The Legal 500

Within Administrative and public law Other recommended firms

Within Banking and finance Other recommended firms

Within Capital markets, tier 4

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP’s Stéphane Sabatier has a strong focus on ECM transactions, while Eduardo Fernandez has experience advising on cross-border debt private placements. Laurent Faugérolas left the firm to join Weil, Gotshal & Manges. The team acts for issuers, assisting Schneider Electric on the update of its €6 EMTN programme and on two bond issues.

Within Dispute resolution Commercial litigation , Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP is a third tier firm,

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP has a leading practice, led by Dominique Mondolini and the ‘very good’ and ‘passionate’ litigator Maurice Lantourne, who acts in landmark cases, representing large companies and high-profile individuals.

Within Dispute resolution White-collar crime Other recommended firms

Within EU competition and distribution, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP is a second tier firm,

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP’s practice is led by the ‘flamboyant’ Jacques-Philippe Gunther, who is ‘never scared to try new things’. David Tayar is the other key element in a team that counts many blue-chip names such as GDF Suez and Thales as clients. The firm handles large merger-control cases and is involved in major cartel cases at EU and French levels. It won a major victory for the French Football League regarding Orange’s exclusive broadcasting rights.

Within Environment Other recommended firms

Within Insolvency, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP is a second tier firm,

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP stands out for its ‘high availability, technical skills and strong team’. The eight-lawyer practice is highly recommended for its ‘very smart duo combination’, made up of the ‘very technical’ Alexandra Bigot and the ‘creative’ Maurice Lantourne. The team handles many of the market’s top restructuring cases with leading capabilities on distressed LBOs. Highlights included acting for CMA-CGM on its debt restructuring, and Oaktree as lead investor in SGD.

Within Mergers and acquisitions, tier 4

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP serves an impressive client base, the firm delivering ‘very good response times and advice accuracy’. The large 31-lawyer team, including Daniel Hurstel and Stéphane Sabatier, is called upon to advise on high-profile transactions, recently assisting Essilor as main shareholder on the takeover of Sperian Protection, Total on the squeeze-out of Elf Aquitaine, and Sanofi-Aventis on the sale of Novexel to AstraZeneca. Laurent Faugérolas left the firm to join Weil, Gotshal & Manges.

Within Private equity, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP is a first tier firm,

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP advises major players including CVC Capital Partners and BC Partners. The 29-lawyer team is particularly suited to advise on major LBO transactions with key figures including Daniel Payan, Eduardo Fernandez, Christophe Garaud and Cédric Hajage. The practice assisted PAI on the acquisition of a majority stake in Cerba.

Within Project finance and energy: Energy Other recommended firms

Within Project finance and energy: Project finance, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP is a second tier firm,

Though a new entrant on the market, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP is already regarded as a key player after the firm hired one of France’s top project teams in Amir Jahanguiri, Thierry Laloum and Vincent Brenot from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP. The practice also recruited European counsel Paul Lombard from Allen & Overy LLP to further enhance its finance capabilities. The ‘highly dedicated’ team handles key mandates in the transport sector, advising the Synerail consortium on the GSM project and the EIB on the Tours-Bordeaux high-speed link project. The practice also takes on power-related work, assisting Exeltium on the purchase of electricity from EDF.

Within Tax, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP is a third tier firm,

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP’s practice is led by the ‘very good’ Pierre Ullmann and Marie-Hélène Raffin, who is ‘quite perfect in terms of restructuring work and tax knowledge’. The five-lawyer team focuses on transactional matters. Montefiore and Oaktree are key clients.