructure and debt strategies funds. Alice advises major international fund managers and banks on regulatory matters (notably AIFMD) and leading US asset managers on the structuring and establishment of UCI Part II funds to be distributed for retail ELTIFs. She is also involved in a working group of the ALFI, namely the Pan-European Personal Pension Product. Alice completed a nine-month secondment at a top-tier US asset manager, strengthening its Private Funds legal team based in London, where she provided legal support for ongoing activities.
Tax
Senior Managing Associates (Luxembourg)
Cyrielle Nis joined Linklaters in 2016 after gaining experience in the tax department of a leading international company and law firm. She specialises in tax law, advising companies, investment funds and banks on cross-border acquisitions and restructuring transactions as well as on the set-up of joint ventures, securitisation vehicles or other investment vehicles. Cyrielle’s expertise and strategic guidance have been instrumental in supporting clients with complex tax structures and international transactions.
Adrien Piron joined Linklaters in 2018, after gaining experience in the tax department of a Big Four firm in Luxembourg. He advises corporate groups on restructuring transactions and international investment funds tax structuring via Luxembourg regulated and non-regulated vehicles, with a particular focus on infrastructure, real estate and debt funds. Adrien also advises on the tax structuring of joint ventures and real estate transactions, including share and asset deals. Finally, he takes part in the Young Tax Leaders committee of the Luxembourg Private Equity Association (LPEA).
Capital Markets and Banking
Senior Managing Associate (Luxembourg)
With extensive experience in banking and capital markets, Adrian Danciu’s expertise includes credit and security taking, syndicated lending, fund financing and restructuring. In capital markets, Adrian specialises in derivatives and securitisations, advising funds, banks and listed entities on regulatory matters.
Litigation, Arbitration and Investigations
Senior Managing Associate (Luxembourg)
Louis-Eudes Giroux specialises in commercial and civil litigation, with expertise in criminal, European and public law. Louis-Eudes represents clients before all courts in Luxembourg and assists them with internal investigations. He also regularly works on real estate transactions by bringing expertise in environmental and planning law. Louis-Eudes joined Linklaters in 2019, bringing with him nearly three years of experience from the Dispute Resolution department of an international law firm and honed skills gained through internships at Linklaters’ Paris office.
