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Yann Zellet

Counsel
Yann Zellet provides client and business-oriented advice.
Legal 500
About

Yann Zellet focuses on banking, finance and restructuring matters. He focuses particularly on fund finance, green finance, secured lending, leveraged finance and real estate finance. Yann also regularly handles restructuring and securitisation transactions across multiple jurisdictions.

He advises international companies, asset managers, green funds, private equity houses, real estate investment structures and financial institutions on a wide range of cross-border finance matters, including acquisition finance, refinancing and complex restructuring work.

Yann has been involved in the drafting and negotiation of Luxembourg law governed finance documentation for leading international banks supporting clients on high-value and multi-jurisdictional mandates.

Since 2018, Yann has coordinated the Know Your Rights Project, a legal empowerment program for refugees and asylum seekers living in Luxembourg.

Bar AdmissionsAdmitted to the Barreau de Luxembourg under his professional home titleAvocat à la Cour admitted to the Paris Bar

EXPERIENCE

Yann's relevant experience includes advising:

  • Breakwater Energy Holdings S.à r.l., part of the EIG Partners group, on two parallel, strategically significant financing initiatives relating to the refinancing of the deferred purchase price concerning its acquisition of a 25% stake in Repsol E&P S.à r.l.
  • A leading international bank on a sophisticated English law governed EUR 100m subscription line financing granted to two Luxembourg investment funds (an SCSp and an FCP) under a revolving credit facilities agreement.
  • A major European bank in connection with the NAV refinancing of a pan‑European real estate fund structure and its cross‑border investment platform.
  • An international asset manager on the launch of a private credit fund (structured as an SCA SICAV RAIF) and on the Luxembourg workstreams relating to its USD 100 million capital call subscription facility.
  • A Luxembourg-based investment fund focused on, among other things, project financing, on a multi-million tranche financing for a property project in Luxembourg, secured by Luxembourg security interests and a mortgage over the property.
  • A leading SEC‑registered investment manager with approximately USD 850m assets under management and a strong focus on special situations and complex asset strategies, on the strategic refinancing of a multinational group exceeding USD 200m.
  • EIG Global Energy Partners, a leading institutional investor in the global energy sector and one of the world’s leading infrastructure-sector investors, on the multi‑billion‑dollar financing related to the acquisition of a 49% equity stake in Aramco Oil Pipelines Company, through the entry into a bridge facility agreement.
  • A Luxembourg subsidiary of a Swiss independent investment manager focusing on the global energy transition infrastructure on a cross‑border NAV facility.
  • The Fürst companies from a Luxembourg law perspective in relation to the restructuring of their debt by means of a restructuring plan filed under Part 26A of the UK Companies Act 2006.
Languages
  • English
  • French

Awards and Recognitions

  • Yann is rated as "Rising Star" in Banking and Finance by IFLR 1000, 2024–25.
  • Member of the team awarded IFT's Legal Adviser of the Year 2024, recognising the team's efforts in cross-border restructuring and turnaround work, including the Part 26A restructuring plan for Fürst group of companies, based in Luxembourg.
  • “Yann Zellet provides client and business-oriented advice.” Legal 500, 2024
Education
  • Bar exam (Certificat d'Aptitude à la Profession d'Avocat)
  • University of Strasbourg (France), Master 2 in Banking and Finance Law
  • University of Strasbourg (France), Law degree in business law

Publications

  • 2026 Fund Finance Association Symposium: Key insights, 12 February 2026
  • Institutional Investors: The final frontier of net asset value-based finance – Archived chapter, 24 January 2025
  • Key takeaways from the Fund Finance Association 2024 Global Leadership Summit, 19 September 2024

Prior Experience

  • 2024 - to date: Counsel, DLA Piper Luxembourg 
  • 2021 - to date: Senior Associate, DLA Piper Luxembourg
  • 2016 - 21: Associate, DLA Piper Luxembourg
  • 2015: Trainee, Luxembourg law firm