BCLP Advises Entrepreneur Equity Partners on Strategic Investment in RC Lens

BCLP advised Entrepreneur Equity Partners (EEP), a private investment firm focused on sports, entertainment and real estate, on its investment in Racing Club de Lens (RC Lens), one of France's most historic football clubs. The transaction resulted in EEP acquiring a 13.93% minority ownership stake in the Ligue 1 club as part of a broader recapitalization and governance restructuring.

In addition to the acquisition, BCLP advised on associated governance arrangements, board representation rights and regulatory matters. The investment is expected to support significant infrastructure projects surrounding Stade Bollaert-Delelis while enhancing the club's long-term commercial opportunities and preserving its strong connection to the Lens community.

BCLP's representation spanned the full lifecycle of the transaction, including corporate, fundraising, tax, governance and regulatory matters across multiple jurisdictions. The team advised on the structuring and deployment of investment capital, implementation of tax-efficient investment structures for US and international investors, and the negotiation of shareholder and governance arrangements. A key aspect of the matter involved advising on complex UEFA multiclub ownership regulations and football governance requirements, including ownership, influence and control considerations arising from EEP's broader portfolio of sports investments.

The cross-Atlantic BCLP team was led by Kaley Rickert, Associate, Corporate Transactions and Sports, Media & Entertainment, Denver, and Frédéric Jungels, Partner, Corporate Transactions, Paris, and included Aaron Lang, Partner; Lola Modena, Tom Ugarte, Leslie DeGonia and Grant Atwood, Associates, Corporate Transactions; Jean-Louis Martin, Partner, Real Estate and Sports, Media & Entertainment, and Marc Bassil, Associate, Real Estate; and Cathryn Benedict and Tim Glasgow, Partners; Yecine Nour, Counsel, and Hind Sehnoun, Associate, Tax, Employee Benefits & Private Client. The team was further supported by Jake Crabtree, Partner, Finance Transactions, and Marc Trottier, Partner, Finance Transactions, who advised on UEFA multi-club ownership and football regulatory matters.

This transaction represents the latest in a series of matters BCLP has handled for Entrepreneur Equity Partners as the client continues to expand its global sports investment portfolio. Earlier this year, BCLP advised EEP on its investment in Venezia Football Club, an Italian Serie A club, and most recently advised EEP on its investment in Bolton Wanderers Football Club in England.