The Legal 500

Within Administrative and public law, tier 4

White & Case LLP’s practice is headed by Jacques Bouillon, who has an ‘excellent reputation’ and an ‘impressive track-record’. The team works on concessions and PPPs, and regularly assists public authorities, private companies and financial institutions. The firm recently advised a consortium of Veolia Transport, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Oise on the concession agreement for the exploitation of the platform of the Beauvais-Tillé airport.

Within Aviation finance, White & Case LLP is a first tier firm,

White & Case LLP’s practice, led by partners Thomas McDonald and Victoria Westcott, focuses on aircraft financing working extensively alongside French banks such as Natixis, Société Générale and Calyon. The team also deals with export credit supporting aircraft, and leasing working with lessors (GOAL, ILFC), recently assisting Natixis in the US Exim Bank, supporting the French lease financing of five Boeing 737-880 aircraft for Turkish Airlines; and Société Générale on an innovative Italian lease financing for four Boeing 777 aircraft for TAM, supported by US Exim Bank and Pefco.

Within Banking and finance, White & Case LLP is a first tier firm,

White & Case LLP’s practice is led by Gilles Peigney, a ‘very good advisor’, and also includes Raphaël Richard and Clare Calver. The banking and finance department has an impressive team of more than 25 lawyers who cover a broad spectrum of banking and finance work, with major strengths in acquisition finance and asset finance. The Paris office receives mandates from major international banks including BNP Paribas, Calyon, Société Générale and RBS. The team recently advised the bookrunners including several leading international banks on the acquisition offer from Electricité de France for British Energy Group. Lawyers also assisted West LB, IKB Deutsche Industrie bank and Fortis Bank on the financing of the acquisition of the Gerard Darel business by a company controlled by Advent International; and ABN AMRO as agent and mandated lead arranger on the financing granted to Tiama 2 for its acquisition of SGCC from Atria.

Within Capital markets, tier 4

White & Case LLP’s five-partner team, which includes Eric Laplante and Frédéric Bouvet, is recognised for its work on high-end transactions and its involvement on the emerging French high-yield markets, advising lenders and borrowers. The practice advised Suez Environnement on its high-profile IPO on Euronext Paris and Brussels; assisted Barry Callebaut Services and the issuer Barry Callebaut on its issuance of senior notes; and also worked for Icade.

Within Construction, White & Case LLP is a first tier firm,

White & Case LLP has ‘great industry knowledge’ and its lawyers can ‘communicate with ease in English’. Practice leaders Jacques Bouillon and Christopher Seppälä advise on construction contracts and international construction disputes. The team assisted a bidding consortium, comprising Eiffage and Véolia Transport, with the construction of a railway system in the Puy de Dôme, and Starwood on the refurbishment of the Lutétia and Crillon hotels in Paris.

Within Dispute resolution: Commercial litigation , tier 4

At White & Case LLP, Philippe Métais is well-regarded. The team works for a number of international banks, including BNP Paribas and major international groups including Total.

Within Dispute resolution: International arbitration, White & Case LLP is a first tier firm,

The ‘solid and powerful’ team at White & Case LLP is led by Michael Polkinghorne. Andrew de Lotbinière McDougall left the firm to return to his native Canada, whilst the ‘diligent, personable and technically very strong’ Christopher Seppälä remains the cornerstone of the practice, and has ‘good strategic judgement’. Seppala is renowned for his expertise in the construction sector. Stephen Bond is no longer part of the team and joined Covington & Burling LLP’s London office in January 2009. The team combines English and French law expertise and has close links with the ICC, and is increasingly present in bilateral investment treaty arbitration. The team recently represented several Eastern European states, including Ukraine and the Republic of Georgia.

