The Legal 500

No firms in France can match Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I.’s array of expertise, volume of high-level instructions, first-class client base and workforce. The ‘really good and quick’ 18-lawyer team is led by Laurent Deruy, Michel Guénaire, Emmanuel Vital-Durand and Thomas Courtel who is ‘certainly one of the up and coming stars in the PPP market’. The firm represented Eiffage’s bidding consortium on the project for the new Defence Ministry headquarters, and Voies Navigables de France on the first ever major PPP contract signed on river dams. The practice was also involved in several administrative disputes in 2010, acting for SNCF and RATP in litigations regarding new electricity tariffs.

Led by practice head Noël Chahid-Nouraï and Jean-Yves Ollier, Allen & Overy LLP handles a large scope of work including regulatory, public contract, litigation and privatisation matters. The eight-lawyer team is a leading player in the PPP field, advising lenders, sponsors and public entities. Recent highlights include assisting the winning consortium on the Tours and Bordeaux railway project, the French state on the L2 bypass motorway project in Marseille and Gaz de Normandie on the regulatory aspects of a LNG terminal project in Le Havre. Senior associate Romaric Lazerges warrants praise; ‘he is a well business-minded advisor and a real deal-maker’.

Clifford Chance has one of the market’s leading public law experts in David Préat, a ‘talented and easy to work with’ partner who is also a ‘solution finder’. Assisted by counsel Olivier Bélondrade, he leads a successful public contract practice, handling a large number of key mandates for sponsors. The firm is also a regular advisor to the transport ministry, which it assisted on numerous projects including the eco-tax, the Perpignan-Figueras railway, the A63 and CDG express projects. The practice also represented Natixis and RBC on the contentious aspects of swap transactions concluded with public law entities.

Linklaters LLP’s ‘level of service is the highest a client can expect; response time is short, business approach is practical and accurate’. The six-lawyer team is ‘strong’, ‘resists high pressure’, and is led by Paul Lignières, who comes up with ‘innovative and realistic solutions’. The practice handles privatisation, PPP, litigation and financial work, often advising lenders. The firm regularly advises Caisse des Dépots et Consignations on key matters including the recent privatisations of Transdev and La Poste, and the GSM-R project.

UGGC & Associés has a ‘perfect knowledge of public law contracts’, a ‘great understanding of how the administration works’ combined with ‘high creativity and reactivity’. The firm has a large scope of expertise thanks to a ten-lawyer team led by Jehan Béjot and Thierry Dal Farra, who ‘transcends the public law practice at contentious and non-contentious levels’. The firm advises large public sector operators such as Réseau Ferré de France, the Opérateur National de Paye and the French Government. Private sector clients (Colas, Sita, Elior) are also in the portfolio.

Boivin & Associés is an established player in the fields of public law and environment. Jean-Pierre Boivin, Frédéric Defradas and Malik Memlouk are recommended. The team advises public sector operators and large industrial groups on public contracts, urban planning law and litigation.

Baker & McKenzie SCP’s Emmanuel Guillaume is an outstanding figure for regulatory work, notably in the telecoms sector. The seven-lawyer team, which also includes Arnaud Cabanes, represents major public sector entities and private companies, handling public procurement and litigation work. It acted for Aéroports de Paris in several disputes before the French administrative Supreme Court regarding airport fees.

DS Avocats has in-depth expertise in the fields of property, urban planning, development and public procurement work. The 18-lawyer practice, led by Daniel Chausse and made up of five partners, advises large developers and local entities on public contracts. It also represents public sector bodies such as the Etablissement Public du Palais de Justice de Paris on urban planning work and acts for private sector clients (Transdev subsidiaries) on litigation matters.

Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier’s practice counts in its ranks two former members of France’s administrative Supreme Court in François Sureau, who constantly advises on the country’s high-end privatisation work, and Henri Savoie, who joined from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in 2010 and is a great addition to the practice on the litigation side. The firm recently assisted state-owned entities La Poste on the opening of its share capital and CDC and Transdev on the merger of Transdev and Veolia Transport.

De Pardieu Brocas Maffei’s Olivier Schmitt manages a six-lawyer team, handling public contract, urban planning law, public property law and litigation matters. The practice mainly acts for private sector clients, but is also representing the defence ministry on several matters including the “ro-ro” vessel services contract set up for armed forces and the outsourcing of postal and banking services for overseas armed forces. The firm also assisted GlaxoSmithKline on issues regarding the supply of H1N1 vaccines.

Huglo Lepage & Associés Conseil’s Corinne Lepage and Christian Huglo are renowned experts for public and environmental law work. The firm provides a comprehensive range of expertise spanning urban planning, local entity and public economic law. It acts for public and private sector clients.

The ‘great and all-round’ public law specialist Philippe Delelis leads Jones Day’s five-lawyer team with senior associate Nicolas Brice also recommended. The firm is a growing player in the PPP market, but the comprehensive practice also takes on public contracts, regulatory and litigation work. Recent highlights include advising the new French online-gaming regulator (ARJEL) and Paris metro operator RATP. It also assisted Réseau Ferré de France on the Bretagne-Pays de la Loire (BPL) railway project, CDC on the Defence Ministry’s Balard project and EDF on renewing French dam and hydropower station concessions.

