Léa Borel is an associate at Cefides Oratio Avocats, in Lyon, France. The firm specializes in corporate law and business transfers, labor law, tax law, contract law, and business litigation. In 2022, CEFIDES merged with Oratio Avocats and consolidated its position around three of the main French economic hubs: Nantes, Paris, and Lyon. The new entity brings together 100 lawyers and nearly 200 professionals.
As a Closd user for more than a year, Mrs. Borel agreed to talk about her experience with the platform, and more particularly about the benefits in terms of preparation and organization of closings.
Closd: Could you please introduce us to Cefides Oratio?
Léa Borel: My name is Léa Borel, and I am an associate in private practice in corporate law. I was admitted to the bar 5 years ago, and I joined Cefides Oratio Avocats 3 years ago.
The firm has a significant corporate law-M&A department, which allows us to assist companies in their legal secretary follow-up, exceptional transactions, or transfers of business.
What were the main challenges before adopting Closd? What convinced you to use the platform?
With the health crisis, we had to quickly equip ourselves with an electronic signature solution. So we looked for a solution adapted to our everyday activities. We were interested in different solutions, and then one of the firm’s employees told us about Closd, a platform that she had discovered during a transaction. We were immediately seduced, and we thought that the solution was well adapted to lawyers specialized in M&A.
We were impressed by the demo, especially since we also needed a tool that would allow us to create data rooms. The tool proved to be suitable for our practice.
Could you describe the operations you carry out thanks to the platform? What are your favorite features?
We use Closd for all types of operations: company creation, transfers of businesses, transfer of shares, capital increase, etc. In short, a good number of private deeds in the field of corporate law.
The features I use the most are the electronic signature, the data room feature, the transmission of heavy documents via the data room, and the closing memo functionality that I use depending on the client, if he or she is “tech-savvy” enough and if I think that it can relieve him or her to digitize this step.
Personally, I really use it all the time. For example, just before our conversation, I used Closd during a video meeting to have the attendance sheet signed.
Are your clients and interlocutors satisfied with the use of the platform?
We have a very diverse client base, from industrial groups to merchants, which makes our business very interesting. We have had positive feedback from our clients who have been able to use it, who are also happy to see lawyers modernize.
The tool is extremely practical, and avoids the need for huge notary-type binders. For example, last week I organized the signing of a protocol with 500 pages of annexes, with 5 signatories. Before, we would have spent all afternoon on it, but now everything went much faster. Closd allows us to save time for our clients.
The Closd platform also allows us to communicate with our colleagues and to have them validate contracts before they are signed by their clients for example. We can also invite accountants on projects, which allows us to facilitate communication.
How would you assess your experience with Closd? What are the main strengths of the platform?
The strength of the platform is that it has been designed by former lawyers who have practiced and know very well what we need on a daily basis. Closd is easy to use, and everything is done to make our life easier.
The tool has been developed for our industry, facilitating our organization and helping us to evolve in our practice and our ways of working.
Thanks to Mrs Borel for her testimony. If you want to learn more about Closd, schedule a demo now!
