Gowling WLG > Paris, France > Firm Profile

Gowling WLG Offices

Gowling WLG
38 AVENUE DE L'OPÉRA
75002 PARIS
France
Visit website 33 1 42 99 35 00 33 1 42 99 35 01

Gowling WLG > The Legal 500 Rankings

France > Intellectual property: Trade marks and designs Tier 2

Gowling WLG’s IP team offers a wealth of expertise across all facets of intellectual property. They are particularly renowned for their extensive experience in trade mark law, covering advisory services and litigation with distinction. Helmed by Céline Bey, the team provides counsel on portfolio management and development, as well as the negotiation and drafting of contracts. On the contentious side, they boast substantial experience in complex litigation, adeptly representing clients both as claimants and defendants in cases pertaining to infringement, validity, or disputes arising from agreements, with a particular focus on cross-jurisdictional disputes. Alongside Bey, the firm features other key figures, including Sophie Boinnot, who possesses expertise in image rights, know-how, and unfair competition, and Alexis Augustin, a specialist in unfair competition, proficient in both litigation and contractual aspects.

Practice head(s):

Céline Bey

Other key lawyers:

Sophie Boinnot; Alexis Augustin

Testimonials

‘The strength of the team is based on perfect knowledge of IP, absolute mastery of procedures and strong relationships with its customers.’

‘Céline Bey is essential in IP: excellent professional, didactic and pragmatic.’

‘Céline Bey has been able to build a dynamic and very responsive team around her.’

Work highlights

  • Advising a UK-based creative agency providing audio services in a challenging case relating to Artificial Intelligence and a specific application of it, the main question being whether the artist can claim any rights on the voice generated by a virtual assistant and whether he has duly assigned his rights.
  • Advising a television production and distribution studio with respect to infringing acts in France of its work of authorship and EU trade marks, known as being the name of a famous fast food restaurant in a well-known TV series.
  • Advising one of the world’s largest cosmetics companies in a trade mark infringement dispute opposing our client to an iconic brand.

France > Dispute resolution: Commercial litigation Tier 4

Gowling WLG

Practice head(s):

Philippe Rousseau; Marie-Aude Ziadé

Testimonials

‘A very competent, responsive team and always looking to find the most relevant solutions possible.’

‘Efficient and responsive team.’

‘Availability, pragmatic, good skills.’

‘Ability to assimilate technical issues and translate them into solid and convincing legal arguments.’

‘Philippe Rousseau has perfect legal mastery, finesse and is precise. He goes beyond pure legal points.’

‘Good quality of service and clarity of advice.’

Key clients

Imerys

Vert Marine

Work highlights

  • Represented Imerys in a liability dispute regarding the non-performance of contracts due to the energy crisis.
  • Represented Vert Marine in a dispute pertaining to the closing of around thirty swimming pools in the context of high energy prices.

France > Dispute resolution: International arbitration

Gowling WLG launched its Paris international arbitration practice following the arrival of Marie-Aude Ziadé in September 2023; she handles international arbitration and litigation, has strong construction-sector know-how and also sits as an arbitrator.

Gowling WLG > Firm Profile

The firm: Gowling Paris can assist you in all areas of business law. Our lawyers have a thorough understanding of your strategic and operational issues and a perfect command of legal, tax and employment issues in order to offer you appropriate solutions to help you successfully carry out your projects.

They combine their expertise and offer you tailor-made and innovative legal solutions.

Gowling’s Paris office’s approach and organisation is specifically tailored to what you expect from your lawyers: involvement, proximity, trust and creativity.

      • We work in synergy with your teams and favour direct contact by formulating clear, tailored and pragmatic advice;
      • We support you at every stage of your projects: from strategy development to execution; in times of growth as well as resilience;
      • Our partners are involved in each of your projects and invest the time and energy required to ensure their success;
      • We have chosen a lean and agile organisation, and share with you an entrepreneurial spirit.

For us, human values are part of the exercise of our profession.

      • We attach great importance to human relations, to empathy and solidarity, both with our teams and in our dealings with our clients.
      • United by our passion for the legal profession, we promote the power of teamwork and consider that success is always the result of collaborative work.

Our firm is committed to CSR with a view to be translated into tangible actions and results.

Areas of practice
Innovative solutions: Innovation means finding solutions where others see only problems. In Paris, the team of renowned and seasoned specialists assists all client projects in order to define the solutions that are best adapted to the situation.

Speaking your language: With a bilingual team at the clients’ service, they can be sure of working with lawyers who speak their language. As well as language skills, the firm’s lawyers pride themselves on getting to know clients’ organisations. As part of a team, they can provide advice that suits every need.

The firm also keeps things simple, making sure lawyers avoid legal jargon. This might be interpreting bilateral tax treaties, restructuring a leveraged buy-out or acting in very tight time frames to obtain measures of conservation in the clients’ favour. Whatever the issue, clients can be sure of receiving clear, practical advice that meets their commercial needs. Gowling WLG is an international law firm created by Gowlings, a leading Canadian law firm, and Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co (WLG), a leading UK-based international law firm.

Gowling WLG was built to provide clients with legal services at home and around the world, and to help its clients succeed no matter how challenging the circumstances.

The firm structure is explained in more detail at www.gowlingwlg.com/legal

Main Contacts

Department Name Email Telephone
Co-managing Partner Céline Bey celine.bey@gowlingwlg.com +33 (0)1 42 99 35 44
Co-managing Partner Patrick Mousset patrick.mousset@gowlingwlg.com +33 (0)1 42 99 35 33

Languages

English
French
German
Spanish

Memberships

ABA (American Bar Association)
Association des investisseurs pour la croissance (AFIC)
AIPPI (Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property)
APRAM (Association des Praticiens des Marques et Modèles)
IBA (International Bar Association)
EELA (European Employment Lawyers Association)
INTA - International Trademark Association