KLEYR GRASSO > The Legal 500 Rankings
Luxembourg > Dispute resolution Tier 1
Drawing upon ‘a very good knowledge of the Luxembourgish market’, KLEYR GRASSO provides a ‘very skilled’ offering to local and international clients across a diverse mix of disputes, involving conventional litigation strategies as well as arbitration. Particular strengths include contentious corporate, finance and insolvency matters, with the firm benefiting from strong advocacy experience before the courts, as well as willingness to settle and avoid unnecessarily high costs, should the terms be correct for the client. Donata Grasso is ‘always pleasant to deal with and demonstrates a great attention to the details’, including on document heavy cases relating to shareholder dispute and banking liability cases. Other recommended partners include Rosario Grasso for white-collar matters; Marc Kleyr for insolvency-related disputes; and Pascal Sassel for corporate and finance disputes.
Practice head(s): Marc Kleyr; Donata Grasso; Pascal Sassel; Rosario Grasso
Other key lawyers: Henry De Ron
Testimonials
‘The firm has a very good knowledge of the Luxembourgish market and is very skilled in disputes. They perfectly understand clients’ needs and are very responsive.’
‘The experienced Donata Grasso is always very pleasant to work with and demonstrates a great attention to the details.’
Key clients
Galapagos
Aerobic MidCo S.àr.l.
A&G Banca Privada SAU
Stofnar ehf
Work highlights
- Defending Luxembourg entities of the Triton Group, in proceedings brought inter alia before the Luxembourg courts following the completion of a €1bn multi-jurisdictional financial restructuring of the Luxembourg-incorporated industrial group Galapagos.
- Successfully defended the interest of Aerobic MidCo S.àr.l. in proceedings brought before the Luxembourg courts by a dissenting investor claiming over €8m.
- Defending A&G Banca Privada SAU as an €18m investor in Luxembourg Life Fund.
Luxembourg > Employment Tier 1
The 'client-oriented' team at KLEYR GRASSO provides 'very commercial advice' directly to clients, as well as in the context of referral work from international law firms, across a broad swathe of contentious and non-contentious social and employment law issues. Team head Christian Jungers is 'responsive and has great technical expertise', including as it relates to collective bargaining matters. Other key members of the team include counsel Sandra Rapp, who provides 'very pragmatic and knowledgeable' advice particularly in a cross-border context, and Céline Defay, whose varied workload includes advice to employers on terminations and the drafting of settlement agreements.
Christian Jungers - KLEYR GRASSO
Practice head(s): Christian Jungers
Other key lawyers: Anissa Bali; Céline Defay; Philippe Ney; Sandra Rapp; Christopher Ney; Laure Woehrling; Daniel Nerl
Testimonials
‘The team is client-oriented, committed and reactive.’
‘The team provides very commercial advice.’
‘There are several factors that set the employment practice apart from its competitors: the availability of the partner or counsel combined with high expertise in our sector, a strong understanding of immediate needs and the ability to provide prompt assistance and advice in several languages (which is important for us in Luxembourg, but also for our mother house in another country) and, last but not least, excellent value for money.’
‘Christian Jungers is responsive and has great technical expertise.’
‘Sandra Rapp is very knowledgeable and pragmatic.’
‘Celine Defay was helpful and practical in providing legal advice.’
Key clients
SES
Vodafone Procurement Company S.à r.l.
BDO Luxembourg
Cargolux Airlines International S.A.
Luxembourg > Real estate and construction Tier 1
Drawing upon ‘deep knowledge of the real estate sector’ and also collaborating well with other departments, including corporate, finance and litigation, KLEYR GRASSO provides ‘extremely reliable and responsive’ advice to public and private sector stakeholders engaged across a range of domestic contentious and non-contentious matters. Yasmine Poos has ‘specialized knowledge across many real estate topics’, including advise on lease agreements, sale and purchase of commercial property and real estate-related administrative law issues. Poos is also a formidable litigator and alongside ‘very responsive and competent’ co-head François Collot is regularly engaged in major disputes in the sector.
François Collot - KLEYR GRASSO
Practice head(s): François Collot; Yasmine Poos
Other key lawyers: Henry De Ron; Fanny Mazeaud; Mélanie Trienbach
Testimonials
‘They have deep knowledge of the real estate sector and collaborate well with other departments.’
‘The team is extremely reliable and responsive.’
‘Jasmine Poos is an excellent lawyer who has specialized knowledge across many real estate topics. She is very reactive and provides high quality and realistic advice to her clients.’
‘François Collot has always been very responsive and competent.’
Key clients
IKO Real Estate
CIT Blaton
Fonds du Logement
Kalschesbrück
SNCH
lux-Airport S.A.
Les Jardins du Luxembourg / Thomas & Piron
Ministère de la Mobilité et des Travaux Publics
FARE S.A.
Tracol Immobilier
Luxembourg > Banking, finance and capital markets Tier 3
The ‘very responsive, reactive, and pragmatic’ team at KLEYR GRASSO deliver ‘timely and effective’ advice to lenders and borrowers across a range of finance and regulatory transactions. Team head Renata Jokubauskaite is the key point of contact for the majority of the work handled by the team and is ‘really committed to delivering high level support’, including for core client TA Associates, which she continues to advise on their financing requirements associated with their downstream investment work. The arrival of Mevlude-Aysun Tokbag from Wildgen in June 2022 strengthens the team, particularly on the regulatory front; she also heads up the firm’s newly created German desk.
