Hailed as ‘one of the most respected teams in the market’, boutique firm CABANES Avocats is renowned for its expertise in public procurement, frequently advising on contracts relating to major infrastructure projects – such as the development of metro and train lines in the Paris suburbs – and handling high-stakes administrative litigation over the awarding of concessions. The team’s impressive client base includes significant public entities in addition to high-profile private companies in the water, construction, energy and transport sectors. Christophe Cabanes, who ‘masters the art of administrative litigation better than anyone’, leads the team alongside Vincent Michelin, who is also adept at litigation relating to public contracts. Benoît Polderman, an expert in the railway sector, Charlotte Pezin and Jérémie Couette are other key names.
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Accolades
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘One of the most respected teams in the market.’
‘Vincent Michelin is particularly committed to the cases and his strategic advice allows us to get the best out of each case.’
‘I mainly worked with Vincent Michelin, who listens to his clients and their problems, is curious, inventive, and does not hesitate to think outside the box in litigation.’
‘Benoît Polderman has a highly appreciated solution-oriented approach.’
‘Highly competent in public contracting law. Particularly knowledgeable about claims from companies or intellectual service providers. Genuine legal support for the contracting authority. Extremely precise advice and in-depth knowledge of case law in public procurement matters.’
‘Highly specialized team, experienced in contracts and administrative disputes. Among the very best in the market.’
‘Christophe Cabanes is one of the best experts in public procurement. He masters the art of administrative litigation better than anyone. He has a robust, loyal team and enjoys an extraordinary capacity for work.’
‘Christophe Cabanes stands out for his extremely solid expertise in public procurement and his always wise advice; Benoît Polderman for his skills and insight; and Charlotte Pezin for her meticulous work and her commitment to handling cases.’
Key clients
- Bouygues Construction
- Bouygues Travaux Publics
- Derichebourg Environnement
- Alstom
- Alstom Aptis
- Colas
- Bombardier
- Saur
- Vinci Construction
- Dalkia
Work highlights
Advised Veolia Eau in the context of the award by Syndicat des Eaux d'Ile de France of the largest water contract in Europe (4 billion euros).
Represented the consortium composed of Bouygues Travaux Publics and Vinci Construction in high-stakes litigation regarding the construction of the “Route du Littoral”, one of the most important infrastructure projects in Europe (value: 1.66 billion euros).
Successfully advising and representing the Ministry of the Economy in the context of the award of a 287 million euro contract relating to the renewal of computer servers of French state services.
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Practice head
Christophe Cabanes; Vincent Michelin
Other key lawyers
Benoît Polderman; Charlotte Pezin; Jérémie Couette