France is a key player on the global stage—economically, politically and culturally. It offers ample opportunities for both national and international businesses to innovate, expand and pursue their business vision. Whether you are seeking to strengthen your position in France or around the world, we are here to help.
We know that you face myriad challenges every day, which is why our purpose-built teams of multilingual lawyers deliver sophisticated yet practical advice to help you achieve your goals. Our 80-lawyer Paris team offers cross-disciplinary counsel in all key areas of law, including corporate transactions, EU competition, finance, labor and employment, litigation and dispute resolution, private equity, public law, tax and intellectual property. We partner with some of the region’s best-known companies as well as multinational investors, corporates and financial institutions seeking to enter the French marketplace.
Whatever industry your business operates in, we draw on our extensive sector knowledge to offer the legal insights you need to succeed. Our lawyers offer particularly deep experience in fields such as life sciences, construction and engineering, distribution, energy, oil and gas, telecommunications and transportation. We guide privately held, publicly traded and state-owned enterprises through the laws and regulations governing foreign investments in France, and deploy our thorough understanding of global business practices to negotiate common ground and close deals quickly.
Over the last ten years we have been privileged to fuel the missions of key market players in France; breaking down barriers to client success. Our thanks to our clients for your continued trust, and to our alumni for your continued engagement as we celebrate our ten year anniversary in Paris.
Year after year, respected industry publications and ratings agencies highlight the quality, consistency and creativity of our legal counsel. Global Competition Review has repeatedly included our Antitrust & Competition Practice Group among the top 20 firms on its GCR 100 Global Elite list, and M&A Today named McDermott the 2015 Law Firm of the Year – Employment & Labour – France. Chambers Global, Chambers Europe, The Legal 500 EMEA, Décideurs Stratégie Finance Droit, Décideurs Juridiques, Option Droit & Affaires, Magazine des Affaires and the IFLR1000 Financial and Corporate Guide regularly include us in their listings of top practices in the French and global markets.
RELATED CAPABILITIES
AFRICA / ENERGY
When pursuing a strategic project or transaction in Africa, access to deep region- and sector-specific knowledge is vital for success. Our industry-leading team has helped companies tackle their most important initiatives across the continent for more than 30 years. We have extensive experience in the fields of energy, mining, climate change, telecommunications and transportation. We are also involved in matters relating to corporate/M&A, privatizations, sector restructuring, project and structured finance, public works and infrastructure. Our team partners with you to deliver high-quality, on-point legal advice and services at each stage of your investment project.
BANKING & FINANCE
Strategic financing selection is the foundation of a company’s business strategy. Our team advises clients on a wide range of finance transactions, from acquisition finance and working capital loans, to equity and debt securities issuances, including convertible and eurobond issues, euro-commercial paper and medium term notes. We also counsel clients on the refinancing or restructuring of debt and the rescheduling of defaulted bonds. Our lawyers have played a key role in the negotiation, documentation and closing of credit-linked note issuances, asset-backed commercial paper transactions, exchange-traded fund transactions, credit derivatives and various types of securitizations.
DISPUTE RESOLUTION
Our dispute resolution team represents multinational and national corporations in business disputes before the French courts. Our litigators work closely with our antitrust and competition, corporate, employment, intellectual property and tax lawyers to meet the needs of public and privately held companies in all types of civil, criminal and administrative matters. We also provide international trade advice and deploy our extensive experience in the enforcement of foreign judgments and awards in France.
EU COMPETITION
Our Paris office plays an integral role in McDermott’s industry-leading global Antitrust & Competition Practice Group. Our lawyers work with their colleagues across the United States and Europe to advise clients on the full range of competition issues. We provide seamless, sophisticated EU and national competition advice, and effective, results-oriented representation before the European Commission, other EU institutions and national competition authorities. In addition to our knowledge of European and national regulatory frameworks, we have a deep understanding of the industries in which our clients operate.
GLOBAL PRIVACY AND CYBERSECURITY
McDermott’s world-class Global Privacy and Cybersecurity team advises clients on the statutory, regulatory and enforcement regimes that govern the collection, use and disclosure of data in France, Europe and globally.
We have extensive experience advising on the full range of data privacy and protection laws, industry standards and issues. Our lawyers regularly counsel clients on national and international data-use issues, data transfers, and privacy compliance. We conduct data protection impact assessment (DPIA), in-depth privacy/cybersecurity risk assessments, often in the context of mergers, acquisitions and other domestic and cross-border transactions.
In the event of data breaches or alleged improper use of data, we provide swift, effective cybersecurity incident response and represent clients in litigation and government investigations. Our practice includes lawyers with deep experience in health care data privacy and related litigation.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
We know that your intellectual property is often your most valuable asset, and we stand ready to help you protect it. Our lawyers advise French and foreign companies across a wide variety of sectors, including chemicals, energy, fashion, food processing, media, perfume, pharmaceuticals and technology, on all IP-related matters.
