First Conviction of a Company on the Frounds of the French Duty of Care (Devoir de vigilance)
Overview
With more than 50 years of experience in the French market, we are the go-to firm for domestic companies, multinationals and financial institutions seeking first-class advice in tax, M&A and IT and communications matters. The quality of our work is reflected in the number of leading companies that seek our counsel, as well as the recognition we receive within the legal industry.
Our 170 lawyers cover every area of French and international law, including banking and finance, competition/distribution, employment law/expatriation, intellectual property, information technologies and communication, litigation and arbitration, mergers and acquisitions, public law and environment law, real estate and tax. Working across borders, practice areas and industries, we help clients solve their complex local and cross-border challenges and achieve their business objectives.
Offices
Paris
1 rue Paul Baudry75008 Paris
France
Since 1963, our Paris office has assisted clients with their national and international challenges, providing expertise in industries including aeronautics, automotive, chemicals, financial services, food, healthcare, hotels, resorts and tourism, information technology, and luxury goods and fashion.
Our Tax practice, one of the largest in France, advises clients on French and international corporate tax issues, transfer pricing, VAT, tax litigation, tax aspects of M&A and private equity deals, employee benefits and wealth management.
Our Mergers & Acquisitions lawyers partner with clients throughout each transaction phase, advising them on public and private mergers and acquisitions, private equity deals and corporate reorganizations on a national and multi-jurisdictional scale.
With extensive experience in complex financing work, our Banking & Finance practice advises French and international banks, sponsors and borrowers at every stage of their operations, from structuring transactions to completion.
As market leaders in IT & Communications law, we advise public and private clients on all technology, privacy and telecommunications matters, and maintain close relationships with French regulatory authorities. Our team of highly trained Intellectual Property lawyers help clients protect, manage and enforce their IP rights worldwide.
Our Public Law department advises on privatization, public sector restructuring, economic regulation of key sectors, and public business law (contracts, liability, public domain, zoning and environmental law). This team works closely with our Real Estate lawyers to gain input on the real estate law and tax aspects of these projects.
Our Dispute Resolution team represents clients in national and international business disputes before courts and arbitral tribunals, working with clients to develop the most appropriate litigation strategies.
Our Antitrust & Competition group advises clients on competition, distribution and consumer law in France and throughout Europe. Our assistance includes merger notifications, competition investigations and litigation before national and European authorities and courts.
Our Employment team assists clients in all areas of employment law, from upstream advice to protecting client interests in individual and collective disputes.
We also provide local and global advice in the following areas:
- Capital Markets
- Commercial Law
- Healthcare
- Hotels, Resorts & Tourism
- Philanthropy - Nonprofit entities
- Private Equity
If you are from France and are interested in the China and Asia markets, Baker McKenzie's Asia Desk would be happy to assist you in your projects.
Our Asia Desk is staffed by French lawyers based in Paris and in our Asia offices. The members of our group have a strong understanding of your business needs in Asia.
Our Asia Desk lawyers interact daily and in a fully integrated way with nearly 1,200 lawyers based in our 17 offices in Asia Pacific. Together, they advise a clientele of French clients, whether large corporate groups, medium-sized enterprises or investment funds, and high-net-worth individuals.
Our Asia Desk professionals work in the main areas of business law, such as mergers and acquisitions, corporate law, labor law, tax, commercial, competition, litigation, intellectual property, data and technology, public law and real estate. They specialize in cross-border operations and structuring.
Our French clients find in the Asia Desk a unique service platform to support them in their development in China and Asia.
Key contacts
Guillaume Nataf |
Nathalie Marchand Partner Paris |
Cecile Baume Partner Sydney |
Know more about our French Desk in Hong Kong
If you are interested in the German, Austrian, Luxembourg or Swiss markets or if you are from Germany, Austria, Luxembourg or Switzerland, Baker McKenzie's German Desk in Paris would be happy to assist you in your projects.
Our German Desk integrates German-speaking lawyers and lawyers used to work with German-speaking clients throughout Baker McKenzie to serve your global needs. The members of our group are have a strong understanding of your business practices and culture.
