Consortium De Réalisation Prevails In Final Chapter In Tapie Dispute

France's highest court has put an end to a high-profile and long-running litigation challenge by French businessman Bernard Tapie and his group of companies against Orrick client Consortium de Réalisation, the French government entity responsible for liquidating the assets of Crédit Lyonnais.

The Court of Cassation last week rejected Tapie's appeal of a decision by the Paris Court of Appeal, which previously denied his bid for more than €1 billion in damages from CDR. This marked the final, decisive victory for CDR in a complex litigation saga that dates back more than 20 years, and at various times involved more than €2 billion in claims by Tapie and other entities.

Tapie sought €1 billion damages from CDR, alleging that Credit Lyonnais defrauded him by undervaluing Adidas when he sold it in the early 1990s. The courts have not only now rejected that claim, but also ordered Tapie to repay CDR more than €400 million that was previously awarded to him in an