Céline Domenget-Morin

Céline Domenget-Morin is a partner in Goodwin’s Financial Restructuring practice and heads the Paris restructuring team.

She specializes in guiding distressed corporations, as well as their shareholders and creditors, through judicial or out-of-court restructurings. She also provides knowledgeable, value-driven advice to investors seeking opportunities, including in distressed businesses.

Céline draws on her broad experience in French and European restructuring and insolvency law to handle complex out-of-court (mandat ad hoc and conciliation) and insolvency proceedings (safeguard, accelerated safeguard, and bankruptcy).

Céline has also significant experience in distressed M&A and insolvency proceedings litigation.

Prior to joining Goodwin in 2019, Céline was a partner at White & Case LLP, where she was in charge of the Financial Restructuring and Insolvency practice.

Céline is fluent in French and English.

Céline’s representative experience includes advising:

• A pool of French banks in the financial restructuring of the existing indebtedness of Pierre & Vacances, a European resort group that develops and manages tourist residences, with conversion of €555 million of debt into equity, implemented in the framework of an accelerated safeguard proceeding. It is the first conversion of a French state backed loan into equity
• A pool of French banks in the financial restructuring of Figeac Aero, a major subcontractor in the aeronautics industry, in the context of the equity investment of Tikehau Ace Capital
• Tikehau Ace Capital in the acquisition of a majority stake in Groupe Rossi Aéro, a tier-1 supplier of speedshop, serial manufacturing and MRO services to the global aerospace industry and in the financial restructuring of the group
• BNP Paribas, Natixis, BFCM in the financial restructuring of the Vallourec group (€3.5 billion of debt), a world leader in premium tubular solutions, in the framework of safeguard proceedings
• Stellantis, one of the world’s leading automakers and a mobility provider, in the negotiations with GEFCO in the context of the end of the exclusivity benefiting to GEFCO since 2012 on the logistics services of Peugeot/Citroen/Ford and the sale of its remaining stake in GEFCO S.A. to the CMA CGM Group
• The EURO PP Holders in the context of the financial restructuring of one of the top French industrial subcontracting group for the automotive industry
• The bondholders of a pioneer and leading packaging specialist, in the context of its financial restructuring
• Groupe Rabot Dutilleul, a France-based construction and real estate development services provider, in its discussions with its creditors on its debt restructuring and of the reorganization of the group over its different steps
• Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO), a Finnish electricity producer, in the negotiations of the OL3 EPR project 2018 Global Settlement Agreement and its amendments with the plant supplier consortium companies to secure the financing of the project
• Tikehau Ace Capital in the financial restructuring of the Mecachrome group, the European leader in the design, engineering, machining and assembly of high-precision parts and assemblies for the aerospace, automotive, motor sport, defense and energy industries

Céline is consistently recognized as a leader in her field by International and French preeminent, peer-reviewed publications.

• Top ranked as Leading Individual in Insolvency by Legal 500 EMEA 2022
• Ranked in Band 3 in Restructuring/Insolvency by Chambers and Partners Europe 2022
• Recommended in Insolvency and Reorganization Law by Best Lawyer - France 2023
• Top ranked as Highly Regarded in Restructuring and insolvency by the 2022 edition of IFLR 1000
• Recognized as a "lawyer of excellence" by WOMEN FIRST

As a successful professional woman, Céline is committed to promoting women leadership both inside and outside the firm. As such, she joined Goodwin’s Paris Women Initiative Committee and has been driving women-oriented mentoring sessions, client initiatives and networking opportunities.

Céline serves on the editorial board of the Global Restructuring Review. She is also a board member of the Association pour le Retournement des Entreprises (ARE).

• "Bilans de rentrée : Quels enseignements un an après l’entrée en vigueur de l’ordonnance de transposition de la directive européenne « restructuration et insolvabilité » et six mois après les premières restructurations de prêts garantis par l’état ?," Fusions & Acquisitions, October 2022
• “Introduction Chapter - GRR - Europe,” Middle East and Africa Restructuring Review, 2019-2022
• "Prêts garantis par l’Etat : l’Arrêté du 19 janvier 2022 apporte les dernières précisions utiles pour sécuriser la restructuration des PGE," Option Finance, March 2022 (co-authored with César Puech Routier)
• "#Portrait : Goodwin, une deal maker à la tête du restructuring," Mayday, January 2022
• Co-Author, "Le private equity doit-il craindre la réforme du droit des entreprises en difficultés ?," Capital Finance, September 2021
• "Restructuring et private equity : de nouvelles règles du jeu ?," Option Finance, January 2021
• "Restructuration en temps de crise : enjeux et incertitudes," La Jaune & La Rouge, November 2020
• Co-Author, “Restructuring et private equity : maîtriser la nouvelle donne,” Capital Finance, March 2020

Speaking Engagements

• Panelist, “Coopération judiciaire interprofessionnelle pour une application efficace de la directive européenne refondue sur l’insolvabilité,” ENM Paris, January 2023
• Panelist, “Restructuration des PGE,” La semaine du restructuring, Option Finance, November 2022
• Panelist, “La valeur des classes : critères de constitution (nature, garantie, mérite, motivation…),” ARE (Association pour le Retournement des Entreprises) and the CEDAG, November 2022
• Panelist, “L'évolution du droit de l'insolvabilité,” 40th Anniversary of the Comité interministériel de la restructuration industrielle (CIRI) of the French Ministry of Economy, June 2022
• Panelist, “La fiducie : un outil précieux dans le cadre d’une restructuration,” Les Rencontres Restructuration et Financement, Option Finance, June 2022
• Panelist, “Prévention : l’amiable comme meilleur outil d’anticipation des difficultés,” Sommet Restructuration & Transformation, Décideurs Magazine (Leaders League), May 2022
• Panelist, “PGE : Nouvelles règles en 2022 et vision bancaire d’une restructuration,” Compagnie des Conseils et Experts Financiers (CCEF), March 2022
• Speaker, PME-ETI en croissance, Les Echos, December 2021
• Lecturer, the French jurisdiction in the Latin Euromerican G8 Insolvency and Restructuring Program, December 2021
• Panelist, “Carve-out : quelles nouvelles opportunités la crise sanitaire a-t-elle fait émerger ?,” Semaine du Restructuring, Option Finance, October 2021
• Panelist, “Gestion de la crise du Covid-19  : solutions de financement, outils des fonds spécialisés et acteurs du restructuring,” Les Rencontres Private Equity, Option Finance, March 2021
• Speaker, “Le LBO à l’épreuve de la crise de la Covid,” Les Echos, January 2021