The Legal 500

Within Administrative and public law, Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. is a first tier firm,

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I.’s ‘magnificent practice’ is recommended for its ‘efficiency and ability to provide a wide range of services’. The 18-lawyer team is led by the well-regarded Laurent Deruy, Michel Guénaire, Emmanuel Vital-Durand and Thomas Courtel, who is among ‘the best choices for concession projects’. The firm handles public procurement contracts and litigation for key players from the public and private sectors, and also represents clients in financial loan disputes and in strategic sectors such as defence. Highlights included assisting Voies Navigables de France with structuring the future port hubs of the Canal Seine Nord Europe project and SNCF in various proceedings regarding the award of public procurement contracts.

Within Aviation, Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. is a second tier firm,

Led by Gilles Duquet and Richard Ghueldre, Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I.’s team assists insurers following aircraft accidents, and is representing La Réunion Aérienne in numerous cases. The practice also advises several civilian and military aircraft and satellite manufacturers. The firm also handles corporate, financial and commercial work.

Within Banking and finance, Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. is a first tier firm,

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. ‘always delivers timely responses and is strongly dedicated to customers’. This 67-lawyer practice provides extensive expertise to a superb banking client base. Highlights included assisting the mandated lead arrangers on financing Bridgepoint and Eurazeo’s acquisition of Foncia. Head of structured and acquisition finance Kamel Ben Salah is a ‘longstanding prime lawyer in real estate finance’, who also specialises in asset finance and securitisation. Additionally, Eric Cartier-Millon is also a strong adviser for structured and project finance; Jean-Guillaume de Tocqueville and Stéphane Puel are recommended for regulatory matters; and Xavier de Kergommeaux, Gilles Saint Marc, Patrice Doat and Christine Van Gallebaert are recommended for securitisation.

Within Capital markets, Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. is a first tier firm,

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. is among ‘the few French players able to compete with the Anglo-Saxon firms on ECM transactions’, with recent instructions including assisting Areva on its share-capital increase and listing of shares on Euronext. The practice is jointly led by ‘dealmaker’ Arnaud Duhamel, who is ‘strongly recommended for complex matters such as high yield or strategic equity work’; Jean-Marc Desaché, a ‘good adviser on tricky French corporate issues’; the ‘highly experienced’ Hubert du Vignaux; and Christophe Mead. The firm also shows ‘very strong knowledge and experience’ in the DCM field and fields ‘very good’ derivatives expert Alban Caillemer du Ferrage, who is adviser to clearing house LCH.Clearnet. Xavier de Kergommeaux, Gilles Saint Marc, Patrice Doat and Christine Van Gallebaert are securitisation experts and show ‘excellent industry knowledge’.

Within Construction Other recommended firms

Within Commercial litigation , Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. is a second tier firm,

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I.’s team is managed by Gilles Duquet, Michel Pitron, Bruno Quentin and Aurélien Boulanger. It represents corporations, investors and leading banks in top-end financial and commercial cases, including representing Banesto in a dispute with Frahuil’s liquidator. Jean-Marie Burguburu joined Debevoise & Plimpton LLP.

Within International arbitration, tier 4

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I.’s 18-lawyer practice represents companies, notably engineering groups, in large ICC cases and also handles some ICSID work, such as acting for Victor Pey Casado in a case against the Republic of Chile regarding the expropriation of newspaper companies by the military authorities. Carole Malinvaud, Christian Camboulive and Rupert Reece are recommended.

Within Stock market litigation Other recommended firms

Within White-collar crime, Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. is a second tier firm,

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I.’s Aurélien Boulanger and Bruno Quentin have extensive experience acting in company law, money laundering, fraud, securities and financial cases. The firm is defending high-ranking executives in several very high-profile cases and representing major companies following industrial and transport accidents.

Within EU competition and distribution, Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. is a second tier firm,

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I.’s ‘very professional and dedicated team’ mainly focuses on antitrust law, and handles key cases in the banking sector such as advising BPCE in proceedings regarding interchange fees applied to cheques. The firm also acted for Sony in a landmark case in which the French Supreme Court ruled that recorded phone conversations obtained unfairly cannot be admitted as evidence of anti-competitive practices. The 27-lawyer practice includes five partners, of which Antoine Choffel, Joëlle Salzmann and Yann Utzschneider are highly regarded.

Within Employment , Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. is a first tier firm,

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. has particular expertise in restructuring, redundancy and collective issues. Key figures in its 20-lawyer team are Gilles Duquet, David Jonin, Baudouin de Moucheron, Aurélien Boulanger and Foulques de Rostolan. Clients include Air France, GDF Suez and American Express. Anne Boileau joined from Jones Day, but Philippe Desprès moved to Winston & Strawn.

