The Legal 500

Bird & Bird AARPI’s eight-lawyer practice is led by ‘skilled’ litigator Vonnick Le Guillou. The firm acts for a large aircraft manufacturer, several airline companies and insurers, which it assists on commercial and litigation work. The team is highly valued for its product liability expertise and is involved in major crash proceedings, successfully representing one of the individuals responsible for the Concorde programme in the highly-publicised Concorde case.

HMN & Partners has ‘one of France’s best litigators, standing out for the respect he shows to his clients’ goals’ in Simon Ndiaye, who leads the firm’s practice. The team has built an exquisite client portfolio including manufacturers and satellite operators (Airbus, Eurocopter, Ariane Espace and EADS). The firm excels in litigation and won a major victory for EADS in the Concorde case.

Hogan Lovells (Paris) LLP stands out for its outstanding litigation capabilities through Thomas Rouhette and senior associate Cécile Di Meglio, who represent the world’s largest aircraft manufacturers following major air disasters. The team is assisting Boeing in several high-profile cases including the Sharm El-Sheikh, Maracaibo, Kenya Airways and Tamanrasset crashes. The firm also offers first-class finance expertise and handles several commercial arbitration cases.

Soulez Larivière et Associés is a superb litigation boutique, handling high-profile accident cases in addition to aircraft construction and operation disputes. The firm is a regular advisor to the DGAC (the French Aviation Administration) and the Snecma, through aviation expert Simon Foreman and star litigator Daniel Soulez-Larivière. The practice successfully represented a DGAC public servant in the highly-publicised Concorde case.

Bouckaert Ormen Passemard Sportes is the go-to firm for insurance and litigation matters. The team, including Christian Bouckaert and Carole Sportes, has sound experience acting in aircraft accident cases.

Clyde & Co LLP often represents airline companies with Maylis Casati-Ollier being a major figure in the aviation field, having acted in numerous aircraft accident cases.

Garnault Rembauville Bureau Tassy has a long-established reputation through Fernand Garnault and Patrice Rembauville-Nicolle. Garnault was Air France’s lawyer in the Concorde case, winning a major victory for his client.

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I.’s Gilles Duquet, Richard Ghueldre and Philippe Rames lead a ten-lawyer team (Emmanuel Fontaine retired in 2010), mainly acting for insurers. The firm also has Eurocopter and ATR as clients.

Herbert Smith LLP is strongly recommended for product liability cases through Denis Chemla, who ‘understands the French legal system very well’ while also being able to ‘abide by US standards of legal representation’. The firm handles high-profile air crash and contractual disputes, acting for aircraft device manufacturers. It is representing Honeywell in the Rio-Paris disaster and Pratt & Whitney in the West Caribbean jetliner crash in Venezuela.

The up-and-coming Stephenson Harwood has a strong finance practice with Richard Pearson and Edward Campbell, who advise leading financial institutions, including BNP Paribas. The ‘excellent and always available’ team is also strong for leasing work and is developing its jet financing practice. The firm also impresses with its growing client portfolio, which includes banks, airline companies (Air Asia) and lessors (Volito Aviation). The team recently assisted new Indonesian client Lion Air on a range of matters including the financing of six Boeing 738.