The Legal 500

‘Absolutely a key adviser for all major transactions’, Bredin Prat stands out for its ‘remarkable technical ability’ and ‘great tax structuring expertise’. The firm recently advised PSA Peugeot Citroën on its strategic alliance with General Motors. The practice is also increasingly involved in high-level litigation. The 14-lawyer team include market-leading figures such as the outstanding Renaud Streichenberger, Edouard Sicot and Sébastien de Monès, who shows ‘remarkable writing skills’ and brings ‘trust and serenity’ to clients. The ‘extremely competent’ Pierre-Henri Durand is ‘an excellent project and team manager’, and Yves Rutschmann and Julien Gayral are ‘extremely reactive, proactive and available’.

CMS fields 180 tax specialists with ‘excellent technical expertise’ in all the tax areas. Recent market developments have seen a surge in litigation and tax audit matters where Stéphane Austry has played an instrumental role in many high-profile cases. Direct taxation expert Jean Guilmoto and international tax partner Bruno Gibert have been handling complex restructuring projects. Christophe Aldebert, Anne Grousset and Gaëtan Berger Picq have been busy with major VAT matters recently. Other key partners include Michel Collet, François Rontani, François Hellio and Julien Saïac for international taxation; Philippe Grousset, Laurent Hepp, Lionel Lenczner and Christophe Frionnet for direct taxation; and Laurent Chatel for local taxation.

Tax boutique Arsene Taxand fields 70 lawyers including 16 ‘excellent’ partners. Frédéric Donnedieu de Vabres heads the practice, which provides comprehensive advice to large corporations such as Technip and Yoplait, as well as leading private equity houses including Axa Private Equity. Denis Andres heads the transactional tax team and Antoine Glaize leads the transfer pricing practice. Former head of the French tax authorities Michel Taly is a strong name for litigation, and François Lugand runs a highly regarded property tax practice. Alain Recoules is the key contact for indirect tax and Marc Brocardi chairs the customs tax practice.

Baker & McKenzie SCP’s 30-lawyer practice is the largest housed in an international business law firm in France. Christine Daric and Olivier Mesmin, who is ‘a very calm and level-headed adviser’, are the practice’s key property tax specialists, and have leading expertise which attracts key players in the field such as Tishman Speyer and Icade. Eric Meier often handles top litigation and tax audits, while Véronique Millischer, Pierre-Yves Bourtourault and Guillaume Le Camus mainly focus on corporate tax matters. Thierry Vialaneix is the key contact for VAT work, Stéphanie Auféril and Agnès Charpenet specialise in wealth management, and Evelyne Bagdassarian advises on financing. Caroline Silberztein is a transfer pricing expert.

Clifford Chance’s ‘advice is of the highest quality’. The 14-lawyer practice is headed by Eric Davoudet, a ‘very technical’ partner who can ‘convert complex issues into simple and practical recommendations’. The other key member is Alexandre Lagarrigue, who is ‘very competent in French and international tax structuring’. The practice is particularly expert in corporate, property, fund formation and employee benefits matters. Highlight included assisting AEW Europe with the merger of three pan-European property investment funds.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP’s ‘outstanding’ and ‘very creative’ nine-lawyer team represents ‘top-end value’. The practice has particular expertise in tax aspects of M&A, structured finance and real estate transactions. Leading financial institutions such as Goldman Sachs and HSBC use the firm, along with major investment funds and large corporations including Airbus. The team advised Icade on its strategic takeover of Silic. Vincent Daniel-Mayeur and practice head Cyril Valentin are recommended, as is the ‘excellent’ Antoine Colonna d’Istria.

Allen & Overy LLP’s practice head Siamak Mostafavi advises leading financial institutions such as Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. Mathieu Vignon is also a strong adviser. The ten-lawyer team also includes tax property expert Jean-Yves Charriau, who advises on many of the market’s most notable transactions.

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP’s ‘level of service is outstanding’, and the practice includes some of the market’s leading tax advisers in senior counsel Gilles Entraygues, Anne-Sophie Coustel and consultant Pascal Coudin. The team is highly recommended for highly complex corporate tax issues, audits and tax litigation. The team frequently advises on corporate and capital markets transactions. Clients include many of the world’s leading companies and investors.

