Business acquisition in France: a complex process
From the outside, an acquisition can look like a classic expansion: enter a new market, secure capabilities, gain customers. But UK companies acquiring in France often encounter a different reality once the process begins.
The deal may involve a French group with international subsidiaries, each carrying local rules, reporting formats and operational “specificities” that don’t appear at first. Then the transaction starts to slow: diligence requests multiply, interpretations diverge, and the buyer’s internal team begins to manage coordination rather than strategy.
This is the moment where many cross-border transactions become fragile: because of complexity.
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What happens if you mismanage your business acquisition?
When it comes to M&A, delays have a price. They:
- inflate advisory costs
- stretch management attention
- weaken momentum with sellers, lenders and stakeholders
They also increase risk: the longer a deal drags, the more likely you are to discover late issues – tax exposures, HR liabilities, IT vulnerabilities – that change valuation and terms.
That’s exactly what Philippe Michaud and Xavier Baron from Forvis Mazars – UKBC Lille service providers specialised in M&A – explain:
“ A UK company attempted to acquire a French group with international subsidiaries, but the deal became too complex to manage. Different regulations, multiple jurisdictions, local specificities the process was stalling. The company felt completely lost and the project was going to get delayed”
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Who is Forvis Mazars ?
Forvis Mazars is one of the UK Business Centre Lille’s trusted service providers, supporting international companies – including UK investors – with the financial, tax, legal and transaction expertise they need to operate in France.
They are present in 100+ countries and have a base in Hauts-de-France. Its international team brings together specialists in accounting, tax, corporate law, employment law, payroll and transaction services, including acquisitions, transfers and restructurings.
For UK companies looking to acquire or expand into France, this integrated model is a major advantage: one point of contact coordinates the relevant expertise, helping streamline the process, reduce complexity and support clearer decision-making.
Through its international network and local knowledge, Forvis Mazars helps companies manage both the French specifics and the wider cross-border challenges that often shape successful M&A projects.
How Forvis Mazars helps British companies acquire a company through the UK Business Centre Lille?
In the case, Forvis Mazars’ response was not to add another advisor to the pile. It was to change the operating model.
“With a single point of contact, Forvis Mazars deployed a multidisciplinary team to handle due diligence, coordination and negotiations end-to-end,” Philippe Michaud and Xavier Baron explained.
That approach matches how the firm positions its Deals and Corporate Finance offering: tailored M&A advice designed to create and optimise shareholder value, supporting investors and companies in external growth and transactions.
What is the benefit of having support to acquire a company in France for British companies?
This model creates a clear before/after transformation:
Before:
- the buyer loses time coordinating multiple advisors
- diligence produces disconnected findings
- negotiation becomes reactive
- uncertainty grows, and the deal slows
After (with integrated coordination):
- one point of contact keeps pace and priorities clear
- diligence findings become a single decision narrative
- negotiation rests on a coherent risk map
- the buyer regains control and moves forward “with clarity”
The UK Business Centre Lille network of service providers
When in comes to international acquisition, one question often makes the difference: who can you mobilise quickly when complexity appears?
This is where the UK Business Centre Lille (UKBC Lille) network becomes strategic. The UKBC Lille connects UK companies with trusted, English-speaking specialists to make access to the French and EU market smoother, faster and less risky. Its support goes beyond M&A, the network can help with:
- setting up operations,
- opening a bank account,
- domiciliation,
- finding business partners,
- optimising logistics,
- getting customs or tax representation
Forvis Mazars is one example of that value in action. As a UKBC Lille service provider, it brings specific expertise in tax, transaction services and cross-border acquisitions, precisely the kind of support a UK investor may need when acquiring a company in France.
But the broader strength lies in the UKBC Lille model: companies do not have to identify every expert alone. They explain their needs, and the UKBC Lille helps put them in touch with the right contacts across the local, regional and national ecosystem.
In other words, the UKBC Lille is not just a gateway into France, it is a practical shortcut to the right people, at the right time, when international development becomes complex.
5 key takeaways for UK investors acquiring a company in France
- Acquiring a company in France requires more than finding the right target. UK investors also need to manage multi-jurisdiction coordination, local regulations, tax issues, legal requirements and post-acquisition integration.
- Cross-border M&A can quickly stall without a clear operating model. When several countries, subsidiaries and advisory teams are involved, a single point of contact helps keep the transaction moving and prevents complexity from slowing the deal.
- Integrated due diligence is essential to de-risk an acquisition in France. Financial, tax, legal, social and IT due diligence should be coordinated together so investors can identify risks early and turn findings into clear negotiation points.
- Forvis Mazars, as a UKBC Lille service provider, brings specialist M&A and tax expertise. Its role is to help international investors structure, secure and deliver successful acquisitions in France with end-to-end transaction support.
- UK Business Centre Lille helps UK companies access the right experts faster. Through its trusted service provider network, UKBC Lille can connect investors with transaction services, tax advisors, legal experts and other specialists needed to expand or acquire in France and the wider EU market.
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