HSF and Dentons Lose Corporate Partners to Elite French Outfit

August Debouzy has recruited two corporate partners from Herbert Smith Freehills and Dentons in Paris, bolstering its team in finance and preparing a push into project finance, infrastructure and energy in Africa.

Leïla Hubeaut joins from Dentons, which she joined in 2018 as a partner on the energy and infrastructures team. She previously practiced at Herbert Smith Freehills and began her career on Gide Loyrette Nouel’s projects team.

Hubeaut will create and develop August Debouzy’s practice dedicated to project development, mergers & acquisitions, and strategic partnerships in the energy and infrastructure sectors. She will advise governments, developers, construction companies and infrastructure funds, mainly in Africa, the firm said.

Laure Bonin joins from Herbert Smith Freehills, where practiced for 14 years, rising to partner. She started her career at Jeantet before working at legacy firm Lovells, now Hogan Lovells, from 2003 to 2006.

Bonin will manage the financing practice, developing August Debouzy’s know-how in corporate finance, acquisition financing and leveraged financing. She will also seek to develop the project financing activity associated with renewable energies in France and emerging countries, according to the firm.

“We are taking up a bold and exciting challenge in joining August Debouzy to create a new practice,” Hubeaut said in a statement. “Our shared ambition with the teams in place is to develop a skills center dedicated to the African continent and offering services adapted to that continent’s development.”

Founded in 1995, August Debouzy today counts 150 lawyers, including 32 partners. Clients include Airbus, for whom co-founder Gilles August led the legal team in France that helped land a €3.6 billion multinational settlement of fraud charges against the aerospace company in January 2020.

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