Franck Avignon has been Airbnb’s Legal Director for France, the Benelux countries and part of its European business since 2016.

A graduate of Sciences Po Paris and Paris-Sud XI University, and holder of an LL.M. in Competition Law from King’s College London, Franck practised as a lawyer at Hogan Lovells in Brussels and subsequently at Orrick in Paris, specialising in competition law, consumer law and commercial relations.

He then joined the MEDEF’s legal department, under the presidencies of Laurence Parisot and subsequently Pierre Gattaz, where he spent five years managing consumer and competition matters at French and European level, combining legal analysis with lobbying.

Franck has supported Airbnb’s growth in France over the past ten years, navigating the risks associated with the Covid crisis, various subsidiary acquisitions, a stock market flotation on Nasdaq, and the launch of new products such as Experiences and Services. Over the years, his remit has expanded to cover, on a temporary basis, the Nordic countries, Eastern Europe and French-speaking Africa.

He readily describes himself as a ‘Swiss Army knife’, able to handle a wide range of matters in French and international environments, at the intersection of the ever-evolving technology and tourism industries. Operational and marketing teams value his pragmatic approach to complex projects and negotiations, particularly in the context of major partnerships that have marked Airbnb’s establishment in France, from the Fédération du Patrimoine to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, not forgetting the Tour de France.

Litigation is equally central to his work. He has led Airbnb’s legal strategy, resulting in several landmark decisions in disputes with hotel industry lobby groups concerning platform liability, before the administrative and judicial courts, the Constitutional Council and, on several occasions, the Court of Justice of the European Union.

Franck also supports the Public Policy team in its day-to-day advocacy work, including the implementation of new obligations imposed on platforms, in close co-ordination with public authorities. The European dimension is a prominent feature of the matters he handles, notably the ‘EU Affordable Housing Act’, currently under consideration in Brussels.

He places great importance on mentoring and knowledge-sharing. Franck has supervised several legal professionals and is actively involved in Airbnb’s diversity and inclusion programmes, particularly through the NQT (Nos Quartiers ont du Talent) association, promoting mentoring and organising careers workshops for the young people it supports.

He regularly speaks at conferences, including those organised by the University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne on tourism law, and taught platform law and economics at Sciences Po Paris in 2018–2019.

His peers commend his collegiality, rigour, listening skills and creativity.