Sami Toutounji is the European Governance and Benefits Team Leader.

He advises major European corporations and financial institutions on the design and international roll-out of their equity and other compensation plans, as well as on related issues of corporate governance. This team is a leader in the continental market for equity plans, based on both the number of plans implemented every year and their complexity.  These plans range from CEO and executive LTIs to all-employee stock purchase plans with sophisticated leverage and guarantee features. These plans have covered over 120 countries in the last two years. Sami also advises U.S. companies on the design and roll-out of their plans in Europe.

• Oddo BHF, acting as Global Coordinator and Joint Bookrunner, in connection with CGG’s capital increase with preferential subscription rights.
• Essilor on corporate governance aspects of its €50 billion combination with Luxottica.
• Unibail-Rodamco on its proposed $25 billion acquisition of Westfield Corporation.
• Novartis in connection with the USD 3.9 billion acquisition of Advanced Accelerator Applications (AAA).
• The Agence des Participations de l’État on the €1.53 billion sale of a 4.5% stake in Engie.
• Vivendi on the acquisition of a 60% majority stake of the Bolloré Group in Havas.
• Orange in the sale of approximately 133 million shares in BT for an amount of £383 million and the issuance of bonds exchangeable into BT shares for an amount of approximately £520 million.
• The Agence des Participations de l’État on the sale of a 4.1% stake in Engie for €1.14 billion.
• Nexans in connection with the issuance of a €250 million bond.
• Alstom in connection with the public share buyback offer (OPRA) to be made by Alstom with respect to its own shares.
• Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley on Groupe Bruxelles Lambert’s sale of 0.7% of Total’s capital for €650 million.
• Banks Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank as Global Coordinator, Joint Lead Manager and Joint Bookrunner and Octo Finances as Joint Lead Manager and Joint Bookrunner on the issue of ORNANE by Ausy.
• Altice N.V. on its $17.7 billion acquisition of Cablevision Systems Corporation – a combination that will create the fourth largest cable operator in the US market. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2016 once applicable regulatory approvals have been obtained.
• French and U.S. counsel in connection to Euronext with its IPO in Paris and Amsterdam.
• Counsel to an industrial group in connection with its IPO on Euronext Paris.
• Counsel to the underwriters in connection with a rights offering.
• The French State Holdings agency in its sale of 1.0% of the capital of Airbus Group.

Professional Affiliations

• "Adjunct Professor of Law" at the Paris II University Panthéon-Assas. 
• Member of the Consultative Commission « épargnants » (retail investors) of the French securities market regulator (AMF).

Awards & Accolades

• According to Legal 500 EMEA, "The firm also stands out for its leading employee offering practice, which is led by Sami Toutounji, who is a leader in equity plans." (2020)
• According to Chambers Europe, Sami Toutounji is praised for his capacity to "address all issues." He specialises in equity and is particularly active in the area of share planning. He acts for both bookrunners and issuers. (2018)
• Sources note that Sami Toutounji's "innovative mind-set is very valuable" according to Legal 500 (2018).
• Clients tell Chambers Global that he is: "the best one in Paris for this niche," adding that "he's very responsive and imaginative" (2017).
• Sources note that: "Nobody even reaches him - he is excellent and easy to work with" according to Chambers Global (2016).
• "Il dispose d'une vraie vision de place, diffuse les meilleures pratiques, joue un rôle de plate-forme d'échange, d'influenceur et de créateur du droit" (Décideurs, Annuaire rémunération-évaluation-recrutement, 2016).