Mélanie Goutelle

Melanie’s practice primarily covers corporate law, with a strong focus on providing corporate advisory services to French and international companies across a broad range of industries.

She assists clients with both day-to-day and strategic corporate transactions, covering a broad spectrum of matters such as entity formation and structuring, corporate governance, equity transactions (share capital increases and decreases), as well as mergers, divestures, and reorganizations. She tailors her advice to each industry and company size, ensuring legally secure decision-making and optimized operational efficiency.

Mélanie also advises clients on compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). She conducts GDPR audits, drafts privacy policies, provides guidance on securing data processing activities, and supports the implementation of tailored internal compliance devices.

Representative Matters

Corporate

• Provided comprehensive assistance to companies in connection with both routine and strategic corporate law matters

Private equity

• Advised private equity players – including investment funds, management companies, and target businesses – at every stage of their transactions. Tailored support includes fund structuring, due diligence, negotiation of shareholders’ agreements, fundraising and equity investments, as well as planning and implementation of exit strategies

Contracts

• Drafted and negotiated general terms of sale and purchase for companies operating in the training, healthcare, and environmental industries
• Drafted and negotiated framework agreements for a leading French buying group of independent distributors in the construction industry
• Drafted, negotiated, and secured services agreements for companies in the real estate and IT industries

Business reorganization

• Advised a pharmacy group on the legal and financial reorganization of its corporate structure to improve internal organization and resource management, including bespoke tax advice precisely aligned with the group’s specific needs and strategic objectives

Corporate governance

• Advised companies on strengthening corporate governance to enhance the effectiveness of management bodies, including drafting governance charters, streamlining decision-making processes, facilitating shareholder relations, preventing conflicts of interest, and proactively managing governance risks

Personal data

• Assisted companies with data protection compliance, including conducting audits, drafting privacy policies, training staff, and addressing GDPR-related risks.

Background

• Bunch, Corporate Department, Associate, 2023-2025
• Cabinet Aymeric Curis, General practice law firm, Internship, 2022
• Cabinet Reynal-Perret, Intellectual Property Department, Internship, 2019

Professional Associations

• French Association of Business Lawyers (Avocats Conseils d’Entreprises (ACE))

Education

• French Bar Exam (CAPA), 2023
• Postgraduate Master’s Degree in Law and Management of Media, Technology and Innovative Industries (MEDIIATIC), University Bordeaux IV, 2019
• Master’s Degree in Intellectual Property Law, University Bordeaux IV, 2018 – Graduated First in Class

Languages

• French
• English