<strong>What are the most significant cases, projects and/or transactions that you and/or your legal team have recently been involved in?</strong>

Recently, our focus has been particularly on environmental issues, both in terms of prevention (training, instructions, contractual clauses) and the management of files or risks. The Eiffage Group has long been committed to environmental matters and continues to expand its initiatives year by year. For example, an Environment Department was recently established within Eiffage CONSTRUCTION and significantly staffed, while EIFFAGE SA already had a highly experienced Sustainable Development Department in place. Both departments provide expert advice to the group’s companies during the planning and implementation of projects.

<strong>How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crisis to ensure the organisation’s resilience?</strong>

I answered a similar question last year, and after review, I have nothing further to add. I would not have been able to answer this question five or six years ago, as no one could have imagined the difficult periods we would face from 2020 onwards – in particular the Covid crisis, but also certain collateral effects of the geopolitical unrest that has since emerged. These unprecedented events in our professional careers required us to adopt an entirely new way of working: setting aside day-to-day matters, instilling extreme responsiveness in our teams to analyse situations and contracts, activating clauses that would usually remain dormant (force majeure, etc.), interpreting texts and circulars issued specifically during these periods, and drafting real-time memos explaining how to apply them.

All of this allowed us, with the full support of our general management, to safeguard our operations and interests, and in the construction industry, to restart works as quickly as possible while ensuring the safety of both projects and employees. We are therefore prepared to deploy the same methodology in the event of a future crisis, although we hope it will not be necessary.

<strong>Have you had any experiences during your career as a lawyer that stand out as particularly unique or interesting?</strong>

All cases with a criminal dimension are particularly significant for me. It is, first and foremost, a matter of understanding the facts as neutrally as possible, avoiding preconceptions, conducting the most thorough risk analysis, and, where appropriate, implementing a defence strategy that respects the interests of all parties involved. These cases fascinate me because they often involve profound human issues: sometimes one must navigate difficult challenges for which employees are unprepared, particularly during investigations or hearings.

<strong>Based on your experiences in the past year, are there any trends in the legal or business world that you are keeping an eye on that you think other in-house lawyers should be mindful of?</strong>

Yes, artificial intelligence is clearly one of the topics that must be included in every lawyer’s ‘toolkit.’ However, we must be mindful of the excitement surrounding this new technology: the uncontrolled use of AI exposes companies to significant risks, including data leaks, errors, invasions of privacy, plagiarism and copyright issues, fraud, non-compliance, business ethics concerns, and the need to comply with European regulations such as the AI Act. Lawyers play an essential role in safeguarding organisations, ensuring that the capabilities offered by AI do not, in turn, result in abuses that could be detrimental to the company.