The Legal 500

Within Administrative and public law, Baker & McKenzie is a third tier firm,

Baker & McKenzie SCP’s Emmanuel Guillaume and Arnaud Cabanes are experienced advisers in regulated industries, notably energy, telecoms, and audiovisual – fields in which the practice has numerous high-profile clients. The 11-lawyer team has a strong litigation practice and is increasingly attracting instructions on non-contentious aspects of public infrastructure projects. It successfully represented Autostrade on the highly publicised eco-tax project.

Within Banking and finance Other recommended firms

Within Commercial litigation Other recommended firms

Within International arbitration Other recommended firms

Within EU competition and distribution, tier 5

Managing partner Régis Fabre and Alex Dowding lead Baker & McKenzie SCP’s 12-lawyer practice, which is recommended for distribution matters. It also handles domestic and EU merger control work in the transport and telecoms sectors, and advised certain clients on dawn raids. Counsel Thomas Oster represented La Poste on notification of its joint venture with SFR.

Within Employment , Baker & McKenzie is a third tier firm,

Baker & McKenzie SCP’s 20-lawyer group provides ‘a very high level of service’. Practice head Denise Broussal is ‘responsive and astute’, and is expert in advising Anglophone clients on compliance issues. Also recommended are Gilles Jolivet for union work and Olivier Vasset for outsourcing.

Within Environment Other recommended firms

Within Health and life sciences Other recommended firms

Within IT, telecoms and the internet, Baker & McKenzie is a first tier firm,

Baker & McKenzie SCP recently negotiated large IT projects for major corporate users and also advised on internet matters. The ‘remarkably smart’ Laurent Szuskin has ‘strong knowledge of the IT sector’, and Rémy Bricard is also recommended. Emmanuel Guillaume has strong experience in the telecoms sector, notably for regulatory issues.

Within Insurance Other recommended firms

Within Full-service firms, Baker & McKenzie is a third tier firm,

Baker & McKenzie SCP’s practice head Jean-François Bretonnière and the ‘highly responsive’ Virginie Ulmann are highly recommended for trade mark and copyright matters. The ten-lawyer practice is retained by prestigious French and international companies such as Moët-Hennessy and PSP Peugeot Mills to manage and protect IP portfolios globally. In litigation, it is representing Swatch in proceedings against TKS regarding its contentious trade mark Ice-Watch.

Within Full-service firms Other recommended firms

Within Mergers and acquisitions, tier 5

Baker & McKenzie SCP has a strong French client base, including Veolia, and Indian, Chinese and Japanese clients are increasingly turning to the firm. The group advised Veolia on the strategic merger of Veolia Transport with Transdev. Practice head Alyssa Gallot is recommended along with Alain Sauty de Chalon, David Haccoun, Bruno Bertrand and Raphaële François-Poncet, who advises on public M&A.

Within Private equity Other recommended firms

Within Real estate, Baker & McKenzie is a second tier firm,

Baker & McKenzie SCP has ‘outstanding knowledge of the real estate industry’ and ‘great experience of large transactions’. Marc Mariani heads a comprehensive practice which stands out for its integrated tax practice led by the highly regarded Olivier Mesmin and Christine Daric. Recent instructions include fund formation and hotel transactions, and advising Carval on the acquisition of logistics sites from Gecina. Other key clients include Generali and Qatar Islamic Bank.

Within Tax, Baker & McKenzie is a second tier firm,

Baker & McKenzie SCP’s broad practice is staffed by some 30 dedicated tax lawyers, and headed by Véronique Millischer. Property tax experts Christine Daric and Olivier Mesmin advise major clients such as Generali, while Pierre-Yves Bourtourault and Guillaume Le Camus are corporate tax specialists who advised AXA Private Equity on its acquisition of Natixis’ private equity business. Eric Meier is an expert tax litigator and recent arrival Caroline Silberztein is a transfer pricing expert who was previously in charge of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s work in that area.