The Legal 500

Bousquet’s Louis Bousquet is a ‘very good practitioner’ with a long-established reputation and experience. French blue chip construction company Bouygues is the firm’s key client, and the team advised Bouygues Immobilier on the acquisition of Vefa by Custom House Capital.

DLA Piper recruited renowned experts Jean-Philippe Sorba and Emmanuelle Payrau-Sorba, both previously at Proskauer Rose LLP, to develop its construction practice. The team consists of public and private law specialists, and its expertise in construction litigation is highly rated. The team works for some of the biggest names in the French construction industry and is involved in several significant construction projects and litigation cases.

At Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I., Jean-Jacques Raquin, Eric Martin-Impératori and Renaud Baguenault advise on major construction projects. The firm recently represented the Principality of Monaco on its high-profile land extension project, as well as Bouygues Immobilier.

Grange & Associés has an ‘outstanding practice’ advising on construction law, land use planning, and public procurement matters. Clients include developers, construction companies, motorway companies, airports and public entities. Claude Grange is highly recommended.

Karila has ‘creative capabilities which have been the origin of several jurisprudential innovations’. Construction is the core business of the firm, which is recognised both for its advising work and its outstanding litigation skills. The team can rely on two strong assets with Laurent and Jean-Pierre Karila, with the latter ‘an unrivalled reference in the sector of liability and insurance-related construction issues’. Clients include insurers, developers and companies, and the team recently advised Société Générale on the construction of the Granit Tower in Paris La Défense.

Lefèvre Pelletier & Associés is well-established in the construction sector, with leading individuals in the team including Denis Chardigny, Emmanuel Guillini, Marie-Odile Vaissié and Philippe Lefèvre. The team advises project managers and developers on contractual and regulatory aspects of construction projects and assists clients on litigation matters. The team advised Altaréa, and Foncière des Régions on the conclusion of an agreement with Aéroports de Paris on the development of a large land area at Orly airport.

Proskauer Rose LLP’s reputation is linked to practice head Christophe Lapp, who is ‘excellent in construction-related litigation’ and has ‘sound knowledge of the construction sector’. Lapp is the sole partner in charge of the practice following the departure of Jean-Philippe Sorba to DLA Piper assisted by two excellent senior associates, namely Louis des Cars and François Muller, who is ‘practical, fast and very close to clients’. The team counts among its clients leading construction operators such as Vinci, Bouygues and Eiffage. Highlights include advising Vinci on the creation of a thermal power station production programme.

White & Case LLP has ‘great industry knowledge’ and its lawyers can ‘communicate with ease in English’. Practice leaders Jacques Bouillon and Christopher Seppälä advise on construction contracts and international construction disputes. The team assisted a bidding consortium, comprising Eiffage and Véolia Transport, with the construction of a railway system in the Puy de Dôme, and Starwood on the refurbishment of the Lutétia and Crillon hotels in Paris.