The Legal 500

Bredin Prat’s practice has it all; high-profile cases, a fabulous CAC 40 client base and a brigade of fine litigators. Some ten partners are actively involved in the practice, including the experienced Jean-François Prat, Didier Martin, Claude Bendel and the ‘brilliant’ Sylvie Morabia. The young guard is led by Jean-Daniel Bretzner, Sébastien Prat, Sophie Cornette de Saint Cyr, Florian Bouaziz and Matthieu Pouchepadass. Recent victories include representing Danone in a case against Yoplait regarding its Actimel product, and Darty in proceedings launched by consumer group UFC Que Choisir, in relation to the sale of computers with pre-installed software.

Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier is a go-to firm to win strategic cases. The firm has ‘remarkable business lawyers’, able to approach legal matters from both an advisory and contentious point of view. The practice is headed by two outstanding figures in Jean-Michel Darrois and Emmanuel Brochier. Philippe Villey, Hervé Pisani and Cyril Bonan are also highly recommended. The firm also further strengthened its expertise through the hiring of former magistrate and technical advisor to President Sarkozy, Christophe Ingrain.

Veil Jourde has an ‘extraordinary practice’, led by a pool of all-round litigators who represent an exquisite French client base (Total, LVMH, Société Générale, Lagardère, Vivendi). Jean Veil, Pierre-François Veil and Eric Deubel are remarkable lawyers, while Georges Jourde and Emmanuel Rosenfeld are simply ‘prodigious’. Newly promoted partner François Esclatine also deals with high-profile cases. The firm recently defended LVMH in a major dispute against eBay.

Ashurst LLP’s nine-lawyer team is led by the ‘talented, efficient and committed’ Jean-Pierre Farges, whose ability to ‘understand all aspects of a case and put together a strategy’ is comparable to the market’s top litigators, according to clients. Eric Bouffard is also a key element in the team. The ‘will to win’ is a particular feature of this ‘too successful’ practice. The client base includes major investment institutions, IT and transport companies and retailers.

Clifford Chance’s practice is led by the ‘excellent litigator’ Jean-Pierre Grandjean, with Thomas Baudesson the other key figure in the team. A ‘competent and reactive’ pool of 18 lawyers represents high-profile clients (EADS, Carrefour, Eurostar, L’Oréal). The firm is involved in major financial and product liability cases.

De Pardieu Brocas Maffei stands out for its leading financial litigation practice, the firm handling major cases for financial and insurance institutions (BNP Paribas, Société Générale, Calyon). Leading figures in the practice include Philippe Dubois, Paul Talbourdet, Dominique Lefort and the ‘elegant and brilliant’ Jacques Henrot. The team is also a top choice for property and insolvency disputes, and is also called upon by investment banks to act in derivatives litigations. The practice represented Amundi in a dispute against Genepierre’s shareholders.

Led by Elie Kleiman, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP’s practice comprises 13 lawyers including Stéphane Bénouville and counsel Dimitri Lecat. The firm is strong in the financial field, and also acts for large companies in numerous corporate and commercial cases. Highlights included assisting Sabic on major construction proceedings and UC Rusal on a large claim against the Republic of Guinea.

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I.’s 23-lawyer team handles large-scale disputes for leading French and foreign corporations, investment funds and financial institutions. The five-partner practice, including Jean-Marie Burguburu, Gilles Duquet and Michel Pitron, is adept at dealing with strategic commercial, corporate and financial cases. It successfully acted for Francis Bacon’s heirs in proceedings regarding the recovery of the painting “Homage to Van Gogh” against the Van Gogh Foundation in Arles, and represents Trafigura before the Ivorian Courts regarding the management of toxic wastes.

Herbert Smith LLP stands out for the quality of its client services; ‘a client can call at anytime and be guaranteed an extremely efficient response to its problems’. The practice consists of the ‘very sharp’ Denis Chemla, who is ‘always ready to help his clients in difficult decision making’ while ‘being great fun to work with’, newly promoted partner Erwan Poisson and of counsel Dominique Jardin. The team has a strong finance practice and is also renowned for its product liability expertise in the aviation sector. It is representing Pratt & Whitney following the West Caribbean jetliner crash in Venezuela and Goldman Sachs in a case against the former shareholders of Autodistribution.

Hogan Lovells (Paris) LLP’s practice head Thomas Rouhette stands out for his ‘incredible skills and commitment to clients’, which make him ‘one of the best litigators in France’, especially for product liability cases. The practice also has strong commercial and product liability litigation expertise in newly promoted partner and ‘result-oriented’ Cécile Derycke, who represents leading pharmaceutical companies such as Sanofi-Aventis, and consultant Antoine de Brosses, a specialist in the food and beverage industry who joined from Simmons & Simmons LLP in 2009. Antoine Juaristi focuses on financial disputes, representing large banking institutions. The firm is involved in most of the market’s high-profile aviation cases, and is also acting for eBay in three landmark proceedings against LVMH, L’Oréal and Hermès.

