Firm Profile > Dentons > Paris, France

Administrative and public law Tier 1

Dentons has leading expertise advising on France’s largest PPP projects. In addition to recently advising on a series of mid-sized school renovation projects, the firm has a very strong involvement in the transport sector where it is earning regular landmark instructions. It is advising on the country’s few ongoing blue-chip transport projects, notably in the rail and road sectors. It was chosen by the French Ministry of Ecological and Inclusive Transition to help draft a section of the new Mobility Law (LOM). The team is also advising on first-of-its-kind transport projects, notably on the implementation of France’s first urban road traffic toll project in Lyon. The three-lawyer practice is also a good choice for dealing with major contract performance issues and energy-related work. Practice head Marc Fornacciari and of counsel Dorothée Griveaux are the main contacts.

Healthcare and life sciences

Trade marks, designs and copyrights

Industry focus: Healthcare and life sciences Tier 1

Dentons is the go-to-firm for M&A and private equity transactions in the healthcare sector. The firm assists leading industry players with the negotiation of venture investments and partnership agreements, but is also experienced in large-scale corporate transactions, such as Lactalis' acquisition of the infant nutrition business of South African pharmaceutical company Aspen Pharmacare. Corporate partners Jean-Marc Grosperrin, who also co-heads the firm's global and European practice, Anne-Laure Marcerou and Olivia Guéguen are the key contacts. The firm also offers strong complementary healthcare regulatory expertise and notably assists leading industry players with their dealings with French healthcare authorities. Senior counsel Pascale Poupelin is highly recommended and has extensive experience, especially in drug market access matters. She is also singled out for her rare ability to combine public and private law know-how. Julien Le Guyader is also recommended.

Intellectual property: Trade marks and designs Tier 1

David Masson heads the intellectual property team at Dentons, which acts for an enviable roster of clients on contentious and non-contentious matters, focusing particularly on litigation. The firm's strong global footprint allows it to represent clients from sectors including fashion, electronics and telecoms before domestic and European courts. Other notable longstanding clients include Polaroid and Delta Airlines, which the team advises on trade mark enforcement matters. Senior counsel Isabelle Leroux successfully represented Peugeot Motocycles, as the claimant, in trade mark litigation against Delaunay Belleville.

Derivatives and structured finance Tier 2

Dentons

Industry focus: Energy Tier 2

With public law expert Marc Fornacciari, Dentons  offers very strong regulatory expertise. Fornacciari is notably active in highly strategic litigation and in one of France’s landmark renewable energy projects. The practice also advises on more traditional power and renewable energy projects abroad and is involved in oil and gas work and mining matters. Practice co-heads Ramin Hariri and Leïla Hubeaut are recommended for those aspects. Nicholas George, formerly at Orrick Rambaud Martel, joined the team in June 2020.

Industry focus: Luxury goods Tier 2

Dentons is longstanding adviser to one of France’s most cherished maisons de couture whom the firm notably helps handle key IP and distribution law issues. The practice also assists several other major luxury fashion houses and luxury hotel brands. Key contacts within the firm include IP partner David Masson and senior counsel Isabelle Leroux, competition and distribution law partner Emmanuelle Van Den Broucke and dispute resolution partners Christine Sévère and Frédérique Meslay Caloni. The firm also assists industry clients with corporate and M&A transactions.

Intellectual property: Patents Tier 2

Dentons acts for high-profile clients from a wide range of sectors, including life sciences, telecoms and fashion. Practice head David Masson is representing a major player in the technological industry in an international patent dispute, showcasing the firm's strength in advising on contentious cross-border matters. The team is also defending Industrie Cartarie Tronchetti (ICT), a manufacturer of absorbent paper, in patent litigation launched against it in France and Germany by the group SCA Tissues France, in a matter which involves close collaboration between teams in Paris, Frankfurt and Barcelona.

Project finance Tier 2

Dentons is involved in several of the French state’s largest infrastructure projects. The firm is especially well versed in advising public sector entities on landmark rail and transport projects. In addition, the ten-lawyer practice also advises on smaller projects in France, particulary in the education sector, and is active in one of France’s landmark renewable energy projects. Finally, the team also assists with infrastructure and energy projects abroad, such as assisting Inframed with a solar and wind power plants project in Jordan. Public law expert Marc Fornacciari and project finance specialist Jean-Marc Allix co-head the practice. Cross-border specialist Leila Hubeaut and of counsel Dorothée Griveaux, a public law expert, are also noted. Nicholas George joined the team in June 2020 from Orrick Rambaud Martel.

