The Legal 500

Bouckaert Ormen Passemard Sportes shows ‘exemplary’ standards of professionalism and efficiency, and is superb for insurance and reinsurance coverage matters. Christian Bouckaert is recommended for leading cases, particularly matters raising issues of international private law. Pascal Ormen, Rémi Passemard, Carole Sportes, Valérie Ravit, Aurélia Cadain and Alexis Valençon are also recommended.

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. provides ‘top-quality service on both regulatory and litigation aspects’ of insurance to many leading insurers, including Chartis, Axa and Generali. The 12-lawyer practice is headed by Richard Ghueldre, who ranks among ‘the best insurer-side lawyers in France and Europe’.

HMN & Partners is an outstanding firm for insurance litigation and handles some of the most high-profile cases in the aviation sector. Bernard Mettetal, Gérard Honig and Simon Ndiaye are also strongly recommended.

Norton Rose LLP deepened its practice by hiring regulatory and corporate specialist Bénédicte Denis from Hogan Lovells (Paris) LLP to co-head the team in Paris. Of counsel Orsolya Hegedus, who joined from Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I., is an expert in corporate and industrial risk matters. The seven-lawyer team, which also includes head of litigation Barthélemy Cousin, now has one of the market’s most comprehensive practices. Clients include SCOR, Chartis and Axa.

Sullivan & Cromwell LLP’s William Torchiana advisers many of the world’s leading insurers on complex domestic or cross-border transactions. The practice has extensive experience in high-profile securities offerings and restructuring matters. It assisted ING Groep with the sale of its Latin American operations.

DLA Piper’s Emmanuelle Payrau-Sorba has good expertise in construction-related product liability litigation. Bruce Mee is ‘extremely knowledgeable’ and Anne Maréchal is another key figure in the practice.

Da Ros & Creis shows ‘extreme flexibility and reactivity’, which attracts instructions to advise clients on a broad range of matters. The five-lawyer firm represents leading insurance companies such as Covea, MetLife and XL Insurance, and has completed major restructuring and M&A work in 2012. It assisted MACIF with the creation of a joint venture with AG2R La Mondiale. Jérôme Da Ros has ‘a thorough understanding of insurance and reassurance matters’.

Hogan Lovells (Paris) LLP assists Global Aerospace and Boeing following airline disasters and also handles significant work in the healthcare sector. Other clients include Axa and Allianz. Sébastien Gros, who gives ‘sound advice’, advises on regulatory and corporate work. Thomas Rouhette is recommended for product liability advice.

Holman Fenwick Willan LLP advises leading insurers on industrial risk and third-party liability insurance litigation. Transport and shipping are other areas of expertise. Practice head Oliver Purcell, Guillaume Brajeux and Edouard Taÿ Pamart are the key figures. The firm hired regulatory and transactional expert Pierre-Etienne Kuehn, formerly head of legal at Axa.

Ince & Co, which provides ‘utmost professional service’, is especially recommended for marine cargo, energy and insurance coverage issues. Clients include Allianz and Axa Corporate Solutions. The ‘very experienced’ Gilles Gauthier, Alexandre Besnard, Jérôme de Sentenac, Mathieu Croix, and the ‘promising’ Vy-Loan Huynh-Olivieri are recommended.