The Legal 500

The ‘founding father of IT law in France’, Alain Bensoussan has one of the market’s largest offerings in terms of services and pool of experts. The IT department, led by Alain Bensoussan, Jean-François Forgeron, Benoît de Roquefeuil, Pascal Arrigo and Philippe Ballet, advises on outsourcing, ERP and ASP services projects and also handles litigation. The telecoms practice is in the hands of Frédéric Forster, the internet is under Eric Barbry and Mathieu Prud’homme’s supervision, while Cécile Avignon heads up the advertising and electronic marketing practice. Chloé Torres deals with data protection matters.

Bird & Bird AARPI has a strong track-record in the telecoms field in managing partner Frédérique Dupuis-Toubol. The team, which also includes competition expert Michel Roseau and public law specialist Sophie Pignon, represents public sector entities, governments and alternative operators on regulatory, contract and litigation matters. The firm also has IT capabilities in Stéphane Leriche, while Ariane Mole deals with data protection issues – Stéphane Lemarchand joined DLA Piper in 2010. Key clients include Cap Gemini, Amazon.fr and LVMH.

TMT specialist Feral-Schuhl/Sainte-Marie provides ‘pertinent and efficient advice’. The firm expanded with the appointment of the ‘really good procedural technician’ Etienne Papin in 2009 and Olivier de Courcel in 2010. The 17-lawyer practice is led by Bruno Grégoire Sainte Marie and Christiane Féral-Schuhl, who stands out for her ‘listening abilities, reactivity and mastering of procedures’. The firm assists leading names in the banking, pharmaceutical and services sectors on innovative IT projects, and also handles litigation, internet and telecoms work. It assisted Opentrust on a sharing platform and electronic signature project.

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. has a strong telecoms practice in Olivier Cousi and Rémy Fekete. The firm has extensive experience advising on the opening of telecoms markets in emerging countries, and recently assisted the government of Burundi on the first PPP project in Africa regarding the setting of a broadband telecommunication network. Thierry Dor is the firm’s contact for IT work.

Allen & Overy LLP has a leading telecoms practice, including competition expert Olivier Fréget who advises new markets entrants, winning strategic battles against France’s historical operator. Fréget represented SFR in several cases against France Télécom, including a dispute over the broadcasting rights of football matches. Noël Chahid-Nouraï and Jean-Yves Ollier are also key elements for telecoms projects, while newly promoted partner Ahmed Baladi focuses on IT and data protection issues for clients such as Accenture and BNP Paribas.

August & Debouzy has a ‘young and dynamic team’ ‘able to adapt to a fast changing environment that makes up the new technologies world’. Mahasti Razavi, Kami Haeri and Florence Chafiol-Chaumont manage the firm’s practice, with strong expertise in IT, internet and data protection matters. The team assists large users, leading internet and technology companies, including Microsoft, Dassault Systèmes, Nokia and Orange. The firm recently made a strong addition to its telecoms and media practice through hiring the ‘very technically excellent’ Christophe Clarenc from Latham & Watkins.

Baker & McKenzie SCP has strong IT capabilities, advising large users and providers through Laurent Szuskin and Rémy Bricard. The team obtained a landmark judgment acting for Oracle, regarding the limitation of liability clauses. In the telecoms field, public law expert Emmanuel Guillaume is a strong lawyer who advises leading operators.

Martine Georges-Naïm leads a strong telecoms practice at Bersay & Associés. The four-lawyer team has a busy litigation practice working alongside alternative telecoms and mobile operators. The practice is also regularly consulted by telecoms authorities and public entities. The firm represented Mobius in a dispute against La Réunion Numérique regarding a public procurement, and Le Numero in a case against SFR regarding the terms of access to the mobile network. Delphine Touboul is the key contact for IT work.

De Gaulle Fleurance & Associés has a superb client base in the IT and internet sectors, the firm being Microsoft’s advisor on a series of products and entertainment issues (msn, Xbox, Windows Phone). Béatrice Delmas-Linel, Frank Valentin, Julien Horn and Louis de Gaulle lead the practice, also assisting users, websites and companies (GE Healthcare, Sanofi-Aventis).

Derriennic Associés is a ‘very strong firm’ for IT issues. The firm focuses on assisting IT companies through a dedicated team led by Anne-Sophie Poggi, François-Pierre Lani, Georges Jenselme and Pierre-Yves Margnoux. Jean-Noël Derriennic is a key figure in the field and remains active in the practice.

Franklin’s Bradley Joslove leads a strong IT, internet and cable practice, serving a superb client base made up of technology companies and users (Danone, EDF, Embassy of India, eBay, France Télécom, RIM). The 11-lawyer team, including of counsel Olivier Haas, recently advised on acquisition, outsourcing and encryption matters. It assisted PartyGaming on the setting-up of its online-gaming activities in France.

Hogan Lovells (Paris) LLP has true specialists for telecoms work in Xavier Buffet Delmas, Winston Maxwell and competition expert Michel Debroux. BT, the French telecoms authority and Alcatel Lucent are regular clients. The firm is also home to one of the market’s leading names on domains, the ‘very proactive’ David Taylor, whose team advises an impressive internet client base (Amazon, eBay, Facebook, Yahoo!).

Kahn & Associés advises leading European and American technology companies. Sabine Lipovetsky and Fabrice Perbost head the IT and telecoms practice, assisting software and IT manufacturing companies, leading internet players, providers and telecoms companies.