Banking and finance: transactional work Tier 3

Dentons has 'a strong team with growing capacity that is excellent in asset financing, securitisation and receivables financing'. The firm stands out for its work in project finance, fund financing and real estate finance, but it is also active in acquisition finance, refinancing and securitisation. It acts for major domestic and international banks, corporates and funds on mid-cap and large-cap transactions, and has a strong flow of cross-border work, particularly in Europe and the US. The key partners are PPP and project finance expert Jean-Marc Allix, the 'very proactive and willing' Pascal Jouannic and structured and acquisition finance specialist Philippe Max.

Compliance Tier 3

Dentons’s Aurélien Chardeau advises leading French and international companies on the setting up of anti-corruption programmes, and provides guidance on international sanctions issues. Chardeau recently led an international team of lawyers in establishing a compliance programme spanning more than 50 countries for a leading company. He also assists companies with the conduct of internal investigations.

Dispute resolution: International arbitration Tier 3

Dentons manages a well-balanced investment, commercial and enforcement arbitration caseload. The Paris team is involved in various matters, spanning tax, M&A, construction, renewable energy, and oil and gas-related issues. It is regularly handling cases in relation to Eastern Europe and various other parts of the world including Africa and the EU. The Paris practice is co-chaired by Jean-Christophe Honlet, who also sits as the firm's global head of arbitration, and Barton Legum, who leads the firm's global investment treaty arbitration practice. Anna Crevon is also involved.

Employment Tier 3

Dentons has a strong 14-lawyer team which advises several leading companies, especially healthcare corporations, luxury hotels and banks. The firm recently assisted several clients with the election of their Social and Economic Committee and also dealt with site closure and reorganisation work. The practice also handles sensitive individual matters, such as advising on executive directors' departures and sexual harassment allegations. The practice is also involved in an important dispute regarding employment tax contributions. The Paris practice is co-headed by Julie Caussade and Frédérique Meslay-Caloni, while Katell Déniel-Allioux, also based in Paris, directs the firm's European practice.

Insolvency Tier 3

Dentons advises debtors and creditors. Headed by Audrey Molina, the practice recently handled several restructuring and insolvency cases in the retail and distribution sector. The team also assisted Havas Voyages with its takeover of Thomas Cook France. Finally, the practice acts on several US-French and cross-border European matters.

Private equity: Fund formation Tier 3

Dentons

Real estate Tier 3

Dentons’ practice spans all aspects of real estate matters including investment, development, finance, asset management and leasing work. The practice has recently gained new international investors as clients and advised on a significant number of residential and office investment and sale-and-leaseback transactions. The practice is also sought after to help with large logistic asset development projects and transactions. In addition, major corporations and developers use the firm for asset management work, including litigation. Leading French, Anglo-Saxon, German and Middle-Eastern players are clients. Pascal Schmitz is in charge. Other key names are Véronique Lagarde and Maxime Simonnet. Finance partner Jean-Marc Allix is also noted.

Dispute resolution: Commercial litigation Tier 4

Dentons

Dispute resolution: White-collar crime Tier 4

Dentons

Mergers and acquisitions Tier 4

Dentons

Tax Tier 4

Dentons handles domestic and cross-border tax matters. The practice regularly provides tax assistance to the firm's other departments in M&A, private equity and property transactions, often advising insurers on headline M&A transaction tax guarantees. It also advises on company restructuring. Clients include leading French and international corporations, insurers and private clients. In addition, the firm handles litigation and recently obtained a landmark victory before the French Supreme Court regarding intra-group restructuring issues. Sandra Hazan and Gianluca Calisti co-head the team, which also includes Jessie Gaston and of counsel Jérôme Le Berre.

EU, competition and distribution Tier 5

Dentons

Iran > Foreign law firms Tier 2

One of the first international law firms to advise clients on investments in Iran, Dentons offers full scope business law advice in a number of areas, such as corporate and M&A, sanctions, litigation and dispute resolution, and pharmaceutical and medical equipment. It is established dealing with large, high-value energy transactions. Working alongside APP Legal Institute in association with Dentons Europe LLP to help clients comply with U.S. sanctions on Iran, it has seen an increased volume of work for foreign companies. Located in Paris, Pirouzan Parvine leads the office and works in corporate and M&A. Ramin Hariri extensively advising energy clients in Iran. He has a wealth of experience in M&A transactions and projects, as well as in cross-border contracts, joint ventures and corporate structuring, and the petrochemical and mining sectors. {CM: have left for now, please see note in Researcher Notes}