The Legal 500

Boivin & Associés is ‘the reference on environmental law in France’. The team is led by Jean-Pierre Boivin, one of the best environmental lawyers in the market, Manuel Pennaforte and Frédéric Defradas. The team is ‘very specialised’ in addition to being ‘highly reactive and friendly’. Expertise is broad and covers industrial environment, renewable energies and nuclear energy. The practice is also sought after for its knowledge of environmental criminal law, in which field the team has been involved in some of the most recent emblematic cases including the Erika shipping disaster case and the AZF plant explosion case. Clients include some of the world’s biggest oil and gas multinational companies – Total, BP and Totalgaz – as well as some major chemists, such as Arkema.

Huglo Lepage & Associés Conseil maintains its reputation as a firm at the cutting-edge of environmental law issues. The team is highly regarded for its expertise in the area of sustainable development and is considered an expert in new environmental technology law. The team has also developed a traditional environmental law practice and has been involved in most of the significant environmental cases of the last few years. The team is led by two partners who enjoy wide recognition, former environmental minister Corinne Lepage and Christian Huglo, who played a major role in the Prestige and Erika shipping disaster cases.

Winston & Strawn SELARL benefits from the expertise of Vincent Sol, and the team is recommended for its ‘excellent knowledge of environmental regulations’, notably dealing with the management of environment and health and safety crisis, outsourcing contracts, and handling litigation. Clients include Veolia Environnement, Renault, and the French state.

Genesis Avocats has a breadth of expertise ranging from polluted sites and waste matters to water law and environmental liability. Clients include Veolia, ONF (the national forest agency), and the city of Epernay. Marie-Yvonne Benjamin and Isabelle Cassin are recommended.

At Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I., Laurent Dupuy and Pierre Desforges are the key lawyers, offering ‘very good knowledge of environmental regulations’ and ‘very practical and user-friendly answers’. The team provides litigation advice and due diligence expertise to major companies.

At Jones Day, ‘true expert and real problem solver’ of counsel Françoise Labrousse heads the practice. The team is ‘extremely friendly and close to the needs of its clients, while working with the required level of reactivity’. The teamadvises companies, public entities and governments on litigation, arbitration, corporate deals, energy projects and compliance matters.

Savin Martinet Associés’ team, led by Patricia Martin and Yvon Martinet, has a good reputation, offers a wide range of competencies, and deals with pollution site, natural resources and industrial risk matters. The team has developed advisory and litigation work, and assists clients on audits and reporting work.

At UGGC & Associés, the practice is led by partner Jean-Nicolas Clément, and the team advises on environment law, energy law, sustainable development and litigation, assisting EDF on obtaining administrative permits for the exploitation of the future nuclear plant at Flamanville in France.

At Adamas, Yvan Razafindratandra is well regarded, and advice is particularly sought for industrial pollution issues and new environmental technology matters.

Allen & Overy LLP’s practice is led by partners Jean-Yves Ollier, who is recommended for his ‘excellent work’, and Noël Chahid-Nouraï. The team advises on producer liability, contaminated land, environmental policy, greenhouse gas emission, health and safety and waste matters; is active in the renewable energy sector; and provides support in M&A transactions. The team recently advised Royal Dutch Shell on environmental issues related to the disposal of three petrochemical refineries in France, and Gaz de France on the regulatory and environmental aspects of the acquisition of Erelia. Other clients include energy provider Poweo.

At Clifford Chance, partner Pierre Bechmann and of Counsel Patrick Hubert manage the environment practice, advising on the context of acquisitions and assisting clients on contaminated site matters. The team recently represented a Japanese consortium in connection with its proposed investment in a joint venture for the construction and operation of a uranium enrichment plant; and a manufacturer of synthetic mineral fibres against French and Italian authorities on health and safety regulations.

Laurence Lanoy is a small boutique entirely dedicated to environmental matters. Partner Laurence Lanoy, described as a ‘very good specialist’, deals with hygiene and security and environment disputes, and advises during audits, due diligence and M&A transactions, working alongside multinational corporations, governments and public authorities. Highlights include representing a German industrial group against a European investment company in a dispute arising from the remediation of three industrial sites in France, and an African government on the liberalisation of the oil and gas market and the new environmental legislation.

Pichavant & Chétrit advises on regulatory matters, administrative authorisations and assists in designing environmental strategy. The team is regularly instructed on pollution site work, handles criminal environmental law, assists in major infrastructure projects and was involved in the Marseille incinerator case. Jean-Daniel Chétrit and Jean Pichavant are recommended.

At Thieffry & Associés, Patrick Thieffry is a recognised expert, dealing with a wide range of issues including green tax and state aid matters. The firm worked for the French state and the Port of Dunkerque.