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. has a ‘good team’ made up of ‘real multi-disciplinary public law experts’. The team boasts 17 lawyers including five partners, among whom Laurent Deruy, Michel Guénaire and Emmanuel Vital-Durand are the leading figures. The team advised Exeltium, a consortium of major electricity consumers, on the negotiation of long-term electricity supply contracts; Voies Navigables de France on the future partnership agreement for the financing, construction and operation of the Canal Seine Nord Europe water project; and ProLogis on acquisition of land from public entities and regulatory issues, relating to the setting up of large logistics platforms across France.

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

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I.’s aviation practice is led by Emmanuel Fontaine, Gilles Duquet, Richard Ghueldre and Philippe Rames, who is ‘excellent in rapidly grasping the important issues’. The ‘very reactive and professional’ team has recognised expertise in air transport litigation and product liability claims. It also advises on corporate and financial deals, and commercial, contract and regulatory matters. The practice also benefits from the aircraft finance expertise of Marianne Rosenberg, who is based in the New York office. Clients include airline companies, insurers, airport owners, and aircraft and helicopter manufacturers. The firm regularly advises leading manufacturers such as EADS, ATR and Socata for product liability and crash cases. The team is also legal counsel to Global Aerospace, insurer for all French airports (excluding Paris).

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. is ‘well known by all banks in the market as a key LBO player and for its high quality of service’. The team combines leading expertise in acquisition finance, real estate finance, project finance and structured finance transactions. The department boasts a large team and is ‘able to dedicate substantial resources to a deal if the time frame accelerates’. Key individuals include Eric Cartier-Millon and Toufic Abi-Fadel, who both demonstrate ‘high diplomatic skills in negotiations and dedication towards finding acceptable solutions for all parties’. Stéphane Puel and Kamel Ben Salah are also driving forces in the team, which has a prominent client bank portfolio. The team advised Calyon, CIC, Natixis and Euromezzanine on the LBO financing of the acquisition of Maisons du Monde, and assisted ING on the acquisition of Photonis by Astorg Partners. The firm also worked alongside BNP Paribas, Calyon, HSBC and Natixis on the financing of the acquisition of a portfolio of hotels rented to Accor.

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 well-versed in equity and debt capital markets transactions, thanks to a strong team led by Arnaud Duhamel, Jean-Marc Desaché and Hubert du Vignaux. The practice also impresses with its expertise in securitisation with Xavier de Kergommeaux, and derivatives with Alban Caillemer du Ferrage, who has ‘excellent experience and a lot of contacts with the French stock market regulator’. The team advises arrangers, companies, issuers and investors. Recent highlights include assisting Thenergo in its delisting of shares from Alternext and listing on Euronext, and HSBC and Lazard-Natixis as lead managers in the €150m issue of bonds by Vilmorin. The team advised Europcar in the issuance of €250m of senior subordinated floating rate notes due in 2013 and senior subordinated unsecured fixed rate notes due in 2014.

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

At Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I., Jean-Jacques Raquin, Eric Martin-Impératori and Renaud Baguenault advise on major construction projects. The firm recently represented the Principality of Monaco on its high-profile land extension project, as well as Bouygues Immobilier.

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

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I.’s practice benefits from a ‘team combining a mixture of commercial and legal litigation experience of very high quality’. The six-partner litigation department including Jean-Marie Burguburu, Gilles Duquet and Michel Pitron, has expertise encompassing contract, liability, concession, franchise, and distribution litigation. The team is also recommended for its ability to handle litigation, and has been involved in high-profile cases in the energy, steel, media, car and banking industries.

Within Dispute resolution: International arbitration, Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. is a second tier firm,

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I.’s Paris office is at the heart of the firm’s global practice. The firm has a ‘traditionally strong team’ of five partners, including the highly recommended Christian Camboulive and Rupert Reece, as well as Carole Malinvaud who produces ‘very high-quality work’ and is ‘perfectly comfortable working in an international team of advisers’. The practice covers investment, banking, joint-venture, construction, oil and gas, defence, telecoms and IP matters. The team advised a Central African State in a ICC mining arbitration relating to a claim of an alleged illegal termination of exploration of a nickel ore mine, and was also involved in an ad hoc arbitration in the gas industry relating to the termination of long term contracts.

