Ginger, an independent French engineering consulting group, has been supporting public and private sector clients for over 90 years in the design, planning, and management of their infrastructure, construction, and development projects. Drawing on its complementary areas of expertise and its numerous offices in France and abroad, the group is particularly active in the fields of diagnostics, soil and materials engineering, construction, and the rehabilitation of structures.

With the acquisition of A-Corros, Ginger CEBTP is expanding the expertise of its subsidiaries, particularly in the areas of existing structure assessment and rehabilitation engineering, by integrating cutting-edge capabilities in corrosion analysis, prevention, and treatment. This transaction thus enables the group to strengthen its support for owners and managers of structures facing challenges related to the longevity and preservation of metal structures.

Founded in 2007, A-Corros has established itself as a leading partner, both in France and internationally, in the study, assessment, and treatment of corrosion in metal structures. The company specializes in historic, industrial, and underwater structures, drawing on recognized expertise in predictive analysis and remedial solutions.

The merger between Ginger and A-Corros thus opens up three major avenues for growth: strengthening projects in the field of historic monuments, providing greater support for the redevelopment of brownfield sites and the reuse of old metal structures, and developing collaborations with scientific research institutions.

This acquisition is part of Ginger’s strategy to continuously expand its range of expertise and offer increasingly integrated solutions to address the challenges of preserving, rehabilitating, and enhancing built and industrial heritage.

ADVANT Altana advised Ginger CEBTP with a multidisciplinary team comprising: 

- Bruno Nogueiro, partner, and Théodore Sabot, associate, on M&A matters;

- Philippe de Saint Bauzel, partner, and Alexandre Thuau-Renaudet, associate, on tax law matters;

- Mickael d’Allende, partner, and Alexandre Véran, counsel, on employment law matters;

- Laura Morelli, partner, and Clémence Aladjidi, associate, on IP matters;

- Louis des Cars, partner, and Constance Bourel, associate, on public procurement matters;

- Marie Hindré, partner, and Margaux Brunet, associate, on commercial contract matters.

This transaction is part of Cegid's strategy to refocus on its core business, while enabling the Assurex solution to join a specialized player with the expertise and resources required to accelerate its growth in the personal insurance market.

Assurex is a solution specializing in the management of personal insurance benefits, covering in particular the management of individual and group annuities, personal protection claims, contract settlement, as well as lump sum benefits and daily allowance management. The solution is recognized by a number of leading players in the French insurance sector.

ADVANT Altana advised Cegid with a multidisciplinary team comprising:

• Bruno Nogueiro, Partner, Arthur Boutemy, Counsel, and Margaux Ripert, Associate, on M&A matters;

• Jean-Guy de Ruffray, Partner, and Clémence Aladjidi, Associate, on IP/IT and Data Protection matters.

Louis des Cars, Philippe de Saint-Bauzel, and Jean-Guy de Ruffray, whose terms have been renewed, are joined by Fabien Pouchot.

In addition, Frédéric Manin joins ADVANT’s Steering Group, where he will contribute to the firm’s international reach alongside Jean-Nicolas Soret and Gilles Gaillard.

Founded in 2009, ADVANT Altana has established itself over the past fifteen years as one of the leading independent law firms in Paris, with nearly 100 attorneys, including 28 partners. As a founding member of ADVANT alongside ADVANT Beiten (Germany) and ADVANT Nctm (Italy), the firm offers integrated services across all areas of business law and maintains an international presence through the ADVANT network, which comprises more than 750 professionals across 15 offices.

The renewal of these two bodies reflects the firm’s strength and cohesion and is part of the growth momentum initiated in recent years: team expansion, the rise of ADVANT, the creation of an Advisory Board, and the continuous strengthening of sector-specific expertise.

The Executive Committee would like to acknowledge the commitment of all the firm’s teams, whose professionalism and daily dedication fuel the firm’s growth and reputation. This wealth of human talent—where emerging talents and seasoned practitioners, as well as French and international cultures, come together—forms the foundation upon which ADVANT Altana is building its future.

Representing a variety of economic sectors (manufacturing, new technologies, and services), the four independent external members of the Advisory Board will bring their experience and vision to ADVANT Altana.

It is composed of:

• Maud Bailly, CEO of Sofitel Legend, Sofitel, MGallery & Emblems
• Hélène Etzi, President, The Walt Disney Company France
• Augustin de Romanet, Honorary Chairman of Aéroports de Paris, Advisor to the Executive Management at Eight Advisory
• Laurent Solly, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer (COO), Advanced Machine Intelligence

This Advisory Board embodies the firm’s commitment to surrounding itself with dedicated leaders who will help it anticipate change, seize new opportunities, and pursue an ambitious path.

“This Advisory Board embodies our commitment to opening ourselves even further to the business world and its challenges. These leaders will help us anticipate change, seize new opportunities, and continue building a firm that combines legal excellence with a deep understanding of economic realities,” says Valérie Lafarge Sarkozy, partner at ADVANT Altana.

“With this initiative, ADVANT Altana reaffirms its commitment to positioning itself as a strategic and innovative partner for its clients and to continuing the growth momentum it has maintained since its inception,” adds Pierre-Marie Ouchet, partner at ADVANT Altana.

Founded recently, Chimere develops advanced cybersecurity technologies enabling secure and seamless access to applications regardless of infrastructure. Its universal ZTNA approach addresses the growing need for robust security frameworks in an increasingly distributed and hybrid working environment.

This acquisition enables Ekinops to significantly strengthen its cybersecurity offering and accelerate its positioning in the Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) market. By integrating Chimere’s technology, Ekinops expands its portfolio with next-generation security solutions designed to protect enterprise networks and data.

Ekinops is a global provider of telecom and network solutions, delivering innovative, open, and trusted technologies to communication service providers and enterprises worldwide. The group focuses on delivering high-performance and scalable solutions that support the evolution of modern networks.

This transaction illustrates ADVANT Altana’s ability to advise on strategic acquisitions in the technology and cybersecurity sectors, particularly in complex and fast-evolving environments requiring multidisciplinary legal expertise.

The ADVANT Altana team was led by Laura Morelli (IP/IT) and Bruno Nogueiro (M&A) and included a cross-practice team composed of Claire Borgel (IP/IT), Théodore Sabot (M&A), Mickael d’Allende, Laura Beserman (Employment) and Philippe de Saint Bauzel, Alexandre Thuau-Renaudet (Tax).

As a key new institution in the European patent landscape, the PMAC will play a central role in promoting efficient, confidential and balanced solutions for the resolution of disputes relating to European and Unitary Patents.

This accreditation, granted for a five-year term, reflects her recognised experience in alternative dispute resolution, as well as her long-standing commitment to mediation.

Finassur has a very strong presence in the North of France, an economically strategic region for Marsh. 

Marsh, a Marsh McLennan (NYSE: MMC) company, is the #1 insurance broker and risk advisor worldwide, advising clients in 130 countries through four companies: Marsh, Guy Carpenter, Mercer, and Oliver Wyman. With annual revenues of more than $24 billion and more than 90,000 employees, Marsh McLennan helps clients build confidence to succeed through the power of perspective.

This acquisition will enable Finassur’s clients and employees to benefit from Marsh McLennan's global capabilities, solutions, and expertise in the areas of insurance, risk management, and strategy consulting expertise to help them achieve their growth and development goals.

This transaction is an illustration of ADVANT Altana’s ability to manage complex cross-border transactions for US clients investing in Europe and requiring the involvement of numerous areas of the law.