The Legal 500

France

Administrative and public law

Administrative and public law - ranked: tier 3

Bredin Prat

Bredin Prat has strong regulatory expertise and expertly handles strategic M&A involving the public sector. The practice advised Agence Française de Développement on a strategic partnership with CDC. The three-lawyer team is also representing Uber in challenging French legislation in court. Practice head Yann Aguila is ‘highly experienced and talented’.

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Banking and finance

Banking and finance - ranked: tier 3

Bredin Prat

Bredin Prat has ‘great experience on the borrower side and in corporate lending transactions’. The ‘intellectually flexible and responsive’ team advises many leading corporations as well as some investment funds with the negotiation of large corporate facilities and acquisition finance. It recently assisted Korian with obtaining a €1.3bn credit facility and advised Rothschild & Co on a €110m facility in connection with its acquisition of Banque Martin Maurel. The practice is led by Raphaële Courtier, Samuel Pariente, and the ‘very experienced’ Karine Sultan, who is ‘a good guide in determining an acceptable position for all parties to a transaction’.

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EU competition and distribution

EU competition and distribution - ranked: tier 1

Bredin Prat

The ‘outstanding’ Bredin Prat provides ‘exceptional’ services and ‘tailor-made solutions’. The 20-lawyer team is strong in the different areas of competition law at French and EU levels. It is representing Areva before the European Commission regarding the sale of Areva NP to EDF, and successfully represented Uber before the French Supreme Courts (Cour de Cassation and Conseil d’État) regarding the subject of free competition between taxi operators. Air Liquide, Apple and Orange are also clients. The practice includes high-profile figures in Robert Saint-Esteben, Olivier Billard, Marie-Cécile Rameau and Hugues Calvet who ‘combines legal and strategic analytical skills with the punch of a litigator’; the ‘excellent’ Brussels-based Marc Pittie is another name to note. Yelena Trifounovitch and Pierre Honoré were elevated to the partnership.

Leading individuals

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Employment

Employment - ranked: tier 1

Bredin Prat

Leading individuals - ranked: tier 1

Pascale Lagesse - Bredin Prat

Bredin Prat has great experience in advising on employment aspects of large M&A transactions, such as assisting GE with the sale of its equipment and receivables finance businesses. Headed by Pascale Lagesse, the 13-lawyer practice is also highly regarded by French and international clients for undertaking major workforce reduction and restructuring projects. Litigation is another area of expertise, in which the practice is handling a key matter regarding employees’ status in relation to new digitally created services. Recently promoted partners Cyril Gaillard and Laetitia Tombarello are recommended along with counsels Nicolas Bouffier, Jérôme Cordier and Alice Mony-Decroix.

Next generation lawyers

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Insolvency

Insolvency - ranked: tier 2

Bredin Prat

Bredin Prat advises investors and distressed companies. The firm is assisting Groupe Flo with its debt restructuring, representing CGMF and the French state in SNCM’s insolvency procedure, and advising Quiksilver on its financial restructuring. Olivier Puech and Nicolas Laurent are leading names.

Leading individuals

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Mergers and acquisitions

Mergers and acquisitions - ranked: tier 1

Bredin Prat

With more than 50 lawyer involved, Bredin Prat has one of France’s largest and most highly regarded teams, which is routinely involved in the most strategic transactions. The practice is advising Areva on the restructuring and planned sale of Areva NP, as well as acting for Darty on the French aspects of its proposed acquisition by Fnac. The firm also completed several very large transactions in the US, such as assisting Air Liquide with its acquisition of Airgas. GE and Danone are also clients. The team contains numerous high-profile figures including Didier Martin, Patrick Dziewolski, Sébastien Prat, Olivier Assant and Benjamin Kanovitch. Also recommended are: Alexander Blackburn, Sophie Cornette de Saint Cyr, Barthélémy Courteault, Emmanuel Masset and Kate Romain. Clémence Fallet was promoted to partner.

Leading individuals:

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Tax

Tax - ranked: tier 1

Bredin Prat

Bredin Prat is the market’s leading reference for M&A-related tax advice. Highlights included advising Air Liquide on its acquisition of Airgas and acting for General Electric on the sale of its equipment finance and receivables finance businesses in France and Germany. The 20-lawyer team also handles high-profile litigation. Yves Rutschmann heads the practice, in which Renaud Streichenberger, Sébastien de Monès, Pierre-Henri Durand, Edouard Sicot and Julien Gayral are all recommended.

Leading individuals

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France: Capital markets

Debt

Other recommended firms - ranked: tier 1

Bredin Prat

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Equity

Capital markets: equity - ranked: tier 2

Bredin Prat

Bredin Prat routinely advises large French corporations on capital increases and also assists issuers during IPOs, including advising Direct Energie during its IPO. The key figures are practice head Olivier Saba, Barthélémy Courteault and Patrick Dziewolski.

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France: Dispute resolution

Commercial litigation

Dispute resolution: commercial litigation - ranked: tier 1

Bredin Prat

Bredin Prat represents prominent clients in commercial and corporate disputes. The firm was recently involved in two very sensitive class actions. Sylvie Morabia, Jean-Daniel Bretzner, Sébastien Prat and Florian Bouaziz are high-level litigators.

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International arbitration

Dispute resolution: international arbitration - ranked: tier 2

Bredin Prat

Bredin Prat handles a large commercial and investment caseload, often involving heavy financial claims. The 18-lawyer team is representing several Middle Eastern state entities, as well as many French and international companies and investors. In two ongoing ICSID arbitrations, it is acting for the Kingdom of Jordan against Orange regarding the renewal of a telecoms licence and is counsel to the Lebanese Republic in a case opposite a German investor. Egypt and Croatia are also sovereign clients. Louis-Christophe Delanoy, Raëd Fathallah, Tim Portwood and José María Pérez are the key figures.

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Stock market litigation

Dispute resolution: stock market litigation - ranked: tier 1

Bredin Prat

Bredin Prat has extensive experience handling stock market litigation and was recently involved in several of the market’s recent leading cases. The practice also represents its clients before the AMF’s Enforcement Committee. Eric Dezeuze, Sylvie Morabia, Sébastien Prat and Florian Bouaziz are some of the market’s top advisers.

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White-collar crime

Dispute resolution: white-collar crime - ranked: tier 1

Bredin Prat

Bredin Prat is involved in the market’s most strategic and sensitive cases in the financial services, stock market, commercial and tax spaces. The firm represents several banking institutions, leading companies and their executives. Eric Dezeuze ranks among France’s most brilliant criminal lawyers.

Leading individuals

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France: Private equity

LBO

Other recommended firms - ranked: tier 1

Bredin Prat

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