Linklaters LLP’s ‘highly skilled’ and ‘always responsive’ team, led by Arnaud de La Cotardière, delivers ‘superb services’. The practice is hands on at handling post-acquisition and corporate matters, serving a large and prestigious client base.

Orrick Rambaud Martel’s practice, headed by Frédéric Lalance, has large resources in key litigators Jean-Pierre Martel, Sophie Scemla and Dominique Bordes. The firm receives a high number of instructions from leading financial institutions to act on major financial cases, including on subprimes and Madoff-related disputes. The practice also represented the main French banks regarding investigations on their involvement in the MATIF stock-market. The firm also acts for large corporations and handles major commercial, corporate governance, securities and criminal disputes.

Reinhart Marville Torre is making ‘fast progress’ through the expertise of Jean Reinhart, Louie-Marie Absil, Antoine Dérot, Marc Susini and newly promoted partner Jérôme Marsaudon. The firm is recommended for commercial and corporate litigation, is adept at representing top executives and has a leading criminal law practice. The team represents leading distributors, industrial companies and banking institutions.

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP demonstrates ‘constant top-end service with a creative approach’. Led by Jean-Yves Garaud, a lawyer with ‘very high professional skills’, the practice represents leading corporations (ArcelorMittal, Sanofi-Aventis), with counsel Delphine Michot also active in the practice. The firm successfully acted for Aventis-Pharma before the Versailles Court of Appeal against Wyeth.

Cotty Vivant Marchisio & Lauzeral’s ‘reactive and skilled’ practice is an ‘excellent alternative to large leading law firms’. The team, made up of ‘very involved and client-oriented’ lawyers, is led by five partners able to act both as advisors and litigators; Thierry Cotty, who stands out for his ‘solid reputation’, Philippe Lauzeral, Fabrice Marchisio, the ‘very persuasive, energetic and ethical’ Frédéric Beccaria who can be an ‘aggressive lawyer when need be’, and Arthur Dethomas. The firm is strong on corporate and securities disputes. It recently represented Maple Leaf Macro Volatility Master fund, and FSA in a case regarding an investment involving Belvédère’s securities.

Franklin’s Yann Colin handles commercial, insolvency, shareholder and criminal disputes. The three-lawyer team won the first round of a landmark case for book publisher La Martinière-Le Seuil against Google, which was found guilty of copyright infringement regarding the digitalisation of books on the internet. Mark Richardson is a ‘very good litigator’. Nec Europe and Tyco Electronics are also clients.

Jones Day’s 11-lawyer team is led by the ‘very good’ Laurent Martinet, whose practice in the field of consumer products has a growing reputation. The department takes on cases in the energy, chemical, pharmaceutical, steel, retail and healthcare sectors, with a more recent involvement in aviation disputes. Highlights included acting for IBM in a dispute versus Crédit Immobilier and ETAM in a product recall case.

Kiejman & Marembert specialises in litigation, the firm offering ‘very personalised services’, while also demonstrating a ‘complete mastery of the English language’. The team is made up of ‘partners and associates of high quality’, with Georges Kiejman and Thierry Marembert representing leading groups in shareholder, finance, distribution and environmental disputes.

Litigation boutique Laude Esquier Champey stands out for its ‘outstanding techniques and excellent business sense’ and is ‘highly recommended for sensitive commercial litigation’. The practice, led by Olivier Laude, Richard Esquier and Victor Champey, handles corporate and commercial cases for a growing client base (Accor, eBay, France Telecom). The firm is also involved in convertible-related disputes.

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker (Europe) LLP’s Dominique Borde, Philippe Bouchez El Ghozi and Sylvie d’Arvisenet handle high-profile financial, commercial, securities and criminal cases – Michel Jéol left the firm for Desfilis & McGowan while Nicolas Faguer joined from Proskauer. The firm represents large companies, financial institutions and auditors. It acted for Hachette Livre on Google’s US agreement in the publishing sector.

At Proskauer, practice head Valérie Lafarge-Sarkozy represents longstanding clients including major retailers and financial institutions. The team is involved in several high-profile financial, liability and commercial cases, and has a solid track-record in the health sector for product liability matters. Distribution law specialist Mireille Dany is also active in the practice, winning a major victory for Nouvelles Frontières Distribution against the group’s agencies. Nicolas Faguer joined Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker (Europe) LLP in 2011.

Viguié Schmidt Peltier Juvigny is a ‘beautiful’ firm, hands on at dealing with very complex cases. The team, led by Nicolas Viguié, Yves Schmidt and Frédéric Peltier, writes ‘conclusions of very high quality’. The firm handles shareholder, securities and liability disputes.

Weil, Gotshal & Manges’ Bernard Casanova and Francis Teitgen are experienced litigators acting for CAC 40 groups and individuals. The firm also further strengthened its corporate litigation expertise through the hiring of the ‘very good’ Didier Malka from JeantetAssociés AARPI.

