HFW > Paris, France > Firm Profile
HFW Offices
25-27 RUE D'ASTORG
75008 PARIS
France
HFW > The Legal 500 Rankings
France > Aviation Tier 1
HFW specialises in transactions, regulatory work, and dispute resolution in the aviation sector. The firm frequently represents parties in cross-border matters, particularly in relation to the African market, while also fielding in-depth experience in advisory work relating to state aid, financing, and competition law. Paris and Brussels-based Pierre Frühling, who is a popular choice for airlines and insurers in non-contentious as well as dispute matters, leads the team together with aviation liability specialist Jean-Baptiste Charles. Alix d’Arjuzon fields a broad aviation practice with a focus on work pertaining to environmental issues.Practice head(s):
Pierre Frühling; Jean-Baptiste Charles
Other key lawyers:
Alix d’Arjuzon
Key clients
Aeromexico
AIG (UK)
Air Corsica
Aircalin
Allianz AGCS
All Nippon Airways
Arkia Israeli Airlines
AXA XL
Azul
Blade Urban Air Mobility
Camair Cameroun Airlines
Cargo Air
Cathay Pacific
Channel Jets
CMA CGM
Corsair
Croatia Airlines
Delta Air Lines
Delvag
El Al
Global Aerospace
Goshawk (SMBC)
Hi Fly
Jung Skies Croatia
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
Korean Air
La Réunion Aérienne
Madagascar Airlines
Mont Blanc Hélicoptères/HBG Group
Latam
Saudia
Sirius Aviation Capital
Swissport
Vietnam Airlines
Wizz Air
Work highlights
- Advised Air Corsica in its bid with Air France for the 2024-2028 Public Service Obligations routes between Corsica and the French mainland.
- Defended an international product and equipment supplier in court proceedings (launched by the relatives of deceased passengers) before French courts in relation to the crash of an aircraft.
- Advised Brazilian airline Azul on launching operations in France.
France > Insurance Tier 1
With wide-ranging expertise in industrial risks, product liability, professional indemnity and public liability insurance, HFW is highly active in representing major insurance companies in litigation – most recently including a number of business interruption claims relating to the Covid-10 pandemic – as well advising on regulatory, distribution and compliance matters. The team is well-equipped to handle cross-border cases, with members who are qualified in France, England and Wales, and Germany. Pauline Arroyo has a broad practice, with notable strength in product liability. Litigation specialists Olivier Purcell, Guillaume Brajeux (an expert in industrial risks) and Iris Vögeding (who also advises on regulatory issues) are also noted.Practice head(s):
Pauline Arroyo
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘HFW is without a doubt the best law firm in Paris for civil liability and insurance law disputes. The team is excellent, the services and deliverables are of very high quality, and the invoicing is completely correct. The establishment of partner/associate pairs allows for seamless availability. On a scale of 1 to 10, my rating is 15.’
‘Our cooperation with HFW is highly professional, and the whole team is very collaborative and responsive. Furthermore, the team has in-depth knowledge of the details of German law and is therefore a great sparring partner, particularly because their advice is creative and thoughtful.’
‘Iris Vögeding deserves special mention. Iris is an extremely thorough lawyer who always has a feel for the relevant points of a case. Her reasoning is always well-thought-out, and it is impressive that Iris has outstanding expertise in German law, even though she practises in France. Besides, she has a highly creative mind and is an outstanding strategist in terms of litigation. Iris is responsive, and her friendly nature makes her a pleasure to work with.’
‘Involved team with multiple skills in insurance and commercial law, responsive, available and able to mobilize quickly. The firm attracts new talents and helps them grow their skills on major files.’
Key clients
AXA France
AXA XL
MMA
MAAF
GMF
Generali
Helvetia
Hiscox
Zurich
France > Shipping Tier 1
HFW offers a comprehensive, internationally-focused shipping practice, covering a wide spectrum of wet and dry matters, encompassing both transactional and contentious work. This includes handling issues such as vessel collisions, groundings, and salvages, as well as disputes, sale and purchase matters, and onboard incidents. Stanislas Lequette, with over two decades of experience in commercial and criminal litigation, leads the practice. He is supported by Guillaume Brajeux, known for his expertise in dispute resolution, and Stéphanie Schweitzer, specialising in international transportation and trade, particularly in ship arrests, collisions, and charter party disputes. Other key contacts also include Vincent Bénézech, a dual-qualified French and English lawyer with proficiency in commercial litigation and arbitration; and Mona Dejean, an experienced practitioner in complex shipping and energy law matters, frequently representing clients in French courts and arbitration proceedings.Practice head(s):
Stanislas Lequette
Other key lawyers:
Guillaume Brajeux; Stéphanie Schweitzer; Vincent Bénézech; Mona Dejean; Michael Bekkali.