Within EU competition and distribution, White & Case LLP is a second tier firm,

White & Case LLP’s practice is led by two recognised experts, Jean-Patrice de La Laurencie and Jean-Paul Tran Thiet, assisted by an eight-lawyer team, which handles merger control, antitrust, regulatory matters; deals with distribution law issues; and is regularly consulted by national authorities on the preparation of new bills. The firm works on a regular basis for clients such as Alstom, Arkema, L’Oréal, Mattel and Wendel Investissement, and the Paris team has played a major role in several high-profile antitrust cases.

Within Employment

Within IT, telecoms and the internet

Within Insolvency

Within Legal market,

US law firms are also present in numbers and some have a long-standing presence in France. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, Latham & Watkins, Orrick Rambaud Martel, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, Weil, Gotshal & Manges, White & Case LLP and Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP are recognised as being among the leading players.

Within Mergers and acquisitions, tier 4

White & Case LLP has a ‘great reputation’ and demonstrates ‘precision, availability and experience’. The team is often called upon when there is ‘a large US element to a transaction’. The eight-partner Paris team includes Eric Laplante and Frédéric Bouvet. The team recently assisted Suez Environnement on its €9bn carve-out and spin-off in the Suez and Gaz de France merger. It also advised Icade on the €6.1bn global merger with four of its subsidiaries. Clients include Alstom and Auchan.

Within Private equity, White & Case LLP is a second tier firm,

White & Case LLP demonstrates ‘high efficiency, experience and technical ability’. Practice head Vincent Morin is ‘hard working and always available’ and has a ‘strong grasp of a wide variety of legal issues’. François Leloup is also recommended. The team handles a high number of mid-cap transactions, notably working for Bonpoint, CVC Capital Partners and Qatar Investment Authority. The team assisted Industri Kapital in the €250m acquisition of Etanco from the Lebraut Family, and Alma Consulting in the €800m acquisition by Candover of a majority stake in Alma Consulting from Apax Partners.

Within Project finance and energy Energy

Within Project finance and energy Project finance, White & Case LLP is a first tier firm,

White & Case LLP has a ‘well-established position in the French market’. The team is led by Jacques Bouillon and Paule Biensan, who have both an ‘excellent reputation and an impressive track record’. They are ‘efficient, results oriented and respected by the banking community’. Victoria Westcott is also part of this group. The team, which is ‘highly efficient and cautious yet creative’ and ‘able to solve tough and complex problems’, is rare in that it combines a prominent practice in both the French PPP market and overseas. The Paris team has experience in Central and Eastern Europe and Africa. Clients include Banco Santander, BNP Paribas, Bouygues and Eiffage. The practice assisted ECP Salt Investment on the concession agreement granted to project company Salt Investment in Djibouti; the consortium including Bouygues and Colas on its bid submission for the D1 and R1 motorways in Slovakia; and Colas and Strabag on their bid submission for the M6 motorway in Hungary.

Within Real estate, White & Case LLP is a second tier firm,

White & Case LLP has established a ‘solid practice’ thanks to its leading partners, Frank Peter, ’one of the very best French property experts’, with an ‘impressive in-depth knowledge of the deal-making process’, and Brice Engel, an ‘excellent deal maker’. The team completes work ‘in a calm and relaxed manner with tremendous efficiency’. The practice is prominent in acquisitions, notably in the hotel sector, and has built a strong portfolio of French and foreign clients such as Klépierre, Klémurs MBI International & Partners and Unibail-Rodamco. The team advised Klépierre in its €2.7bn joint acquisition with Dutch pension fund ABP of Norwegian real estate Company Steen & Strøm, and Compagnie La Lucette in the €120m acquisition of an office building in the Paris outskirts.

Within Shipping

Within Tax, tier 4

White & Case LLP’s practice is led by Norbert Majerholc and Alexandre Ippolito. The eight-lawyer team works closely with the corporate department and also handles tax restructuring and litigation. Clients include Apax, Carlyle and Goldman Sachs Capital. The team assisted Suez Environnement on certain tax aspects of its carve out and spin-off in connection with the Suez/Gaz de France merger, and French insurance company Covea on the acquisition of a majority stake in Fincorp.