The Legal 500

Within Administrative and public law, De Pardieu Brocas Maffei is a third tier firm,

At De Pardieu Brocas Maffei, Olivier Schmitt’s team focuses on public contracts. The clientele is mainly drawn from the private sector with investors, property developers and industrial companies. The firm advised on the Paris-Saclay project for the development of a scientific and technological hub, and contributed to the landmark CELF jurisprudence on state aid law.

Within Banking and finance, De Pardieu Brocas Maffei is a first tier firm,

De Pardieu Brocas Maffei is ‘one of the leading firms for property finance work’. The firm has a strong presence in the financial industry, advising leading banking institutions, such as Société Générale and HSBC. The practice also handles some acquisition and asset finance work, and has ‘very good knowledge of syndicated loan work on the small and mid-cap French markets’. Olivier Hubert and Antoine Maffei both have ‘high knowledge of banking and regulatory matters’ while Christophe Gaillard ‘is calm but able to remain firm when necessary in negotiations’. Pierre Minor and Jean-Renaud Cazali are also recommended. Recent credentials include assisting on a €455m syndicated loan to Monoprix.

Within Capital markets, De Pardieu Brocas Maffei is a third tier firm,

Strong financial and real estate expertise colours De Pardieu Brocas Maffei’s practice. The team, including Pierre Minor and Olivier Hubert, handles structured property finance, derivatives and equity capital markets work. It assisted Deutsche Bank on a refinancing scheme for Hypo Real Estate.

Within Dispute resolution: Commercial litigation, De Pardieu Brocas Maffei is a second tier firm,

At De Pardieu Brocas Maffei, Philippe Dubois, Paul Talbourdet and Dominique Lefort co-head a team recommended for commercial, property and banking litigation. Jacques Henrot is also a commanding figure for property and bankruptcy issues. The team was involved in a property litigation opposing Gecina to GMF.

Within Dispute resolution: White-collar crime

Within EU competition and distribution, De Pardieu Brocas Maffei is a second tier firm,

De Pardieu Brocas Maffei has a strong antitrust practice led by the ‘excellent and highly appreciated’ Philippe Guibert and Laure Givry, a ‘great lawyer with keen intelligence, good tactical judgment and high level of responsiveness’. The five-lawyer team represented Solaire Direct regarding EDF’s alleged abuse of dominant position in the photovoltaic electricity sector, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Mitsubishi Materials on the creation of a joint venture with Areva.

Within Employment

Within Insolvency, De Pardieu Brocas Maffei is a second tier firm,

De Pardieu Brocas Maffei is a ‘very customer-oriented firm with easy access to the partners’. The firm has a strong team, often representing creditors. Philippe Dubois co-heads the practice with Jacques Henrot, a ‘very skilled lawyer with the best network among restructuring stakeholders’. Paul Talbourdet and the ‘good, reactive, calm and experienced’ Matthieu Barthélemy are also recommended. The firm represented Oaktree, Noonday and other hedge funds on challenging Belvédère safeguard proceedings, and the bondholder creditors of the securitisation vehicle on the safeguard proceedings of Coeur-Défense and Dame Luxembourg.

Within Insurance

Within Intellectual property: Full-service firms

Within Legal market overview,

The more flexible French firms are better positioned to deal with changes in the market, a trend that is apparent in the strong results posted for 2009. Bredin Prat, Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier, De Pardieu Brocas Maffei and international firm Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. were all among the market’s best performers in 2009.

Within Mergers and acquisitions, tier 4

De Pardieu Brocas Maffei made a key hire in 2009 by taking on Patrick Jaïs from Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP. The seven-partner team also includes Thierry Brocas and Guillaume Touttée. Recent highlights include advising Malakoff Médéric on the setting up of a joint venture with CNP Assurance, and Crédit Agricole on the sale of its African banking network to Attijariwafa bank. Casino and Foncière des Régions are also clients.

Within Private equity

Within Project finance and energy: Energy

Within Project finance and energy: Project finance

Within Real estate, De Pardieu Brocas Maffei is a first tier firm,

De Pardieu Brocas Maffei has a team of ‘top professionals’, including Pierre Gebarowski, Paul Talbourdet, Jacques Henrot and Emmanuel Fatôme, who delivers ‘remarkable work’. Guillaume Rossignol is also recommended: ‘He is extraordinary, counts among the best young lawyers on the market and completes irreproachable work’. The practice is full-service with leading corporate, finance and tax capabilities. The firm advised Compagnie La Lucette on the transfer of an office portfolio to CNP Assurances, and Eurosic and Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC) on the acquisition of Terra Nova II from Generali.

Within Tax, tier 4

De Pardieu Brocas Maffei boosted its practice in 2009 through hiring Bernard Boutemy and Sarah Espasa-Mattei from Baker & McKenzie SCP, who are both recommended for their ‘high level of service with lots of reactivity, accuracy and relevance’. Bernard Boutemy now heads up the practice alongside Emmanuel Chauve, a ‘remarkable, precise and very well connected’ lawyer strongly renowned for tax property work. Alexandre Blestel is also recommended. The team advised Compagnie la Lucette on the sale of SCI Chassagne’s shares, and Predica on the acquisition of a minority stake in Proclif.