White & Case LLP further enhanced its practice on regulatory and criminal matters after taking over French boutique Beaussier & Associés. The arrival of a seven-lawyer team, led by the reputed Michel Beaussier, is a major addition to the practice, which consolidated its presence alongside major financial institutions. Philippe Métais also frequently acts on strategic cases abroad often in the US.

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP has a leading practice, led by Dominique Mondolini and the ‘very good’ and ‘passionate’ litigator Maurice Lantourne, who acts in landmark cases, representing large companies and high-profile individuals.

Altana has put together a ‘great team’ made up of lawyers able to act both as litigators and advisors. Five partners are strongly involved in the practice, including Michel Jockey and Guillaume Forbin. The firm represents major companies in contractual, shareholder, commercial and liability disputes. It acted for STEF TFE in a dispute regarding the control of the Compagnie Nationale Méditerranéenne de Navigation.

Kami Haeri and newly promoted partner Marie Danis lead August & Debouzy’s practice. Some 20 lawyers are able to act in litigation cases, regularly representing leading French companies. The firm handles pre-litigation, shareholder and contractual disputes.

Litigation is Bersay & Associés’ main area of expertise, through Yves Ardaillou, Cédric de Pouzilhac and Jérôme Bersay. In 2010, the firm received significant instructions and earned major victories, acting for a number of large corporations (Total, Veolia) and international clients, notably from Japan. The practice represented Tecnimont against Société Gardannaise de Cogénération in a case regarding a power station.

Bird & Bird AARPI’s team comprises 12 lawyers, including new senior European consultant Guillaume-Denis Faure who joined from BFPL in 2010, strengthening further the corporate, media and IT litigation practice, co-led by Marion Barbier. The client base is made up of prominent names from the telecoms and internet sectors. Co-practice head Vonnick Le Guillou is a strong reference for product-liability disputes, especially in the aviation field where she acts in high-profile cases.

Bouckaert Ormen Passemard Sportes is a strong choice for liability, insurance and reinsurance disputes, with Christian Bouckaert and Rémi Passemard recommended. The firm acts on high-profile cases that follow major industrial and air disasters, while also handling banking and construction litigation. Pfizer, British Airways and Pernod Ricard are all clients.

Dechert’s practice focuses on disputes in the life-sciences sector, acting for leading laboratories, while also dealing with cases involving vulture funds. The team includes practice head Xavier Nyssen and Jacques Sivignon.

Foucaud Tchekhoff Pochet & Associés has a team made up of seven partners, led by Serge-Antoine Tchekhoff. The practice was also further enhanced through the arrival of the ‘experienced and creative’ Robert Corcos from Armfelt & Associés, and the recent appointment of Rajeev Sharma Fokeer, althought the firm also lost its capabilities in banking litigation following the departure of Martine Samuelian to JeantetAssociés AARPI. The practice is strong for industrial disputes and also has good experience of cross-border cases.

Valérie Bouaziz Torron and Myria Saarinen manage Latham & Watkins’ eight-lawyer team. The practice acts for large industrial groups on post-acquisition and contractual litigations.

Litigation makes up Racine’s DNA; the firm has offices next to France’s main Courts of Appeal, has lawyers who are all litigators, and has custom-designed IT software systems to better assist its lawyers on a case. Bruno Cavalié and Valérie Ledoux are recommended. Nina Ricci, Accor, Reed Expositions, Cartier and Nexity all instruct the firm.

Simmons & Simmons LLP has a ‘good reputation’ through practice head Jacques-Antoine Robert, Thierry Gontard, Alexandre Regniault and newly promoted partner Eric Boillot. The team leads a sector-focused practice (health, high-tech, food and cosmetics) with unmatched expertise for product liability disputes in the pharmaceutical sector.

Litigation boutique Soulez Larivière et Associés is instructed on high-profile cases, notably in the transport, industry, construction and art sectors. The ten-lawyer firm is strong on liability and criminal disputes, often obtaining great results. In 2010, it successfully represented Total in the AFZ case, and was also victorious in the Concorde case. The practice consists of five partners including Daniel Soulez-Larivière and Chantal Bonnard.

Paul-Albert Iweins is in charge of Taylor Wessing’s practice, which comprises eight lawyers including newly promoted partner Benoit Goulesque-Monaux. The firm handles numerous cases in the movie and media industries, and also represents financial institutions and investors on debt recovery matters.

UGGC & Associés has a comprehensive practice, handling all types of disputes across an array of jurisdictions. Five partners focus on litigation, including Jean-Jacques Uettwiller and Bernard Grelon. The firm regularly acts for the French State.

Wilhelm & Associés’ has a growing practice, and Pascal Wilhelm played a forefront role in the high-profile Bettencourt and Vivendi cases. The team also includes key partner Arnaud Péricard, a ‘calm, organised and fine’ litigator who acts in corporate, shareholder and liability disputes.

Winston & Strawn has a large and solid team, with leading partners Joël Alquezar, Patrick Dunaud and Emmanuel Drai. The firm has a very diverse portfolio (Provalliance, Honeywell), is a major player in the luxury sector and also represents a number of CAC 40 companies.