Practice head(s): Renata Jokubauskaite
Other key lawyers: Delphine Tempe; Pascal Sassel; Jean-Paul Spang; Mevlüde-Aysun Tokbag
Testimonials
‘They have exceptional skills and experience.’
‘The team is very responsive, reactive, and pragmatic.’
‘They deliver timely and effective advice.’
‘The team has a prudent approach when suggestion solutions.’
‘Renata Jokubauskaite is really committed to delivering high level support. Renata inspires confidence and easily manages to reassure and convince a sometimes sceptical audience.’
‘Renata Jokubauskaite is client-focused and understands very well the specific needs of its clientele. She provides knowledgeable advice and is capable of adapting when there are changes ahead.’
Key clients
TA Associates
kodehyve
C&A
Samsonite International
Eurofins Scientific
Work highlights
- Advised TA Associates, on the financing of its strategic growth investment in Adcubum AG, a leading Swiss health and property & casualty (P&C) insurance software provider, and tech11 GmbH, a fast-growing insurance software provider serving the P&C market in Germany and across Europe.
- Advised TA Associates in the financing of its reinvestment in the P.O. Söderberg & Partner Group, being one of the Nordic region’s and the Netherlands’ leading financial advisers and intermediaries for insurance and financial products and services.
- Assisted TA associates on the finance aspects of the listing of the Czech company WAG Payment Solutions.
Luxembourg > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 3
KLEYR GRASSO provides ‘sound, clear, and practical advice’ to corporates, funds and start-ups across a wide range of transactional work, as well as advice on corporate governance, operational and general commercial contracts work. As well as continuing to handle a considerable amount of buy and sell mandates for growth capital fund, TA Associates, the team has also grown its presence in the venture capital space for a balanced mix of start-ups and investors. Key members of the team include the ‘very knowledgeable’ Renata Jokubauskaite and Delphine Tempé , who provides ‘practical advice and solutions on a timely basis’. Jean-Philippe Drescher left the firm.
Practice head(s): Jean-Paul Spang; Delphine Tempe; Renata Jokubauskaite
Other key lawyers: Jérôme Burel; Sylvain Lesaffre
Testimonials
‘The team provides sound, clear, and practical advice.’
‘They deliver timely and effective advice.‘
‘The very knowledgeable Renata Jokubauskaite is an excellent lawyer who really goes above and beyond for her clients.’
‘Renata Jokubauskaite stands out for her talent in bringing clarity on complex legal deals or issues, and always strives to offer efficient solutions.’
‘Delphine Tempe is very responsive and understands the commercial/practical requirements of the matter on which she is advising as well as the law.’
‘Delphine Tempe provides practical advice and solutions on a timely basis.’
Key clients
Samsonite International S.A.
TA Associates
Eurofins Scientific
Work highlights
- Advised TA Associates on strategic growth investment in Adcubum and tech11 to create leading health and P&C insurance software provider in Europe.
- Assisted TA associates with the Luxembourg banking and finance and corporate aspects of the listing of the Czech company WAG Payment Solutions.
- Advised Samsonite International S.A. on its sale of Speck to Telementum Global.
Luxembourg > Private equity Tier 3
Although lacking connections with large buyout firms, KLEYR GRASSO has gained significant traction in the growth private equity market, including advising core client TA Associates on its acquisitions and disposals. Delphine Tempé and Renata Jokubauskaite are ‘dedicated to their clients’, and regularly collaborate on work for TA Associates. Luc Courtois was a new arrival in January 2023. Jean-Philippe Drescher left the firm.
Practice head(s): Delphine Tempe; Jean-Paul Spang; Renata Jokubauskaite; Luc Courtois
Other key lawyers: Jérôme Burel
Testimonials
‘Their knowledge and experience of the private equity world in Luxembourg is a major contributing factor to our success as a business.’
‘It is an enthusiastic team.’
‘Jerome Burel is our key contact at the firm. He has worked directly on our structures from the beginning. There isn’t anything he does not know and this really adds to the success of business. He is an absolute integral part of our setup.’
‘Delphine Tempe and Renata Jokubausaite work closely together and are dedicated to their clients.’
Key clients
TA Associates
IK Investment Partners
Luxembourg > Investment funds Tier 4
KLEYR GRASSO has ‘broad knowledge in the funds area’ and is able to provide ‘pragmatic and sensible advice’ to fund managers in the alternatives space across a range of fund structuring and regulatory advice. The team is picking up an increased volume of German work, chiefly as a result of the arrival of Mevlude-Aysun Tokbag from Wildgen, who now heads up both the investment fund practice and the German desk. The arrival of a number of tax practitioners from Wildgen also enhances the firm’s structuring capabilities and adds greater bandwidth. Luc Courtois was a new arrival in January 2023 from NautaDutilh.
Practice head(s): Mevlüde Aysun Tokbag; Luc Courtois
Other key lawyers: Lionel Bonifazzi; Fabian Frankus; Garry Reuland
Testimonials
‘The firm has broad knowledge in the funds area.’
‘Outstanding dedication to and recognised track record in the Luxembourg investment fund hub. The team is always up-to-date on current fund industry developments as well, which makes them stand out from some of its peers in the Grand Duchy.’
‘The team provides pragmatic and sensible advice that is delivered promptly at cost effective rates.’
‘Mevlüde-Aysun Tokbag has been a trusted legal business partner for many years now. There was never any negative fluctuance in her performance as a top tier lawyer in the Grand Duchy.’