De Pardieu Brocas Maffei A.A.R.P.I’s 13-lawyer practice ranks as the market’s number-one choice for tax property work through the remarkable Emmanuel Chauve. The team recently advised Carrefour on the sale of 97 supermarkets to REM. Bernard Boutemy is an expert litigator, and the team also handles a high volume of transactional tax and structured finance matters. Sarah Espasa-Mattei, Alexandre Blestel and Marie-Laure Bruneele complete the team.

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I.’s 16-lawyer practice ‘really knows the tax administration’, and has a comprehensive practice but really stands out for its fund expertise, where it is ‘very proactive’, and also regularly handles the tax aspects of large corporate transactions. Property fund expert Laurent Modave has helped to shape the legal environment. Olivier Dauchez heads the practice. Guillaume Goulard, Guillaume Jolly and private client expert Gilbert Ladreyt are also recommended.

Latham & Watkins’ nine-lawyer team has particular strength in the LBO and structured finance fields, and also handles tax controversy work. Clients included AXA Private Equity, AIG and Pernod Ricard. Xavier Renard, Olivier Delattre and practice head Olivia Rauch-Ravisé are recommended.

Linklaters LLP’s thriving seven-lawyer team advises on M&A, finance and capital markets transactions, as well as the structuring of private equity and real estate funds. The firm also advises on major restructurings including acting for Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations on Dexia’s restructuring. Practice head Edouard Chapellier is highly regarded, and Thomas Perrot is also recommended.

Mayer Brown is ‘very expert in transactional tax’, and has a very pragmatic and innovative approach, particularly for private equity fund work including fund formation. The firm also assists large corporations with major restructuring and litigation work, and notably advised LBO France on the injection of new capital and associated restructuring of Consolis. Practice head Laurent Borey, Olivier Parawan, Benjamin Homo, Sabina Comis and the newly promoted Christopher Lalloz are the team’s five partners.

Sullivan & Cromwell LLP’s comprehensive practice provides ‘an outstanding level of service’, and has good connections with the highest levels of the tax authorities. Clients include Total, EDF and Goldman Sachs. The firm is increasingly acting in complex restructurings and litigation. Highly rated tax and corporate adviser Gauthier Blanluet heads the team, and Nicolas de Boynes is also recommended.

Ashurst LLP’s five-lawyer team raised its profile by winning a groundbreaking case for Santander and several Spanish funds before the EU Court of Justice condemning the French government’s withholding tax on dividends. Practice head Catherine Charpentier is an investment fund tax expert. Nadine Gelli is recommended for LBO, restructuring or fund formation work.

Dentons’ 15-lawyer practice has strong know-how in the healthcare sector where it advises leading pharmaceuticals companies such as GlaxoSmithKline on restructuring, corporate and transfer pricing matters, including related litigation. Jean-Luc Cuadrado is a healthcare sector specialist, and Sandra Hazan and Anne Quenedey are transactional tax experts.

Gibson Dunn’s practice head Ariel Harroch is excellent for tax advice on M&A. The ‘highly knowledgeable’ Jérôme Delaurière is also recommended. The team represents many foreign and French investors as well as leading corporations such as Vivendi.

Jones Day’s six-lawyer team provides ‘a very good level of service’. Vincent Agulhon stands out for his ‘strong business knowledge’ and ability to ‘clearly understand complex technical aspects’. Practice co-head Emmanuel de la Rochethulon advises on top-end property matters such as assisting Simon Property with its $2bn acquisition of equity stakes in Klépierre.

Moisand Boutin & Associés’ six-lawyer team has ‘great tax expertise’. Michel-Pierre Boutin is a key adviser for wealth tax issues, the ‘very pragmatic’ Dorothée Traverse is a property tax specialist, and Marie-Eve Chauvière is a VAT expert. The firm acts for many industrial and technology companies as well as showbusiness celebrities.

Paul Hastings LLP acts for US and pan-European funds on LBO transactions, and represented Astorg Partners on the Saverglass LBO. Practice head Allard de Waal is highly regarded.

