Bird & Bird > Paris, France > Firm Profile

Bird & Bird > The Legal 500 Rankings

France > Data privacy and data protection Tier 1

Bird & Bird works extensively on global compliance actions and on international data transfers. As competent litigators, the team represented Doctolib before the Conseil d’Etat in a successful dispute which brought important developments to the ongoing Schrems II debate. Handling sensitive and challenging data matters for the banking sector, the firm counts Orange Bank, a bank launched by French telecom company Orange, to its client list. Ariane Mole‘s previous in-house experience at the French Data Protection Authority gives her valuable insight into regulatory matters. Mole co-leads the department with the well-respected Merav Griguer.

France > Industry focus: IT and internet  Tier 1

One of the most renowned international IT firms on the French market, Bird & Bird draws on its strong intersectorial abilities to handle complex IT matters from clients in diverse industries. The firm has particular expertise handling hosting liability issues deriving from UGC content, with the team having recently published an EU geo-blocking regulation guide. Co-head of the practice alongside Merav Griguer, Stéphane Leriche is increasingly involved in market-leading matters with clients such as NextMind, an innovative brain-sensing wearable device that allows hands-free control of technology with direct brain commands.

France > Intellectual property: Copyright Tier 1

Under the leadership of Yves Bizollon, Bird & Bird‘s Paris copyright team takes advantage of the firm’s wider international network, which places the group in good stead when acting on complex cross-border mandates. With a sector-focus approach, the practice is particularly active in innovative industries such as life sciences, healthcare, media as well as fashion and tech. Senior counsel Frédérique Bocqueraz is highly regarded for her track record handling questions of international copyright law and damages assessments in the context of infringement proceedings as well as managing employees’ claims related to IP rights.

France > Intellectual property: Patents Tier 1

Bird & Bird handles patent litigation and has strong expertise in contentious and non-contentious matters. The team provides advice on domestic and multinational patent litigation and strategic IP matters and focuses on innovative industries such as life sciences and healthcare, tech and comms, media, but also entertainment and sports. Yves Bizollon heads the team and handles IP disputes from a wide range of sectors, including the food, energy, defence and automotive sectors. Anne-Charlotte Le-Bihan  is especially well versed in disputes involving pharmaceutical, electronics and telecoms companies.

France > Intellectual property: Trade marks and designs Tier 1

Bird & Bird‘s client roster includes French and multinational companies in the life sciences and healthcare, manufacturing, technology, media, entertainment and sports industries. Its team excels in advising on trade mark protection and enforcement matters. Patent litigator Yves Bizollon leads the practice, which includes Anne-Charlotte Le-Bihan, who has experience of sensitive trade mark and design mandates. Géraldine Arbant focuses on brand management and litigation, as well as transactional IP matters. Key clients include Piasten & Lutti, CrossFit and Groupe Candy Hoover.

France > The regions Tier 1

Unusual for an international law firm, Bird & Bird‘s reach goes beyond Paris to Lyon where it has a well-established office which serves as a hub for the firm’s French and multinational corporations operating in the greater Rhone-Alps region. The Lyon office provides a full range of business law services drawing on cross-sector and multi-disciplinary teams, leveraging the firm’s sector expertise, for example in the consumer goods and retail, financial institutions, healthcare and life sciences, leisure, manufacturing and transportation, and technology, media and telecommunications sectors. David Malcoiffe manages the Lyon office. Nathalie Devernay and Caroline Mouriquand are recognised as ‘excellent professionals’.

France > Industry focus: Healthcare and life sciences Tier 2

Bird & Bird‘s full-service life sciences practice regularly acts for pharmaceutical and medical device companies. Emmanuelle Porte is a key individual at the firm for corporate matters and regularly assists biotech and ehealth clients with respect to venture capitals and IPOs. Alexandre Vuchot and Ariane Mole have developed a strong offering of commercial, regulatory, and data protection expertise in relation to digital health and medical device companies. Highly respected patent litigator Yves Bizollon leads the IP team.

France > Industry focus: Telecoms  Tier 2

The tech and comms team at the Paris office of Bird & Bird offers the strength of its global network and experience in advising operators, public entities, governments and international institutions across the telecoms area. Headed by information technology expert Stéphane Leriche  and network rollout specialist Frédérique Dupuis-Toubol, the group’s full service covers regulatory compliance, commercial agreements, infrastructure deployment and public law issues, competition regulation, emerging markets and contentious litigation in the sector. Counsel Willy Mikalef advises on ePrivacy regulation. Senior associate Mélanie Bercot represents telecom operators in disputes before administrative authorities.

France > Insolvency Tier 2

Bird & Bird has noticeably gained in market shares in France, having received a high volume of new matters from banks and banking pools to act in many of the market’s largest restructuring and insolvency cases. The team is notably involved in matters from the naval construction, hospitality, tourism, retail and manufacturing sectors. It regularly acts in sensitive matters in which the French state also intervenes and advised the French state on a high-profile industrial case. Related litigation is also handled.vRomain de Ménonville and Nicolas Morelli co-head the practice, which also includes counsel Céline Nézet.

France > Private equity: venture/growth capital Tier 2

Bird & Bird assists clients with every stage of the business cycle, including early-stage financing, fundraising, licensing, commercial transactions, and exits through M&A or IPOs. The firm has continued to strengthen its position in the venture capital space by handling several fundraisings with international venture capital funds. Gildas Louvel is active in private equity transactions for both public and private companies and co-heads the team with Emmanuelle Porte, who is an expert in the life sciences and healthcare sector. David Malcoiffe has extensive experience in advising investment funds and start-up companies in private equity and venture capital transactions, while Bertrand Levy focuses on transactions in the technology sector.

France > Industry focus: Energy Tier 3

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France > Banking and finance: transactional work Tier 4

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France > Dispute resolution: Commercial litigation Tier 4

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France > Administrative and public law Tier 5

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France > Mergers and acquisitions Tier 5

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Belgium > Fintech

Bird & Bird has a strong record across innovative fintech products, advising clients on payment services, blockchain technology, open banking, and lending platforms, with particular expertise in the fields of e-banking, online payments, and regulatory compliance. Clients include established businesses through to start-ups, both within Belgium and internationally. The practice is led by the ‘hands-on‘ Scott McInnes, recognised as an expert in e-payment systems, regulatory finance specialist Paul Hermant, and Cathie-Rosalie Joly, who also spends time in the Paris office and focuses on cross-border financial services regulatory and data protection issues.