At Norton Rose LLP, Philippe Malléa’s ten-lawyer team manages a high number of public law and PPP projects. The firm has a strong involvement assisting public entities, governmental bodies and sponsors, handling key instructions in the transport, university and hospital sectors. Highlights included assisting the Préfecture de Police de Paris on its video surveillance project, and Eiffage on the BPL project.

Orrick Rambaud Martel’s team is led by Frédéric Torron and Jérôme Pentecoste – Bruno Richard left the firm to join Wragge & Co. The practice advises sponsors and public entities on public contract and litigation matters. It assisted a consortium made up of Bouygues, Thalès and Sodexo on the high-profile Balard project, and the University Paris VII on the construction of new premises.

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker (Europe) LLP’s four-lawyer team is led by Pascal Cuche, an expert who ‘understands what matters are at stake on a deal for industrial clients and also knows how to tone down negotiations while adding his strategic vision to the debates’, and Marc Lordonnois whose ‘reactivity breaks every record’. The firm has become a leading player in PPP, acting for the main sponsors (Vinci, Bouygues) on the largest public sector projects, assisting Eiffage on its bid for the A63 motorway concession and Orange and ETDE on the eco-tax project. The practice also acts for public law entities, assisting the MAPP (the Economy Ministry department in charge of PPP), and the Urban Community of Nancy on its stadium project.

Salans is praised for its ‘invaluable knowledge of PPP deals’, while the practice also covers public contract, litigation and regulatory matters. The team is led by François Froment-Meurice and Marc Fornacciari who has ‘long experience drafting contracts’ and ‘in-depth knowledge of the current market standards’. The group brings ‘innovative solutions’ to sponsors, public entities and lenders. It assisted Vinci concessions on its bid for Le Mans’ stadium project, the Education Ministry on the first PPP ever signed for a university, and French Guiana on the merger of the Guiana Région with the Guiana Département.

Adamas has a large team of 25 lawyers based in Lyon and Paris, including new recruits Bernard de Froment and Jean-Pierre Brunel. The ten-partner practice, which also includes Alain-Serge Mescheriakoff, Romain Granjon, Jean-Marc Petit and Claude Ferradou, advises public law entities and companies. It successfully defended the Département du Rhône in a litigation case regarding the awarding of the Musée Lyon Confluence construction project, and is assisting the French State on the renovation of prisons in Lyon. The firm also represents many sky-mountain resorts.

Bird & Bird AARPI’s seven-lawyer team is led by Sophie Pignon-Xardel who joined from Ashurst LLP in 2010 – former practice head Jean-Dominique Bloch left the firm to set up its own practice. The group focuses on PPP and public procurement work in the transport, telecoms, energy and public domain fields, and assisted the Département des Hautes-Pyrénées on a road project in Tarbes.

CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre’s 11-lawyer team advises on a large range of work. Jean-Luc Tixier, who focuses on public and property law issues, and Christophe Barthélemy, who handles regulatory and energy matters, and is currently advising the RATP on new transport issues, are recommended. Newly promoted partner François Tenailleau focuses on PPP work, advising Auxifip on the broadband project in the Hautes-Pyrénées region.

Earth Avocats is entirely dedicated to public projects acting as an advisor and litigator. The 13-lawyer team, led by Yves-René Guillou, assists public entities and sponsors on projects in the energy, communication, transport, health and construction fields. The firm advised Nice Urban Council on the public procurement contracts signed on electric vehicles, and the Defence Ministry on a project regarding Toulon military police.

Frêche & Associés demonstrates a great understanding of public law matters, offering a comprehensive range of expertise; public contracts, public domain, urban planning and local entity law. The team includes Alain Frêche, François-Charles Bernard and Patrick Durand, who ranks among ‘the leading experts on urban planning law’.

Through Nicolas Baverez, Gibson Dunn has a top-notch practice in the area of public economical law. The four-lawyer team, including of counsel Nicolas Autet, serves CAC 40 companies and regularly advises the French state and state-owned companies on high-profile regulatory, contract, privatisation and regulatory matters.

Goutal Alibert & Associés’ six-lawyer team advises public law entities with Yvon Goutal and Florence Alibert recommended experts. The firm has a good understanding of cultural institutions and of the public sector. Musée du Quai Branly, the Centre Pompidou and Radio France are prestigious clients.

Latournerie Wolfrom & Associés’ practice is led by Jean Latournerie, Laurent de la Brosse and Térence Cabot. The good PPP practice has particular strengh in the telecoms, transport and energy sectors. It recently assisted the Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille on a PPP contract.

Molas et Associés entirely focuses on public law work, through the ‘very reactive and available’ Julien Molas. The firm assists public law entities and private operators on public law contracts, urban planning law and public financing matters.

At Seban & Associés, a group of 30 lawyers provide all-round legal expertise (including on constitutional law) to public sector clients (local and governmental entities). The team is made up of ‘highly reactive and available lawyers’, who are ‘opened to debates’ and ‘collaborate to create operational solutions’. Didier Seban and Marie-Hélène Pachen-Lefèvre lead the public law practice, while My-Kim Yang-Paya is in charge of the private law department. The firm recently handled work in the energy and telecoms sectors and opened an office in Grenoble. It is also well-versed in representing public-law agents facing criminal proceedings.

White & Case LLP’s Jacques Bouillon and Paule Biensan are regularly appointed by lenders and sponsors to work on the market’s largest public procurement contracts. Highlights included representing the lenders in the Tours-Bordeaux railway project and a bidding consortium on the GSM-R system project.