Within Environment Other recommended firms

Within IT, telecoms and the internet, Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. is a first tier firm,

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. has remarkable experience advising on telecoms regulatory matters in France and the emerging markets. The team advises operators, such as France Télécom, and certain state entities, including advising the government of Malawi on the implementation of a new framework on electronic transactions. It is also involved in a major satellites dispute. Olivier Cousi and Rémy Fekete, an ‘outstanding lawyer with substantial experience in the telecoms sector in Africa’, are recommended. Thierry Dor is the main contact for IT contracts and litigation, and primarily represents corporate users.

Within Insolvency, Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. is a second tier firm,

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I.’s Olivier Puech has extensive experience handling high-end insolvencies. The five-lawyer practice is presently involved in two landmark cases in the property sector, representing Eurotitrisation in the Cœur Défense proceedings and Orco Property in its safeguard proceedings.

Within Insurance, Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. is a first tier firm,

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I.’s Richard Ghueldre assists leading insurers including Chartis and AXA with their corporate, regulatory and litigation needs. The firm advised AIG on restructuring its life insurance activities.

Within Full-service firms, Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. is a first tier firm,

‘Best in class’, Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I.’s patent and trade mark practice provides ‘an excellent service’ that ‘takes into account how the client works’. The 20-lawyer team is led by Emmanuel Larere, ‘an excellent litigator with very good negotiation skills’ Arnaud Michel; Grégoire Triet, who is recommended for patent matters; and newly promoted partner Raphaëlle Dequiré-Portier. The practice has been retained by several generics manufacturers to act in highly strategic patent disputes launched against leading originator companies. The team is also defending Sara Lee in a patent infringement case brought by Nespresso regarding espresso-capsules. Its clients for trade mark work include BMW and Gucci, including on new rights filings and portfolio management.

Within Legal market overview,

The market’s elite are French firms Bredin Prat, Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier, De Pardieu Brocas Maffei A.A.R.P.I and Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I.; British firms Allen & Overy LLP, Clifford Chance, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP and Linklaters LLP; and US firms Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, Weil, Gotshal & Manges, White & Case LLP and Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP.

Within Full-service firms Other recommended firms

Within Mergers and acquisitions, Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. is a second tier firm,

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I.’s 60-lawyer French practice is underpinned by the firm’s extensive network of offices internationally. In addition to French deals, the firm is also highly involved in transactions abroad, especially in Eastern Europe and China. In 2010 and 2011, it completed several strategic transactions for Areva, and recently advised it regarding the Kuwait Investment Authority’s investment in its share capital. The practice’s key partners are Youssef Djehane, Antoine Bonnasse, Christophe Eck, Didier Martin, Jean-Emmanuel Skovron, Serge Tatar, Jean-Marc Desaché and Guillaume Rougier-Brierre.

Within Fund formation Other recommended firms

Within Private equity, Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. is a second tier firm,

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. is a leading firm in the venture capital space through Pierre Karpik, who represents start-up companies and investors including A Plus Finance and Alven Capital. Serge Tatar is the key name for LBOs, and the firm also has expertise in fund structuring and LBO restructuring.

Within Energy Energy

Within Project finance, Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. is a first tier firm,

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I.’s 26-lawyer practice, which includes seven partners, is adept at assisting sponsors and governmental entities. Its recent work includes electricity, renewables and nuclear power projects variously in France, Morocco and India, including assisting the Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy with the Ouarzazate project. It also advised the International Finance Corporation (IFC) on several projects in Morocco, India and Eastern Europe. Head of the oil, gas and mining team François Krotoff is ‘among the best lawyers in the industry’. Also recommended are international projects specialists John Crothers, Rupert Reece, Stéphane Vernay, Thomas Courtel for domestic projects, energy expert Michel Guénaire and Christine Van Gallebaert, who is an expert in project finance securitisation and covered bonds.

Within Real estate, Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. is a first tier firm,

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I.’s ‘highly experienced lawyers’ are ‘deal doers’ with ‘sound, imaginative judgement and strong capability to find constructive solutions’. The firm, which also ranks as ‘the best-in-class for real estate finance’, runs a full-service practice staffed by around 35 lawyers. It advised MGPA on the refinancing of Les Trois Quartiers shopping centre and Unibail Rodamco on development of the Tour Triangle. Key figures include ‘incomparable technician’ Frédéric Nouel; the ‘very knowledgeable and proactive’ Stanislas Dwernicki; Eric Martin-Impératori; Renault Baguenault; Erwan Le Douce-Bercot, who has ‘unrivalled sense of client’s business interests’; and Bertrand Oldra. Jean-Jacques Raquin joined Lacourte Balas Raquin.

Within Shipping Other recommended firms

Within Tax, Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. is a second tier firm,

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. advises on large corporate transactions including Solvay’s acquisition of Rhodia, and is also a top adviser for private client work, property tax and tax litigation. The six partners are Richard Beauvais, Olivier Dauchez, Laurent Modave, Gilbert Ladreyt, Guillaume Goulard and Guillaume Jolly.