Overview
Jacques Buhart focuses his practice on cross-border mergers and acquisitions and EU/French competition investigations and litigation. Jacques has also developed substantial knowledge of various industries, including nuclear, telecommunications, pharmaceutical, paper and energy. In his cross-border transactional practice, Jacques has represented, among others, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in its acquisitions of minority interests in Orano and Framatome and in its attempt to acquire Alstom with Siemens, Canon in its acquisition of OCE, Total in its acquisition of Elf, Metsäliitto in various acquisitions and divestitures in Europe, Toyota Motor Corporation in setting up its plant in France, Sonera in corporate matters in Turkey and Central Europe, TUI in acquisitions in France, Atos Origin in acquisitions of Banksys in Belgium, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec and numerous other French and international public and private companies on take over bids, acquisitions and sales of entire businesses and divisions, divestitures and joint-ventures.
In his competition practice, he has represented Metsäliitto in various merger notifications, including several second-phase cases, Canon/Océ, Total/Elf and TUI. On the cartel side, Jacques represented a car parts manufacturer in defense of a global cartel investigation in the European Union and the US and in various other jurisdictions, Total in the GFU gas cartel, Daiichi/ Sankyo in the vitamins case and Nippon Express in the freight forwarder case, as well as GEA and Kuhne & Nagel in French investigations.
As a litigator, Jacques has represented Nokia in the US and various other jurisdictions in connection with fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) litigation and Coca-Cola in the Court of Appeal in France among other clients. He has also acted for an intervening party in the Akzo case relating to legal privilege.
He served as chair of the International Bar Association’s section on business law from 2001 to 2003. He is a member of the board of the Sorbonne Law School.
Recognitions
- The Best Lawyers in France, 2021
- Acritas Stars 2020, listed among independently rated lawyers
- Chambers & Partners 2017, Competition/European Law-France
- The Legal 500 EMEA 2020, Competition Law-Belgium
- Who’s Who 2017, Leader, Competition
- Who’s Who Legal, M&A and Governance, 2019
Credentials
Education
University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, LLM (DESS), 1976
Hague Academy of International Law, 1976
University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas, JD, 1975
Institute of Comparative Law, Diploma of the Institute of Comparative Law, 1975
École Supérieure de Commerce de Paris (ESCP), MBA, 1974
Admissions
Brussels
Paris
Languages
English
French