Testimonials
‘Ultra competent team.’
‘Stanislas Lequette is probably the best maritime law lawyer in France today, not only technically but he is also an exceptional litigator worthy of the greatest criminal lawyers.’
‘Stéphanie Schweitzer is THE reference in maritime labor law and issues related to people on board a ship (crew and passengers). Very pragmatic, she gets straight to the point – a valuable partner.’
Key clients
AXA XL
BMRP
CMA CGM
Cogeas
Corsica Linea
Helvetia
Ingepar (BPCE Group)
Jifmar
P&I Clubs: Gard, Skuld , The Shipowners’ Club, The Swedish Club, North of England,
SMBE
France > Aviation finance Tier 2
The aviation finance expertise at HFW spans business aviation as much as commercial, with the firm’s client portfolio consisting of a wide variety of companies such as airlines, airports and insurers. Fleet restructuring and insolvency matters form part of the group’s advisory capabilities under the leadership of Pierre Frühling, an experienced aviation lawyer whose know-how ranges from transactional work to regulatory and litigation. Alix d’Arjuzon was appointed to Counsel in April 2023 and has a specialisation in environmental matters in relation to the aviation industry.Practice head(s):
Pierre Frühling
Other key lawyers:
Alix d’Arjuzon
Testimonials
‘HFW are very pragmatic in their approach. The cooperation with us and the counterparty was very good. Sufficient availability of partner and expertise in various fields.’
Key clients
Aeromexico
AIG
Air Corsica
Aircalin
Allianz AGCS
All Nippon Airways
Arkia Israeli Airlines
AXA XL
Azul
Blade Urban Air Mobility
Camair Cameroun Airlines
Cargo Air
Cathay Pacific
Channel Jets
CMA CGM
Corsair
Croatia Airlines
Delta Air Lines
Delvag
El Al
Global Aerospace
Goshawk (SMBC)
Hi Fly
Jung Skies Croatia
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
Korean Air
La Réunion Aérienne
Luxaviation
Madagascar Airlines
Mont Blanc Hélicoptères/HBG Group
Latam
Saudia
Sirius Aviation Capital
Vietnam Airlines
Wizz Air
Work highlights
- Advised Air Corsica on the modernisation of its fleet, consisting of buying and leasing a fleet of new generation Airbus A320neos, as well as a large batch of ATR-72 XT “green” aircraft.
- Represented the lessor Goshawk in the insolvency proceedings of Lion Air before the commercial court of Paris.
- Advised Blade Urban on entering into its large-scale cooperation agreement with Héli Sécurité (France) and French operator Monacair (Monaco), covering the fleet of the 3 operators and integrating the distribution systems into Blade Urban.
France > Shipping finance Tier 2
Leveraging its extensive global network, the shipping finance team at HFW provides expert counsel to major financial institutions as well as shipowners and maritime enterprises. The team specialises in a wide array of high-value, cross-border matters, with a particular focus on financing through tax lease structures. Jean-Marc Zampa, with over two decades of specialised expertise in large, complex financial transactions, leads the Paris team. He routinely advises both shipowners and banks on various transactional matters, enhancing the team’s comprehensive service, which encompasses international syndicated loans, acquisition finance, asset finance, and export and tax-advantaged financings. Since publication, the team welcomed Paolo Pinna who joined from Norton Rose Fulbright in May 2024.Practice head(s):
Jean-Marc Zampa
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘A pragmatic and attentive team. Great knowledge of the market.’
‘Jean-Marc Zampa is a great professional and demonstrates a lot of professionalism and pragmatism. His solid experience in the sector allows us to move forward with confidence.’
‘Excellent quality of service.’
We recommend Jean-Marc Zampa.’
Work highlights
France > Banking and finance: transactional work Tier 4
Practice head(s):
Diane de Moüy; Jean-Marc Zampa
Testimonials
‘The team demonstrates great availability, adaptability and technical expertise in arranging maritime financing.’
‘Jean-Marc Zampa demonstrates great mastery of the subjects and is able to draw on his diplomatic skills to find solutions that suited the parties.’
‘Jean-Marc Zampa stands out for his flexibility, professionalism and availability in order to best meet clients’ expectations.’