Within Dispute resolution: Stock market litigation

Within Dispute resolution: White-collar crime

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

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I.’s 29-lawyer team is led by four partners, namely the ‘excellent’ Antoine Choffel, Philippe Xavier-Bender, Joëlle Salzmann, and Yann Utzschneider. The team has capabilities in merger control, litigation, and distribution law, and recently assisted Pernod Ricard on merger control filing with the European Commission, in connection with its acquisition of Vodka Absolut. It also represented French supermarket chain Intermarché before the French Competition Council in the high-profile case of vertical restraints in the toys sector, and SNCF before the Competition Council, who dismissed claims of abuse of market position brought by British Airways.

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

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. has a long-established reputation, the only dent to the practice being the departure of key partner Joël Grangé and his team in July 2008 for employment specialist Flichy Grangé Avocats. The five-partner team remains strong, including Gilles Duquet, Baudouin de Moucheron and Philippe Desprès, looking to retain their positions as advisers to major French and international groups.

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

At Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I., Laurent Dupuy and Pierre Desforges are the key lawyers, offering ‘very good knowledge of environmental regulations’ and ‘very practical and user-friendly answers’. The team provides litigation advice and due diligence expertise to major companies.

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.’s strong telecoms practice is made up of ‘competent lawyers’ who are ‘creative, enthusiastic and highly reactive’, led by Olivier Cousi and Rémy Fekete. The team is well versed in advising foreign authorities and governments in the liberalisation process of the telecoms sector in emerging markets in the Middle East and Africa. Recent highlights include assisting the SNCF on the launch of internet and multimedia services in trains, the Malian government on the privatisation of the incumbent operator Sotelma, and the Haitian government on the privatisation of the incumbent telecoms operator. On the IT front, although the firm lost Grégoire Goussu to Proskauer Rose LLP, the arrival of Thierry Dor as partner in 2008 maintains high standards.

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

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. handles both restructuring and bankruptcy proceedings, handling the full spectrum of matters for debtors, creditors and receivers. Olivier Puech is well-respected – ‘He is a fabulous adviser for debtors’ – with Jean-Michel Lucheux also recommended.

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

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I.’s team is led by partners Emmanuel Fontaine, Philippe Rames and Richard Ghueldre, and has particular expertise in the transport section, whilst also advising on insurance contract law, distribution and company regulation matters and litigation. Representing many of the leading French and foreign insurance companies, the team also works for insurance brokers and agents, the French authorities, and commercial and financial operators.

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

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. has a ‘large and good-quality team’ which is ‘very knowledgeable, skilful, creative and approachable’, in addition to being able to ‘communicate well in English’. The practice is driven by Arnaud Michel, an ‘excellent and pragmatic attorney’, patent expert Grégoire Triet, who has ‘strong experience’, and ‘top professional’ Emmanuel Larere. Expertise encompasses trade marks and patents. The team’s clients include Johnson & Johnson Consumer France, Mattel, Nokia Siemens Networks, Philippe Morris, Levis Strauss and Adidas.

Within Legal market,

A number of international law firms are now focusing on their core business areas at the expense of ancillary practices. As a result, a number of lateral moves occurred in 2008. Employment expert Joël Grangé joined Flichy Grangé Avocats from Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I., and Pascale Lagesse arrived at Bredin Prat from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP also lost key partners from its finance practice, with Michel Quéré joining Dewey & LeBoeuf and Jean L’Homme moving to Proskauer Rose LLP.

