Bredin Prat stands out for its impressively deep bench and broad expertise, which allows the firm to cover the full range of EU, competition and distribution matters and consistently take on the most complex and strategic cases in the French market. The team remains the first port of call for leading French and international clients, drawing on a wealth of experience in high-profile merger control cases before the FCA and EC; cartel, vertical restraints and abuse of dominance investigations by the national and European authorities; follow-on damages actions; and state aid. A group of well-regarded partners – Olivier Billard, Igor Simic, Marie-Cécile Rameau, Yelena Trifounovitch, Pierre Honoré and Arthur Helfer – leads the practice, with caseloads that run the gamut of competition law. Yohann Chevalier and Sophie Troussard-Fauré provide capable support.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Profile
Work Department
Competition and EU Law
Position
Partner
Career
Marie-Cécile Rameau, Partner at Bredin Prat, is a member of the Competition team.
She has been involved in a large number of high-profile litigations before competition authorities at the national and EU levels, as well as before commercial courts.
Her practice also includes advising on competition issues arising in connection with French and cross-border mergers and acquisitions.
Languages
French, English
Memberships
Admitted to the Paris Bar (2001)
Education
Marie-Cécile Rameau is a graduate of IEP of Paris (Sciences Po), the University of Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas (Maîtrise in business law) and the University of Paris 5 Descartes (DESS in European business law).
Content supplied by Bredin Prat
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- "Bredin Prat is a high-end French law firm with an international network of comparable firms. They are on all major cases, making them unavoidable as they have experience with the most complex cases with the highest stakes. They therefore have a unique expertise, are extremely reliable and dedicated, putting their clients' interests and satisfaction at the heart of all they do."
- "Igor Simic is the lead partner working on our files. He is both an expert and a strategist. He has a unique knowledge of the law which he puts at the service of his client. He embraces all aspects of a transaction or a litigation beyond the legal aspects and is the kind of lawyer you can put in front of your CEO or Board. He is pedagogical and makes complex matters simple. He is extremely engaged, always available, and very pleasant to interact with."
- "Bredin Prat is a firm well-versed in handling complex, high-stakes matters. They can mobilize many collaborators while ensuring effective coordination within their teams. They demonstrate great foresight and strategy formulation early on, which is essential in convincing stakeholders. Their ability to adapt to each case and sector, and innovate in defense strategies, sets them apart from other renowned firms."
- "The team at Bredin Prat demonstrates exceptional expertise, excellent responsiveness, and a strong understanding of the client's business. They effectively anticipate and define case strategies from the outset, which is crucial in gaining client trust."
- "Yelena Trifounovitch is an exceptional lawyer whose expertise is complemented by a strong understanding of client needs and priorities. She adapts her interventions based on her audience, focusing on either technical or strategic considerations, making her highly effective in communication. Her client-focused approach makes her an invaluable asset in case success."
- "Arthur Helfer is a dynamic and effective young partner with an excellent technical understanding of complex, regulated sectors. He is highly available and meticulous in his work."
- "Yelena Trifounovitch is certainly the most brilliant competition law practitioner in France. She impresses with her mastery of cases, attention to detail, and her ability to find that extra key argument that tilts the balance. It is very reassuring to have her as counsel."
- "The Bredin Prat team, led by Igor Simic and Arthur Helfer, provides clients with exceptional technical, economic, and legal analysis. Their daily support in a highly competitive environment is an essential asset for our company's strategy. The management style also allows clients to have direct and open access to each lawyer in the team, enhancing efficiency."
Key clients
- APE (Agence des Participations de l’État)
- AFP (Agence France Presse)
- Airbus
- Air Liquide
- Apple
- Aurobindo Pharma Limited
- beIN Sports
- Casino
- Cemex
- Christian Dior
- CMA CGM
- Coca-Cola
- Covéa
- DAF
- Danone
- De Longhi
- D’Ieteren
- Edenred
- EDF
- Eurazeo
- Fnac Darty
- Fleury Michon
- FDJ (Française des Jeux)
- France Télévisions
- Iliad
- JCDecaux
- Lactalis
- Legrand
- Longchamp
- LVMH
- Meta
- Nike
- Open AI
- Philips
- Rolex
- Schneider Electric
- SNCF
- Sonatrach
- Suez
- TDF
- Uber
- Unilever
Work highlights
Providing merger control advice in relation to several high-profile transactions before the European Commission and the French Competition Authority, including: Fnac Darty’s public tender offer for Italy’s Unieuro and Iliad’s attempted merger with Vodafone Italia.
Providing antitrust advice in several leading cases before the French Competition Authority and courts, including follow-on damages actions, including advising: Schneider Electric and Legrand on a landmark parallel criminal and competition law investigation into alleged resale price maintenance in relation to electrical components.
Advising on some of the leading French state aid cases currently before the European Commission and courts, including: EDF on the approval of France’s new nuclear programme.