The Legal 500

Within Administrative and public law, Allen & Overy LLP is a second tier firm,

Jean-Yves Ollier now heads Allen & Overy LLP’s six-lawyer practice after Noël Chahid-Nouraï joined Orrick Rambaud Martel. Counsel Romaric Lazerges also plays a key role in the team, which manages large transport infrastructure and renewable energy projects, mainly representing sponsors and lenders. Highlights included advising the winning consortium on the new South-Europe-Atlantic train line. Recent litigation matters include acting for longstanding client TV channel M6.

Within Aviation Other recommended firms

Within Banking and finance, Allen & Overy LLP is a first tier firm,

Allen & Overy LLP’s 40-lawyer practice includes seven partners and advises the world’s largest financial institutions on top-end acquisition, property and asset finance transactions, with securitisation and refinancing also strong areas of expertise. The team advised the lenders on financing LBO France’s acquisition of Materne Mont Blanc. Rod Cork heads the practice, which also notably includes Fabrice Faure-Dauphin, Carine Chassol, Christophe Jacquemin and Adrian Mellor.

Within Capital markets, Allen & Overy LLP is a first tier firm,

Allen & Overy LLP is a leading name in debt capital markets (DCM), thanks to François Poudelet’s team, which also includes Diana Billik, Dan Lauder, Hervé Ekué and Brice Henry. This innovative group was busy in 2011, including advising Société Générale on the European Financial Stability Facility’s inaugural bond issue. The practice is also first class for securitisation and French covered bonds through Fabrice Faure-Dauphin, and the firm enhanced its equity capital markets (ECM) expertise in 2011 by hiring Marc Castagnède from Debevoise & Plimpton LLP.

Within Commercial litigation , tier 4

In 2011, Allen & Overy LLP recruited a team from Herbert Smith LLP including its former practice head Denis Chemla and Erwan Poisson. This team brings with it a first-rate reputation in financial and aviation law cases as well as matters in Africa. Chemla now heads the practice in which Laëtitia Bénard and Olivier Fréget are also regularly involved. The firm advises clients from the telecoms, energy, healthcare and financial services industries.

Within International arbitration,

Herbert Smith LLP’s 17-lawyer practice is led by Charles Kaplan, who also co-heads the department globally. The team represents major French and international clients and is involved in strategic cases regarding long-term gas supply contracts, as well as various investment cases. It acts in many ICC cases including against certain African states, and has advised corporations on secession, maritime boundary and international sanction issues. The ‘very responsive’ Isabelle Michou and Emmanuelle Cabrol, who also has ‘a strong public international law practice’, are also recommended. Michael Young joined Allen & Overy LLP.

Within EU competition and distribution, Allen & Overy LLP is a second tier firm,

Allen & Overy LLP’s 12-lawyer team has ‘excellent experience’ in cases concerning the healthcare, telecoms, energy and financial services industries. The firm has built a strong antitrust practice, and recently represented Expedia regarding a joint venture with SNCF, and is also well regarded for merger control work. The department is led by Olivier Fréget, Florence Ninane and the ‘very dedicated’ Michel Struys.

Within Employment , Allen & Overy LLP is a third tier firm,

Sabine Smith-Vidal’s nine-lawyer practice at Allen & Overy LLP mainly advises large healthcare companies and financial institutions, but also handled General Electric’s acquisition of Converteam. Restructuring and acquisitions were staples of the practice in 2011.

Within Environment Other recommended firms

Within Health and life sciences, Allen & Overy LLP is a second tier firm,

Allen & Overy LLP is on the panel of many pharmaceutical and life sciences giants including Abbott Laboratories, Biomet, GlaxoSmithKline and Johnson & Johnson. The practice, led by Laëtitia Bénard, stands out for its patent litigation expertise, and is handling various global disputes such as representing Merck Sharp & Dohme in proceedings against Mylan and Qualimed regarding IP rights held on a blockbuster drug. The firm also advises on regulatory and pricing matters, as well as on competition issues through Olivier Fréget.

Within IT, telecoms and the internet, Allen & Overy LLP is a second tier firm,

Allen & Overy LLP’s practice head Ahmed Baladi advises on strategic alliances and IT projects between financial institutions and technology suppliers. Major clients include Accenture and BNP Paribas, and French authorities such as the Data Protection Authority (CNIL). Olivier Fréget is a leading adviser on telecoms competition issues, and the practice recently won a major decision for SFR against France Télécom. The firm also handles telecoms corporate advice.

Within Insolvency, tier 4

Allen & Overy LLP’s Rod Cork and Adrian Mellor advise financial institutions on large debt restructuring matters. The team was recently involved in a number of major property restructuring cases, including representing several investors in the Cœur Défense case. The firm handles matters in close collaboration with insolvency boutique Santoni & Associés.

Within Full-service firms, Allen & Overy LLP is a first tier firm,

Allen & Overy LLP’s practice is second to none for patent litigation, and is representing leading pharmaceuticals companies in high-stakes litigation as part of global disputes between generics manufacturers and originator companies as well as in patent rights conflicts. It is notably advising Novartis in its IP strategy to protect the company’s blockbuster drugs against generics manufacturers and recently won a trade mark case for GlaxoSmithKline regarding the use of products’ original names and comparative advertising. The team is also acting in landmark patent cases in the technology sector. This 17-lawyer team is headed by Laëtitia Bénard, and also includes the highly regarded Pierre Lenoir.

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, Allen & Overy LLP is a third tier firm,

Traditionally renowned for its finance practice, Allen & Overy LLP has quickly established itself as a heavyweight player in the French M&A market through a number of significant lateral hires including the recruitment of Marc Castagnède from Debevoise & Plimpton LLP in 2011. The 30-lawyer practice has particular strength in the energy, finance, health and property sectors. Highlights included advising General Electric on the acquisition of 90% of Converteam. Practice head Frédéric Moreau is recommended, as are Jean-Claude Rivalland and Marcus Billam.

Within Private equity Other recommended firms

Within Energy Energy

Within Project finance, Allen & Overy LLP is a first tier firm,

Allen & Overy LLP’s international project finance and energy practice is led by Tim Scales and co-headed by Alexandre Ancel on the energy side. Rod Cork, Adrian Mellor, Christine Poyer-Rufenacht and Shaun Beaton are also key names in the group, which advises French and Anglophone sponsors and banks on power, mining and infrastructure work in Africa. France and the rest of Europe are two other key geographical areas for the team, which advised Fennovoima Oy on a greenfield nuclear power project in Finland, and the institutional lenders on the financing of Derba Midroc cement plant in Ethiopia.

Within Real estate, Allen & Overy LLP is a second tier firm,

Allen & Overy LLP’s comprehensive practice attracts a growing base of investors (GE Real Estate), investment funds (JP Morgan European Property Funds) and banks (Credit Suisse). The team advised Unibail-Rodamco on the sale of two shopping centres and Perella Weinberg on the acquisition and refinancing of the AIG office tower. Jean-Dominique Casalta heads the transactional practice, Christophe Jacquemin handles property financing, and Jean-Yves Charriau is highly regarded for tax matters.

Within Tax, Allen & Overy LLP is a second tier firm,

Allen & Overy LLP’s practice head Siamak Mostafavi is ‘excellent’ for financial and capital markets matters and Mathieu Vignon is also recommended. The team advises leading banking institutions and investors, and recently assisted lenders on the acquisition of Materne Mont Blanc by LBO France. Jean-Yves Charriau is a leading expert in property tax who advises Unibail-Rodamco, the market’s largest property investor.