SJ Berwin’s ten-lawyer team has top-end expertise in tax fund structuring and private equity transactions. The firm advises many leading private equity firms and, increasingly, international companies. It assisted Publicis and France Télécom-Orange with the purchase of a 24.5% stake in Iris Capital Management. Practice head Sylvie Vansteenkiste, Fanny Combourieu and Raphaël Béra are recommended.

STC Partners fields 30 lawyers and is an affiliate of KPMG. Christian Couderc heads the practice, which has strong expertise in the LBO and corporate matters. It advised Toyota Tsusho on its purchase of a stake in CFAO. Pierre Bouley, Emmanuel Delaby and the ‘competent and flexible’ Denis Fontaine-Besset are also recommended.

Scotto & Associés’ ‘very strong, straight-to-the-point and complementary’ 12-lawyer team represents entrepreneurs, managers and family-owned businesses. Jérémie Jeausserand and Yann de Kergos advise on transactional tax matters and have strong management package expertise. The practice advised the management on Alain Afflelou’s third LBO transaction. Patrimonial and private client practice head Marc Vaslin is ‘honest and smart’, and ‘never lets down a customer’.

Shearman & Sterling LLP’s one-of-a-kind tax expert Niels Dejean is ‘one of Paris’ top professionals for tax structuring’. The practice focuses on transactional tax.

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP’s Philippe Derouin is recommended for ‘high value added work’. He advises large multinationals, leading insurers and financial institutions on transactional, finance and litigation matters. Clients include Scor and LVMH.

White & Case LLP’s five-lawyer practice has good private equity and property tax expertise. Clients include companies, investment funds, management teams, and wealthy individuals. The team advised Crédit Agricole Assurances on its participation in Icade Santé. Alexandre Ippolito and practice head Norbert Majerholc are recommended.

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP provides ‘excellent service’ and has strong expertise in corporate and transactional tax matters. It advised Arkema on the divestment of its vinyl products business. Marie-Hélène Raffin, the very experienced Pierre Ullmann and counsel Philippe Grudé are recommended.

Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP ‘clearly excels in international taxation’, and handles work involving Europe, the US, Latin America, and Africa. Clients include Alta Ventures, Unipharm and several sovereign states. The two-lawyer practice is headed by Marco Blanco, who is ‘a superb international tax lawyer with an instinctive grasp of complex cross-border tax problems’.

De Gaulle Fleurance & Associés’ seven-lawyer team advises corporations and investment funds on tax structuring, transactions, transfer pricing and litigation. It advised Covea on the divestiture of its wine business. Henri-Nicolas Fleurance, Vincent Schmitt and Franck Bauchet head the team.

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP advises on transactional taxes and assisted Pernod Ricard with its Rule 144A offerings in the US. Other recent work includes restructuring advice. Practice head Pierre-Pascal Bruneau and counsel Eric Bérengier are recommended.

Degroux Brugère & Associés’ 11-lawyer team excels at corporate, property and private client tax matters. The firm advises many celebrities and sports professionals. Denis Brugère and Philippe Delattre head the practice.

Property tax, patrimonial and transfer pricing are key areas of expertise at Godet Gaillard Solle Maraux & Associés, which has ‘good connections within the tax administration’. Clients include Ford and Sara Lee. Eric Labro and Arnaud Viard head the team along with Dominique Godet, who is ‘a constructive adviser for delicate matters’.

Herbert Smith Freehills LLP’s three-lawyer team provides ‘excellent service’. It advises on corporate and property transactions, and recently advised Maurel and Prom on issuing shares in its Nigerian subsidiary. Jérôme Le Berre is ‘very knowledgeable and responsive’, and practice head Jean-Luc Calisti is also recommended.

Hogan Lovells (Paris) LLP’s tax team supports the firm’s corporate and property practices, and notably advised Amundi on the establishment of a French and English law programme for secured structured products. Practice head Xenia Legendre is the key figure. James Vaudoyer left the firm.

Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP’s Remi Dhonneur acts for SMEs, multinationals, wealthy individuals, and many Swiss banks. Recent mandates include transfer pricing advice, tax audits and litigation.

Wragge & Co has a strong reputation in the property sector, where it advises key players on fund structuring and transactions. It has recently advised Predica and AG Real Estate. The seven-lawyer team also handles corporate and private client matters, and litigation. Eglantine Lioret and practice head Pierre Appremont are recommended.