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DISTRESSED M&A FRANCE

Distressed M&A advisory for buyers

In brief — Who advises buyers in French insolvency proceedings?

Brantham Partners advises buyers on sourcing and assessing distressed acquisition opportunities in France. The firm is neither a law firm nor a court-appointed insolvency practitioner.

Buyer-side advisory for acquisitions of French companies in insolvency proceedings. Published opportunity monitoring, file review and court bid preparation.

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Confidential 15-minute introduction · read our French distressed acquisition guide

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Areas of expertise

Insolvency proceedings, court sale plans and turnaround

Judicial reorganisation Judicial liquidation Ad hoc mandate Conciliation Pre-pack sale Court sale plan Safeguard proceedings Court-supervised acquisition Judicial reorganisation Judicial liquidation Ad hoc mandate Conciliation Pre-pack sale Court sale plan Safeguard proceedings Court-supervised acquisition
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OBSERVATORY

Our method for reviewing a distressed acquisition

Live data
Open acquisition windows
Updated
Deadlines within 15 days
4 analysis dimensions
France
Share of windows closing within 15 days
Price
BFR
BODACC
Structured official publications
View the data →
Brantham Partners method for reviewing an acquisition file
MetricValuePeriod
Monitoring sourceBODACC and published sale noticesOngoing
AnalysisFinancial, operational, legal and workforceFile-specific
Bid frameworkArticle L.642-2 of the French Commercial CodeProcess-specific

Distressed acquisition advisory in France

Brantham Partners is an advisory firm specialising in distressed business acquisitions in France. We advise corporate buyers and investors on the economic analysis of targets involved in insolvency proceedings.

Our approach rests on three pillars: structured monitoring of buyer-accessible sources, analysis adapted to each process timetable and support for the economic preparation of the bid alongside authorised legal counsel.

Our analysis uses cited public sources, including BODACC, Banque de France, INSEE and Légifrance. Each opportunity must be assessed individually: price, acquired perimeter, workforce, funding and residual risks.

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METHOD

From sourcing to the hearing:
a structured process

Each step documents the acquisition case within the timetable set for the file.

Our monitoring organises public notices and available insolvency information so buyers can qualify relevant files quickly and prepare a documented bid.

01
Source-backed monitoring
Identification of accessible publications, organised by sector and geography.
02
Qualification
Initial review of available information and identification of required workstreams.
03
Court bid
Court sale plan under Article L.642-2, filed on time with all required components.
File qualification Qualified
DD
Structured reviewExample
FinancialReview
ContractsReview
OperationsReview
FundingReview
BODACC
Structured monitoring
Deadline
File-specific
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Our approach

Three pillars.
One system.

Each acquisition is built around three distinct capabilities executed in parallel.
01 Sourcing
File alerts 3 new
TC Paris · RJ 87
TC Lyon · LJ 72
Publication identified BODACC
File to qualify Analysis

Proprietary sourcing

Monitoring of public sources and qualification of opportunities shared with buyers.

Public cited sources
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02 Analysis
Analysis framework 4 workstreams
DD
Review in progress
FinancialReview
ContractsReview
OperationsReview
FundingReview

Accelerated due diligence

Financial, operational and acquisition-perimeter analysis within the file timetable.

4 workstreams structured analysis
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03 Execution
Process timetable File
Bid
Filing
Hearing
Judgment
Divestment
L.642-2 Bid framework

Hearing execution

Economic preparation of the bid and coordination with the buyer's legal counsel.

Framework French Commercial Code and court timetable
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Sources

Public references

How sources are used →
Official publication

BODACC

Public notices relating to insolvency proceedings and sale processes.

External source
 Current law

French Commercial Code

Official legislation governing insolvency proceedings and court sale plans.

External source
 Identity

Brantham Partners SAS

SIREN, registered office, registration and scope of activity stated clearly.

Legal notice
Buyer guides

Resources for acquiring a distressed French company

All guides →
Core guide

Distressed business acquisition

A complete method for identifying, analysing and acquiring a French company in insolvency proceedings.

Business acquisition
 Court

Court-supervised acquisition

Understand the timetable, hearing, court criteria and preparation of an acquisition bid.

Court sale plan
 Proceedings

Court sale plan

The framework for acquiring a company in judicial reorganisation or liquidation.

Acquisition bid
 Liquidation

Acquiring through judicial liquidation

What a buyer can acquire, what is discharged and which risks must be checked before the hearing.

Judicial liquidation
 Reorganisation

Acquiring through judicial reorganisation

Analyze the observation period, competing bids and business-continuity criteria.

Judicial reorganisation
 Template

Acquisition bid template

Structure of an acquisition bid: perimeter, price, retained jobs, contracts, funding and conditions.

Practical document
 Funding

Funding a distressed acquisition

Debt, equity, vendor financing, Bpifrance and the total budget under process constraints.

Buyer budget
 Data

Insolvency barometer

Proprietary data tracking insolvency proceedings, sectors under pressure and acquisition opportunities.

Brantham data
 Glossary

Distressed M&A glossary

Definitions of key terms: court sale plan, debt discharge, insolvency practitioner and hearing.

192 terms
Regions and sectors

Acquire where the opportunity arises

Paris, Lyon, Lille, Marseille, Nantes, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Rennes, Strasbourg, Rouen, Dijon, Orléans.

Construction, retail, industry, Hospitality, transport, tech, healthcare.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

A distressed acquisition may cover a defined perimeter of assets and activities within insolvency proceedings. The effects of the court sale judgment and assumed obligations must be reviewed with authorised legal counsel.
A sale may be considered under the conditions set by the process and the court. Brantham Partners helps buyers review published opportunities and their economic relevance.
The timetable depends on the process, available information and bid deadline. The analysis must fit the deadline communicated for the relevant file.
The court sale judgment defines the transferred perimeter. Articles L.642-1 et seq. of the French Commercial Code must be applied to the specific file, including contracts, security interests and any transferred charges.
Bid analysis considers the relevant assets, funding requirement, restart costs, contracts and identified risks. Price must be documented file by file.
There is no universal minimum budget. The buyer must fund the proposed price, working capital, investment and acquisition costs specific to the reviewed perimeter.
Judicial reorganisation aims to continue the business, preserve employment and address liabilities where possible. Judicial liquidation applies when recovery is clearly impossible. Any sale depends on the file and court decisions.
Insolvency proceedings and sale opportunities can be found through BODACC, court registries and notices published by process professionals. Brantham Partners organises this monitoring and helps buyers assess available files.
Risks may include incomplete information, the perimeter actually transferred, relevant security interests or contracts, business continuity, funding and integration. They must be assessed with competent professionals.
Preparing a sale confidentially relies on regulated legal mechanisms. Any such process requires authorised professionals and analysis of the applicable conditions.
The funding plan depends on the project, price, working-capital need, investment and restructuring costs. The buyer must confirm available funding with its financial partners.
Article L.642-3 of the French Commercial Code restricts and, subject to statutory exceptions, prohibits bids from certain persons connected to the debtor. Individual circumstances must be checked with a lawyer.
A court sale plan can enable the acquisition of an asset perimeter defined by judgment under Articles L.642-1 et seq. of the French Commercial Code. The buyer must still review the exact transferred perimeter, contracts, security interests, restart costs and assumed commitments with authorised advisers.

Planning an acquisition?

Send the target's SIREN or describe your search. Response within 48 hours.

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[ 08 ]
Contact

Let us discuss your
acquisition project

A confidential 15-minute introduction with no commitment. Share the target's SIREN or describe your acquisition project.

Response within 48 hours
Complimentary initial review
Paris · France-wide
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