We serve as dedicated advisors—and litigators when necessary—in protecting, exploiting and defending your intellectual property rights, including trademarks, patents, know-how, authors’ rights, designs and models. We also have significant experience in matters of unfair competition and parasitism, and advise on issues of misleading advertising, comparative advertising and image rights. We have a long track record of success in mediation in intellectual property matters before the Centre for Mediation and Arbitration of Paris (CMAP).
LABOR, EMPLOYMENT & BENEFITS
In the context of national and transnational commercial and corporate transactions and international trade, employers inevitably face legal, business and regulatory issues related to attracting, hiring and retaining talent. Our Paris-based lawyers conduct due diligence investigations and audits, and provide advice on employment contracts and separation agreements, restructuring plans, reductions in force, workplace policies and other employment-related best practices. We also represent clients in ongoing matters, including terminations, discrimination, harassment, breaches of restrictive covenants, union negotiations, strikes and other collective conflicts.
LIFE SCIENCES
Whether you’re a cutting-edge medical device start-up or a global biopharma leader, we know it’s mission that drives you. Our industry-leading life sciences lawyers deliver innovative, fully integrated legal services to clients in the pharmaceutical, medical device and related health care industries. We partner with French, European and US life sciences companies in relation to acquisitions and divestitures, outsourcing projects, product development, cooperation and licensing agreements, regulatory issues, and general corporate and commercial law matters.
MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS
A defined, dynamic M&A strategy is critical to stay competitive in the global marketplace. Our corporate transactional lawyers, in collaboration with our colleagues across the United States and Europe, have successfully negotiated and closed myriad domestic and cross-border deals in France on behalf of businesses worldwide.
Our corporate lawyers provide end-to-end advice on mergers and acquisitions, including transactions involving distressed assets and those that require in-depth knowledge of corporate restructuring and bankruptcy law. We represent clients in a wide range of industry sectors, including energy, tourism and telecommunications.
PRIVATE EQUITY
In today’s hyper-competitive market, private equity firms face tremendous pressure—and abundant opportunity. We advise a diverse range of private equity funds, with a focus on funds active in the middle market. We are at our best when we work with clients as a business partner—in many cases, we lead the initial acquisition, then serve as trusted advisors for the portfolio company’s ongoing business activities, potential future add-on acquisitions and eventual disposition. We work closely with lawyers across the Firm’s core practice groups to address day-to-day operational and tactical matters; ensure compliance with French, EU and international regulations; and respond to other strategic business and financial questions. We counsel clients on all aspects of private equity transactional activity, including buyouts that create new platforms, recapitalizations, investments for growth, non-control and minority positions, distressed acquisitions, exit strategies and initial public offerings.
PUBLIC LAW
Our team advises both private entities and public bodies, including local governments and semi-publicly owned companies, on all aspects of public law, including administrative and regulatory law, competition law and constitutional law. We are deeply familiar with the challenges facing businesses operating in highly regulated industries, such as telecommunications, aerospace, energy, and oil and gas, and combine our extensive experience with nimble problem solving to offer fully realized solutions. We regularly represent clients:
- Before administrative and commercial courts
- Before EU and French competition and other regulatory authorities
- In dealings with the French government
- In litigation matters
Our team is highly regarded for the negotiation, completion and performance of public contracts, as well as the management of the public domain and civil servants.
RESTRUCTURING
Whether you are facing a business restructuring or insolvency proceeding—or are on the opposite end of the transaction and are considering acquiring distressed assets—we are here to help. Our team advises on the full range of financial and industrial restructuring cases, and assists debtors, buyers, creditors and shareholders within France and internationally.
We support distressed companies in assessing the situation and identifying appropriate countermeasures, whether in the form of preventive procedures, such as ad hoc mandate or conciliation, or collective proceedings, including safeguarding, receivership and judicial liquidation. Our lawyers guide clients through the procedure, acting as medium with judicial and supervisory authorities, and provide constant support, from commencement of restructuring operations, to negotiation with the principal creditors, through to the intervention of investors or purchasers. We also assist in drafting conciliation agreements, safeguarding plans and continuation plans.
We regularly advise private equity funds and industrial companies on the takeover of distressed companies. Our lawyers’ diverse skill-set allows us to intervene in the drafting of financial documentation and deeded agreements, as well as in all litigation ancillary to collective proceedings.
TAX
Amid increasing competition, legislative ambiguity and ever-shifting business models, tax strategy is more critical than ever. Our team of thought leaders go beyond technical requirements, adding a deep understanding of your company and your specific market dynamics. We advise French and international corporations, private equity houses, asset managers, entrepreneurs, investment banks and sovereigns on the full range of French and international tax issues, including matters arising in relation to corporate restructurings, mergers and acquisitions, and the creation of joint ventures. Our team provides ongoing guidance to multinational companies on the organization and operations of their tax departments, helps identify potential tax risks, and develops effective strategies to reduce the impact of taxation rates. Our lawyers are thoroughly versed in French and international tax law, as well as accounting and finance matters.
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