Clifford Chance handles IT and data protection work under the management of counsel Victoriano Melero. The four-lawyer team advised Société Générale on various IT projects, including the launch of a worldwide mobile-service payment. It also assisted Eurostar on IT and telecoms agreements with SNCF.

Courtois Lebel’s IT practice is led by Hervé Gabadou and Cédric Frenel, and was further enhanced through the arrival of Arnaud Tessalonikos from Bignon Lebray & Associés. The seven-lawyer team represents major technology and user companies on IT, outsourcing, web and data protection matters.

DLA Piper’s ‘level of expertise, timely responses, pragmatic approach and international network are its strongest assets’. The IT and telecoms practice went through tough times in 2010; Marc d’Haultfoeuille departed to Norton Rose LLP while IT expert Stéphane Lemarchand joined from Bird & Bird AARPI. Patrick Boiron and Carol Umhoefer remain part of the team. The firm assisted KPN on the drafting of an MVNO agreement with Bouygues Telecoms.

Deprez Dian Guignot’s Vincent Fauchoux is an internet law expert. The team advises internet leaders, software manufacturers and large users, handling IT contract negotiation, e-commerce, software and data piracy matters.

Led by Alexandra Néri, Herbert Smith LLP includes many of the world’s leading internet companies, such as Google and Amazon in its client portfolio. The firm also handles telecoms work in Africa, recently assisting Bharti Airtel on the acquisition of Zain Africa mobile company.

Hugotavocats is entrusted by a growing internet client base (Wikipédia) for strategic advice. Jean-Philippe Hugot and Olivier Hugot have sound knowledge of new technology matters, run a busy litigation practice, and are familiar with free software and social network issues.

Technology dedicated boutique IT Law Avocats stands out for its ‘personalised and inventive advice’, ‘pragmatic approach’ and ‘capability to design a global strategy’. Claudia Weber ‘defends her clients’ interests as if her own were at stake’ and is recommended for complex IT projects. The three-lawyer team advises users (Eiffage, high-profile luxury companies), and IT service providers.

Ichay & Mullenex Avocats provides ‘an outstanding level of service’ and has built a ‘network allowing the firm to have a unique perspective on the future of the industry’. The firm is dedicated to the telecoms and technologies field, serving a strong client base in the telecoms (Monaco Telecom) and travel and leisure industries (Expedia, Tripadvisor). Leading the team is Diane Mullenex, whose ‘level of knowledge, commerciality and English language is outstanding’. Annabel Richard is also a ‘true expert on all issues pertaining to internet law and data protection’, while co-founder Frédéric Ichay brings his expertise on corporate matters. The firm recently completed a significant amount of work in the area of online gaming for clients such as PartyGaming and PKR.

Latham & Watkins’ IT practice is led by Jean-Luc Juhan and Myria Saarinen, who advise large users (Publicis) on their agreements with IT providers. The firm lost its strong expertise in the telecoms fields after Christophe Clarenc moved to August & Debouzy in 2011.

Latournerie Wolfrom & Associés’ Marie-Hélène Tonnellier is in charge of the IT and telecoms practice, serving clients such as Fnac and voyages-sncf.com. The public law department is also involved in the practice, advising Free Mobile on the public tender for the 4th mobile licence.

Magenta’s Sylvain Justier and Vincent Jaunet assist alternative telecom operators (Afone, Outremer Telecom) on regulatory and litigation matters. The team regularly acts before the Telecoms Authority and handles MVNO and interconnection agreement work.

NomoS handles internet and data protection issues, acting for high-profile internet companies. The firm obtained a major decision for client Yahoo! regarding the liability of search engine companies. Héléna Delabarre, Eric Lauvaux and Armelle Fourlon are recommended.

Norton Rose LLP’s practice moved to another level in 2010 due to the hire of Marc d’Haultfoeuille from DLA Piper. D’Haultfoeuille is a major figure, praised for his ‘great legal technique and negotiation skills’, who adds strength to the existing practice, led by Hervé Castelnau, who has large experience handling telecoms work. The team assists telecoms and IT companies and sponsors on deals in France and abroad, notably in North Africa through Alain Malek. The firm advised Sequalum on the setting of a high-speed telecoms network in the Paris region.

Salans advises a large base of IT manufacturers and users through global practice co-head Gérard Delile and David Masson. The five-lawyer group is also very active in the area of e-commerce, acting for luxury and food brands.

Staub & Associés demonstrates a ‘great understanding of IT services’, delivering ‘clear’ advice. The practice, set up by Sylvain Staub, expanded through 2009 and 2010, the firm hiring IT expert Olivia Flipo, employment law specialist Gwenaëlle Arthur and more recently corporate partner Igor Doumenc who ‘takes matters from beginning to end’. The client portfolio includes IT companies and users.

At Taylor Wessing, Philippe Glaser and Valérie Aumage lead a six-lawyer practice focusing on IT, internet and data protection work. The firm advises high-profile IT manufacturers and users, assisting its clients on software integration matters.

Teissonière Sardain Chevé focuses entirely on IT and IP law with eight lawyers dedicated to the IT practice. The team is led by Frédéric Sardain and the ‘committed’ and ‘excellent litigator’ Guillaume Teissonnière, with Laurence Chevé also recommended for IT criminal work. The firm has an extensive client base in the IT and internet sectors. It won two majors cases in 2010, obtaining the first European judgment on web scrapping.