We advise French and foreign firms at the time of their setting-up, but also for their common needs (in this respect we provide bilingual Company secretarial services to a number of foreign groups having subsidiaries in France), and throughout their various stages of development.

We assist Companies and their managers with their their mergers and acquisitions, investments, capital risk and capital development investments, LBOs, LMBOs, in the legal, tax and social structuring of their transactions, we realize or organize the pre-acquisition audits (data rooms), we advise companies on all aspects of governance and good practices of the Board of Directors, we negotiate and draft the acquisition or investment documentation (letter of intent, investment term sheet, shareholders’ agreement management package, warranties agreements, capital restructuring, issue of securities) as well as the financing documentation (loan agreements, subordination agreements...).

We also assist them in the framework of shareholders’ disputes, warranties claims, investment protection, and criminal aspects of company law.

We developed a specific know-how in advising companies exercising regulated activities, including fund management companies, auction companies, insurance, reinsurance and brokerage companies, defence companies, public transport companies, waste-management companies, restaurant chains.

We advise our clients on the financing conditions of :

• leveraged acquisitions of companies,
• private equity, LBO, LMBO investments,
• capital investment operations.

We also assist our clients in setting up incentive packages for the management in the framework of private equity, LBO or LMBO transactions.

We advise private banking and asset-management companies on regulatory and compliance issues, and represent them in disciplinary proceedings before the French regulatory authorities and in their finance-related litigation proceedings before the French Courts.

We provide formation and Company secretarial services to asset-management companies and to their collective investment vehicles.

In cooperation with our specialist partners, we advise companies and individuals for their tax matters and assist them during their tax audits and in Court litigation.

We have a long-standing experience in personal tax, in the framework of international mobility, and advise our high net worth private clients on their private asset taxation matters.

We assist our French and foreign clients in setting up employee-profit sharing schemes (stock options, free shares).

We help companies overcome the difficulties they face, advise them in their corporate reorganization and restructuring, and help them put in place solutions to ensure their continued existence.

We also protect our clients' interests in their relations with insolvent companies.

We assist our clients during the pre-insolvency phase (ad hoc mandate, conciliation, mediation), during the judicial phase (receivership, liquidation) and during the exit from crisis phase.

We advise company managers in the case of fraud or civil liability.

We also assist clients who wish to acquire companies in receivership.

We advise our clients in their commercial development, for the negotiating and drafting of their commercial contracts, being upstream (supply agreements) or downstream (sales terms and conditions, sale agreements, service agreements, distribution agreements, franchise agreements, logistics contracts...). We also draft and negotiate specific contracts according to our clients' own sectors of activity (quarry exploitation contracts, rental agreements for public works equipment, satellite construction contracts, transport contracts, asset management contracts, contracts relating to intellectual property rights...)

We negotiate and draft contracts relating to the acquisition, sale, leasing of businesses.

We also advise companies and their managers in the framework of commercial litigation (unfair competition, customer poaching, breach of established commercial relationships, contractual liability, tort, debt recovery...)

We developed a strong expertise in the field of civil, professional and commercial leases, and advise leading institutional investors (pension funds, social landlords…), property management companies and private clients with the legal aspects of the management of their properties.

We assist our clients in negotiating and drafting their residential, professional and commercial leases, and defend their interests in Court, as well as during expertise proceedings.

We provide legal advice to construction companies and property developers in the setting-up and implementation of their projects (new constructions, redevelopments, renovations), perform legal audits and assist in structuring their projects.

We assist them in their relations with banks, architects, contractors, insurance companies, experts and other parties such as the land planning specialists, notaries, bailiffs, estate agents or financial partners, according to the type of project.

We advise institutional investors, landholding companies, property management companies and private owners in the negotiating and drafting of their property contracts (architect contracts, property acquisitions and sales, off-plan property sales, property developments, delegated project management contracts, construction leases, real estate portfolio structuring…). We also assist them in the management of their assets, particularly in case of litigation with their tenants.

We also assist them at the time of the sale of their properties (we have specific knowhow in unit sales of residential blocks), and provide agency services in real estate transactions, where confidentiality is of the essence.

In this respect we are members of AAMTI (Association des Avocats Mandataires en Transactions Immobilières).

We advise companies in the management of their human resources, and assist in drafting their employment agreements, organizing their employer/employee relations, collective work relations, employment representation, relations with the trade-unions, employee profit-sharing schemes, conducting individual or collective severance plans or redundancy schemes, proceeding with their management terminations, granting delegations of powers, implementing work regulations, defending their interests in the course of industrial disputes and settlements, dealing with Social security law issues and criminal aspects of labour law.

We have extensive experience in obtaining work permits and visas for foreign management and key personnel, and we advise them as regards their work conditions in France.

We also represent our clients before the Courts, and the French Labour Administration.

We assist our clients in the management, valorization and protection of their intellectual property (trademarks, designs and models, copyright, domain names, patents).

In this respect, we manage trademark portfolios (domestic, European or international trademark filings, follow-up, renewals, licensing, disposals), and provide trademark and domain names monitoring services.

We advise our clients in opposition, infringement and seizure proceedings, and in Court proceedings in the field of intellectual property.

We advise our clients in the setting-up and exploitation of classified installations, more particularly in the field of waste transportation, treatment and disposal.

We draft all terrestrial or air transportation contracts for persons or goods, form public transportation companies, provide advice in relation with legal and regulatory obligations of public transportation companies including removal companies ; assist in liability matters and in litigation concerning aircraft manufacturing companies, suppliers, operators particularly in the case of accidents

We assist our clients in all cases of commercial litigation before the French Courts but also in the framework of arbitration and mediation proceedings in France and abroad :

• Contract : breakdown of talks, breach of contract, violation of contractual provisions, breach of established commercial relationships, debt recovery, unfair competition, interim or safeguard measures : expert-valuation proceedings, seizures…)
• Company law : Directors' civil or criminal liability, shareholders' disputes, protection of minority shareholders' interests, disputes relating to shareholders agreements, to warranties claims, repayment of liabilities, interim measures…
• Litigation in construction matters : contractual liability and tort, decennial liability, biennial liability.
• Criminal business law, white-collar criminal law. Disciplinary proceedings before the French regulatory authorities (Autorité des Marchés Financiers)
• Employment-law litigation : individual and collective litigation, litigation before the Tribunal of Social Security Affairs
• Banking litigation, liability of finance professionals
• Professional and industrial risks
• Intellectual property litigation
• Insurance litigation and pre-litigation.

We provide advice on all aspects of criminal and civil professional liability risks (Directors' liability, corporate liability in the case of accidents at work, professional illness, industrial accidents ; product liability ; professional liability). We assist them in their relations with insurance companies and claims inspectors.

We also defend the interests of accident victims, including air accidents, and assist them in the valuation of their damage.

We advise companies in the framework of their international development and establishment, and draft their commercial contracts with foreign customers.

In relation with our foreign correspondents, we assist them in their international deployment, and defend their interests in litigation before foreign Courts and arbitration tribunals.