Key clients
Airbus Bank
APAX Partners
BRED Banque Populaire
BNP Paribas
Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi France
Bpifrance Financement
Caisse d’Epargne
Crystal Group
Dstny
Graitec
HFW > Firm Profile
The firm: HFW is a global, sector-focused law firm providing expert advice to clients in aviation, commodities, construction, energy and resources, insurance and reinsurance, and shipping.
The firm prides itself on the deep industry expertise of its lawyers, and its entrepreneurial, creative and collaborative culture. HFW has over 600 lawyers operating in 20 offices across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia.
Areas of practice: The Paris office is known for advising clients in insurance, reinsurance, industrial risks, energy, international trade, commodities, construction, aviation and shipping sectors. It has a strong reputation in the field of commercial litigation and arbitration, and also a strong transactional practice, that focuses on corporate and commercial law, corporate/energy, and banking and finance (asset finance, acquisition finance, export finance and debt restructurings).
The Paris office lawyers advise on national and cross border matters and have solid experience of working in Africa, in particular in North and West Africa.
Main Contacts
Department | Name | Telephone | |
---|---|---|---|
Admiralty | Guillaume Brajeux | ||
Admiralty | Stanislas Lequette | ||
Aviation | Jean-Baptiste Charles | ||
Aviation | Pierre Frühling | ||
Aviation | Stephanie Schweitzer | ||
Banking and finance | Diane de Moüy | ||
Banking and finance | Timothy Clemens-Jones | ||
Banking and finance | Jean-Marc Zampa | ||
Commercial litigation | Pauline Arroyo | ||
Commercial litigation | Vincent Bénézech | ||
Commercial litigation | Guillaume Brajeux | ||
Commercial litigation | Jean-Baptiste Charles | ||
Commercial litigation | Stanislas Lequette | ||
Commercial litigation | Oliver Purcell | ||
Commercial litigation | Iris Vögeding | ||
Construction | Pauline Arroyo | ||
Industrial risk | Pauline Arroyo | ||
Industrial risk | Guillaume Brajeux | ||
Industrial risk | Olivier Purcell | ||
Industrial risk | Iris Vögeding | ||
Insurance and reinsurance | Pauline Arroyo | ||
Insurance and reinsurance | Guillaume Brajeux | ||
Insurance and reinsurance | Olivier Purcell | ||
Insurance and reinsurance | Iris Vögeding | ||
International arbitration | Vincent Bénézech | ||
International arbitration | Guillaume Brajeux | ||
International arbitration | Timothy Clemens-Jones | ||
International arbitration | Stanislas Lequette | ||
International arbitration | Iris Vögeding | ||
International trade | Vincent Bénézech | ||
International trade | Timothy Clemens-Jones | ||
Logistics | Guillaume Brajeux | ||
Logistics | Jean-Baptiste Charles | ||
Logistics | Stephanie Schweitzer | ||
Shipping and transport litigation and arbitration | Guillaume Brajeux | ||
Shipping and transport litigation and arbitration | Stanislas Lequette | ||
Shipping and transport litigation and arbitration | Stephanie Schweitzer | ||
Travel and leisure | Stephanie Schweitzer |
Lawyer Profiles
Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
---|---|---|---|
Mme Pauline Arroyo | Partner | View Profile | |
Mr Vincent Bénézech | Partner | View Profile | |
Mr Guillaume Brajeux | Partner | View Profile | |
Mr Jean-Baptiste Charles | Partner | View Profile | |
Mr Thomas Forin | Partner | View Profile | |
Mr Pierre Frühling | Partner | View Profile | |
Mr Stanislas Lequette | Partner | View Profile | |
Mr Olivier Purcell | Partner | View Profile | |
Mme Stéphanie Schweitzer | Partner | View Profile | |
Mme Iris Vögeding | Partner | View Profile | |
Mr Jean-Marc Zampa | Partner | View Profile | |
Mme Diane de Moüy | Partner | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Number of lawyers : 615 at this office : 38Languages
Arabic English German Italian Slovak SpanishOther
Other offices : Brussels Other offices : Dubai Other offices : Geneva Other offices : Hong Kong Other offices : Houston Other offices : London Other offices : Melbourne Other offices : Perth Other offices : Piraeus Other offices : São Paulo Other offices : Shanghai Other offices : Singapore Other offices : Sydney Associations : Abu Dhabi Associations : Beirut Associations : Jakarta Associations : Kuwait Associations : Riyadh Associations : Singapore- Aviation finance
- Shipping finance