Mergers & Acquisitions

The Legal Committee of the Association Nationale des Sociétés par Actions (French association of joint stock companies, commonly referred to by its acronym “ANSA”) met on March 2, 2022 to express its opinion on the application, in the context of cross-border simplified mergers, of the exemption from the obligation to prepare a written report provided for in the context of domestic simplified mergers.

A brief reminder of the applicable rules in this area is necessary before presenting the issue at stake and the clarification given by ANSA.

Law No. 2016-1691 on transparency, the fight against corruption and the modernization of the economy of December 9, 2016, commonly referred to as the “Sapin II Law”, has provided France with innovative tools inter alia to detect, prevent and punish corruption and breaches of probity.

The reinforcement of the legal arsenal to better fight corruption is one of the major pillars of this Law, and the risks associated to breaches of compliance rules can prove to be a deterrent for buyers in the context of M&A transactions.