Dispute Resolution

Our dedicated Dispute Resolution team represents clients in all civil, commercial and criminal courts, and before arbitration tribunals. Our lawyers are combative strategists with in-depth knowledge of French and international procedures in their various fields of expertise.

Whether seeking the best negotiated solution, responding to an action, or commencing proceedings, our lawyers have built their reputation on their ability to propose innovative strategies to resolve national or international disputes.

With its cross-disciplinary approach, our team is able to represent large French groups, investment funds and investors, as well as leading international groups.

Our team includes seasoned professionals with particular skills in:

• Complex litigation
• White-collar crime and compliance
• Arbitration and alternative dispute resolution

Our specialized team assists clients in reaching amicable settlements as well as managing the pre-litigation and litigation stages of all kinds of commercial disputes, whether concerning late payments, breach of contract, unfair practices, termination of commercial relationships, product liability, etc.

Our specialized criminal lawyers assist our clients, whether companies or directors, with preventive measures (auditing of risks, training, etc.) and appropriate defense strategies. They can also represent clients in the event of disputes before French and international criminal courts or specialized judicial institutions such as the French Financial Prosecution Office (Parquet National Financier or PNF), in cases of fraud and financial crime.

Our lawyers have handled major cases in this area and therefore have developed specific know-how in negotiated justice and settlements and represent and assist clients involved in judicial public interest agreements with the French Financial Prosecution Office. Our experience of cross-border proceedings and multi-jurisdictional prosecutions and lawsuits combined with our solid network of partner firms also allows us to assist clients with sensitive cases outside France.

Our Compliance team assists companies in setting up their internal procedures by offering proactive services, including risk mapping, assessment of current mechanisms, and training. Our team assists clients in complying with anti-money laundering and anti-corruption directives and regulations and with the provisions of the Sapin II Law. 

Our lawyers are experts in crisis situations and can provide support in such cases, including managing whistleblowers, assessing damage, managing criminal risks at national level or in a multi-jurisdictional context, communicating internally and externally with management teams, applying blocking statutes, and dealing with double jeopardy issues and internal investigations. They represent our clients’ interests before the courts and regulatory authorities in France, as well as internationally in collaboration with our foreign partners.

In line with our clients’ needs, we explore the most appropriate method of settlement for the parties to every dispute. Whenever the situation allows, we try to use alternative solutions to litigation. With the objective of resolving disputes efficiently and permanently, we offer our clients amicable solutions such as conciliation or mediation.

Our legal team includes some of the most recognized experts in the market in terms of domestic and international, commercial, institutional and ad hoc arbitration. Our lawyers regularly advise governmental and private bodies or handle complex arbitration matters relating to major infrastructure projects, mergers and acquisitions or commercial issues.

Our knowledge of domestic and international arbitration centers and rules, our memberships of several international bar associations and our network of partners enable us to offer our clients high quality advice at all stages of a dispute, from pre-litigation to the enforcement of awards, as well as interim measures and applications to have awards set aside.

We assist clients (whether as claimants or defendants) in all areas of industrial risk, fraud, and professional, directors’ and product liability, as well as in transport and construction matters. After analyzing your case, we advise you whether it is legally appropriate to bring a claim or to engage in an alternative dispute resolution procedure. We also work closely with you during the preparation of experts’ reports, and to determine the losses suffered and assess the appropriate compensation.

We assist individual clients with all their disputes relating to life insurance (management, transfer, inheritance, etc.), pension policies and relations with brokerage companies.

Our insurance expertise also allows us to assist our clients with mass litigation in France or internationally.

We have recognized expertise in the handling of corporate litigation in areas as diverse as:

• Disputes between shareholders
• Disputes between joint venture partners
• Post-acquisition disputes and enforcement of liability warranties
• Takeovers of distressed businesses
• Directors’ liability (personal liability, insolvency proceedings, receivership, etc.)