Within Legal market,

At the top end of the market, only a small number of French firms have succeeded in maintaining their standing against their Anglo-Saxon counterparts. These include Bredin Prat, Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier, De Pardieu Brocas Maffei and Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I.. With the exception of Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I., which has established itself as a real international player, French firms have little presence overseas. However, this is beginning to change as growing numbers of French firms have opened offices in Asia and in the Maghreb.

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

At Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I., partner Olivier Cousi and senior associate Charles-Edouard Renault are recommended in a team that demonstrates ‘excellent knowledge of the music publishing and recording industries’, in addition to being ‘pro-active, efficient, and motivated’. The team is particularly recognised for its work in the audiovisual (TV/film) industry, advising on production, rights exploitation, broadcasting, distribution and litigation matters. It recently worked for the Taiwan co-production and re-financing structure for ‘Le Voyage du Ballon Rouge’ movie, and a Bertrand Bonello film entitled ‘De la Guerre’.

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. has ‘good technical knowledge of M&A’ with ‘expertise in a number of sectors’, particularly the public sector. The ‘superb’ 19-partner practice is ‘very reactive’ and helps clients to have a ‘better understanding of the global picture’. The team combines both advisory and litigation skills. Youssef Djehane, Antoine Bonnasse, Christophe Eck, Didier Martin and Jean-Emmanuel Skovron count among the leading individuals in the team. High-profile work includes advising Spanish media group Planeta on the acquisition of Editis from Wendel; and SNCF Participations on its voluntary and friendly cash tender offer for the share capital of Geodis.

Within Private equity

Within Project finance and energy Energy

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

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I.’s ‘reactive and motivated’ team is a ‘major player’ which ‘performs well’. The team has ‘pan-African knowledge and connections with both the French and English speaking parts of Africa’. Emmanuel Fontaine, Bruno de Cazelet, John Crothers and Rupert Reece are recommended, as is François Krotoff for his expertise in the energy sector. The practice is recognised for its work in the French PPP market and covers international projects, with a major focus on Africa. The team recently assisted Areva NP on its bids for the construction of a nuclear power station in South Africa, the Principality of Monaco on its sea land extension project, and Spie Batignolles, Egis Projects, Axa IM and CDC on their bidding for the A88 Motorway project.

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 practice relies on a large team in France and across Europe through its network of offices. In Paris, the team includes Jean-Jacques Raquin, Frédéric Nouel, Stanislas Dwernicki and Eric Martin-Impératori. The firm has particular strength in acquisitions and asset transactions, the development of French real estate investment trusts (OPCI and SIIC), and commercial leases. Clients range from investors and developers to corporate groups (Macquarie Global Property Advisors, Unibail-Rodamco and Casino Group). Highlights include advising Axa Reim on the acquisition of a portfolio of buildings; Benson Elliot Investisseurs and Générale Continentale Investissements on the acquisition and financing of the Berkeley building in Paris La Défense; and Bouygues Immobilier on the transfer of the completion of the Tour Mozart – to Docks Lyonnais.

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

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I.’s practice is led by Emmanuel Fontaine, Philippe Rames and Richard Ghueldre, and is recommended for its shipping and transport litigation expertise acting for shipowners, insurers and shipbuilders. The team also handles transactional and shipping finance work, and has been involved in large-scale shipping cases, and notably representing Total in the Erika case. The team also acted for the French state in a sea chemical pollution dispute involving the Sherbro and advised Alstom and its subsidiaries as bareboat charterer of the cruiser Mistral in all the legal proceedings relating to the judicial sale of the Mistral.

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

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I.’s team is ‘smart, reactive, practical and open-minded’ and has ‘good contacts with the French authorities. The team, led by five partners including Richard Beauvais, Olivier Dauchez, and Gilbert Ladreyt, has a tax practice with a transactional focus, with first-hand expertise in the OPCI tax regime in the real estate sector, patrimonial tax, and litigation matters. Recent work has included advising Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de Paris and Unibail-Rodamco on setting up a venture to create the European leader in the convention-exhibition sector, and Koniambo on the financing agreement for a metallurgical plant in New-Caledonia.