Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier particularly stands out for its prowess in litigation: the team is skilled in administrative disputes concerning public contracts and also has a strong suit in representing clients in damages claims against public entities, handling high-profile recent cases in the energy and telecoms sectors. On the non-contentious side, the firm routinely advises on public procurement and concession contracts, particularly in relation to large-scale transport projects, and has significant expertise in the public law and regulatory aspects of M&A transactions, with an emphasis on foreign investment control procedures. Practice head Henri Savoie – singled out by one client as ‘France’s top public lawyer’ – is a key adviser to a host of prominent public sector companies. Guillaume Griffart provides capable support on FDI regulatory matters.
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Accolades
Client satisfaction
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Available and efficient.’
‘Henri Savoie and Guillaume Griffart are in a league of their own in terms of responsiveness, brilliance and charm.’
‘Henri Savoie is France’s top public lawyer. Respected by the authorities and uniquely placed for top assignments. Guillaume Griffart has a great future.’
‘Henri Savoie has a detailed and valuable knowledge of the Conseil d'Etat and its workings. All the lawyers were able to work as a team with our company's legal team, which allowed for efficient work.’
‘They are extremely responsive, practical and absolutely steady in difficult situations.’
‘The Darrois team has a deep bench and is one of our go-to firms in France for complex regulatory matters. The team is very easy to work with and is very responsive.’
‘Henri and Guillaume give very practical and commercial advice while being clued in on deal dynamics. Whenever we have a complex transaction structure, we can trust that they will be able to distill exactly what is happening.’
'Henri Savoie is always available.'
Key clients
- EDF
- Bouygues
- Bouygues Telecom
- SNCF Réseau
- TF1
- Caisse des dépôts et consignations
- La Poste
- Blackstone
- Edizione (Benetton Family)
- RTE
Work highlights
- Assisting EDF in claims challenging the regulation requiring this company to supply an additional 20 TWh of electricity at a price set by regulation to eligible suppliers for the period from April to December 2022 within the framework of regulated access to historic nuclear electricity (ARENH) and seeking damages for the loss suffered by EDF in this respect.
- Assisted SANEF in multiple legal actions challenging, on the grounds of an excess of power as well as on a constitutional basis, the new tax on the operation of long-distance transport infrastructure introduced by the Finance Act for 2024.
- Advised SNCF Réseau on ongoing litigation concerning the performance of the SEA high-speed railway line concession agreement, and on the implementation of the CDG Express project and the negotiation of new amendments to the contractual documentation related to this project.
Lawyers
Hall of fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Practice head
Henri Savoie
Other key lawyers
Guillaume Griffart