Olivier Edwards

Partner

Olivier Edwards is a partner in Morgan Lewis's Business and Finance Practice and leader of our European Emerging Business and Technology Practice initiative. Mr. Edwards focuses his practice on emerging businesses and related transactions—including joint ventures, technology licensing, private placements, and IPOs—on behalf of venture capital funds, their portfolio companies, and mature technology businesses based in France. He has advised companies in the high-tech and biotech sectors, as well as industrial or service-oriented groups of companies, such as those in the wine and spirits, fresh products transportation, tourism, automobile, and men's and women's wear industries.

Prior to joining Morgan Lewis, Mr. Edwards was a partner in and head of the Paris venture capital group at a large international law firm.

Mr. Edwards is a member of three nonprofit organizations dedicated to high-growth-potential companies, both of which he co-founded. He serves as president of the legal and tax committee at CroissancePlus and acts as secrétaire général and as Vice President of the executive committee at PME Finance.

Mr. Edwards has lectured on topics such as stock options, shareholders' agreements, and securities at EFE, Capital IT, HEC, and INSEAD, and has published articles on the same topics in Les Echos, Le Figaro, Capital Finance, and la Revue Parlementaire, as well as Martindale and PLC Handbook (Venture Capital: France, for 2012 and Private Equity: France, for 2012).

Mr. Edwards and his team have been awarded the Golden Trophy for venture capital by Décideurs Juridiques & Financiers three times in a row, and the Deal Maker Award 2012 by Finance Monthly Magazine.

Mr. Edwards received his M.A. in corporate law from the University of London in 1973 and his Diplôme en droit from the Université de Paris II Panthéon-Assas in 1969. He is fluent in French and English.

Mr. Edwards is admitted to practice in Paris.