Hortense Atthenont-Duret
Of Counsel
Hortense is an of counsel in the Paris office with a deep experience in banking and finance sector, focusing on asset and export finance and transportation industry.
Of Counsel
Hortense is an of counsel in the Paris office with a deep experience in banking and finance sector, focusing on asset and export finance and transportation industry.
Languages- English and French
Jurisdiction- French
Hortense acts predominantly in the field of asset finance (ships and aircraft), tax leasing and export credits, and has also a significant experience in corporate and acquisition finance, securitisation and commodities financing.
She advises main French and foreign financial institutions, as well as ship companies, lessors, ECAs, and more generally corporates in the transportation sector.
Before joining Stephenson Harwood, Hortense worked in renowned law firms in Paris.
Hortense graduated from ESSEC business school and holds a master's degree in French Business and tax law from the University of Paris Panthéon-Assas (Paris II).
Advising Accor on a strategic partnership with LVMH for the creation and operation of a new luxury cruise line under the Orient Express brand
Advising Accor, in partnership with LVMH, on the structuring of a group of companies managing and operating a new luxury cruise line in France and on the bank financing of two cruise yachts currently being built by Les Chantiers de l'Atlantique.
Advising major French arrangers for the financing of six methanol dual-fuel carrier vessels for Xpress Feeders
Advising three major French arrangers, Societe Generale, Crédit Industriel et Commercial and BNP Paribas, on long-term lease financings for six methanol dual-fuel carrier vessels for Eastaway France, French subsidiary of XPress Feeders, under French leasing structures with a total financing value exceeding US$280 million - named “East Leasing Deal of the Year” at the Marine Money Deal of the Year Awards 2024.
Advising The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection on the financing of two ultra luxury yachts
Advising The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection on a US$1 billion Buyers Credit Facility for two ultra luxury yachts built at Les Chantiers de l'Atlantique and backed by BPIfrance AE, the French export credit agency - named “Yacht Financing Deal of the Year” at the Marine Money Deal of the Year Awards 2023.
Advising Crédit Industriel et Commercial on the financing of a ro-ro sailing vessel
Advising Crédit Industriel et Commercial on the financing by way of a French tax lease, backed by a BPIfrance AE guarantee, of a first-of-its-kind ro-ro sailing vessel for the new French shipowner, Neoline
Advising Jifmar Offshore Services on the financing of the acquisition of Acta Marine’s workboat activities
Advising Jifmar Offshore Services, leader of the workboat sector, on the financing of the acquisition of workboat activities of the Dutch operator Acta Marine
Advising on the financing of six liquified natural gas carriers for Knutsen Group
Advising on the US$970 million financing for Knutsen Group of six liquified natural gas carriers - named 'Leasing Deal of the Year' at the Marine Money Deal of the Year Awards 2021. The deal incorporated a combination of a French lease, ECA-backed loans and the issuance of private placement bonds and involved multi-jurisdictional legal, tax, corporate and operational aspects.
French tax lease green financings
Advising either financial institutions or shipowners on the financing of vessels – including green components - through French tax lease structures
Export credit agency financings
Advising either financial institutions or shipowners on ECA-backed financings of vessels across multiple jurisdictions
Acquisition financings in the shipping sector
Advising buyers on the acquisition and/or the financing of the acquisition of companies in the shipping sector
Shipping restructurings
Representing creditors and financiers on major French shipping restructurings.