Our German Desk lawyers work on a day-to-day basis with our 250 lawyers based in Frankfurt, Munich, Dusseldorf and Berlin and our 170 lawyers based in Paris in a consistent and fully integrated way. Together, they advise a clientele of German, Austrian, Swiss and Luxembourg companies, whether large corporate groups, medium-sized enterprises or investment funds.
Our German Desk professionals work in the main areas of business law such as mergers and acquisitions, corporate law, labor law, tax, commercial, competition, litigation, IPTech, public law and real estate. They specialize in cross-border operations and structuring, in particular cross-border M&A transactions between France, Germany, Austria, Luxembourg and Switzerland, and are trained to draft and negotiate in French, German and English.
Our German, Austrian, Luxembourg and Swiss clients find in the German Desk a unique service platform to support them in their development in France, Europe and worldwide.
For Paris: Alain Sauty De Chalon Counsel Auriane Wessels |
For Frankfurt: Andrea Ziegler Christoph Wolf |
For Luxembourg: Laurent Fessmann |
World-Class Careers Opportunities
We provide lawyers with world-class opportunities to learn, develop and succeed. We focus on improving the leadership, business development and project management skills of our lawyers by providing programs to expand their experience.
View career opportunities in France
Visit our Global Careers page for more information
An Accompanied Professional Evolution
As an associate you’ll work on complex matters and deals, often collaborating with colleagues in our offices around the globe. You’ll also have direct contact with clients and will be encouraged to become autonomous and self-confident.
Associates can look forward to some unique opportunities, as we favor a culture that encourages knowledge sharing and our committed to career development.
We also offer a number of programs to associates during their development, including:
- Managerial, technical and methodological training sessions (local level)
- Annual regional meetings for each law practice (EMEA regional level)
- The New Joiner Course and New Partner Program (EMEA regional level)
Our associates will be given the chance to work at one of our foreign offices for a period of six months to two years as part of the Associate Training Program (ATP), exposing them to a wide range of clients and matters to enhance their on-the-job learning.
What We Look For
We offer internships in a variety of areas of law, welcoming candidates from the best universities and those with international experience. Our assessment process ensures associates’ are given the chance to achieve their potential and that their training needs are met. Associates will also hone core skills including researching, preparing draft consultations and participating in practice groups.
We are looking for associates with a CAPA (French Lawyer Diploma) and higher education experience in Business Law, candidates with a Master of Laws (LL.M) or Business school degrees. Candidates need to be fluent in our working language of English, while ability in other languages is desirable.
Recruitment process:
Candidates are given the opportunity to meet Partners, Counsels and associates to find out more about working at Baker McKenzie. Applications are reviewed by the Hiring Committee. If you are interested in any of our opportunities, send your resume with a cover letter to Karim Babaci, Recruitment Coordinator, at [email protected] or by mail:
Baker & McKenzie A.A.R.P.I.
Comité Recrutement
1 rue Paul Baudry
75008 Paris, France
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General
- 36 lawyers from Baker McKenzie in Paris are recognized as Best Lawyers in France, Best Lawyers, 2021
Banking & Finance
- Tier 3 - Legal 500 EMEA 2020
- Band 4 - Chambers and Partners Global, 2020
Competition
- « Incontournable » - Décideurs Stratégies Finance & Droit, 2020
- Tier 2 - Legal 500 EMEA 2020
- Band 3 - Chambers and Partners Europe 2020
Employment
- Band 3 - Chambers and Partners Europe, 2020
- Tier 3 - Legal 500 EMEA 2020
Environment
- Band 3 - Environnement - Chambers and Partners Europe, 2020
- Tier 3 - Legal 500 EMEA 2020
Information Technologies/Communications
- Band 1 - Chambers and Partners Europe, 2020
- Tier 1 - IT & Internet - Legal 500 EMEA 2020
- Tier 1 - Data Privacy and Data Protection - Legal 500 EMEA 2020
- Information Technology Law Firm of the Year 2020 - Best Lawyers
Intellectual Property
- Tier 1 - Legal 500 EMEA 2020
- Band 3 - Chambers and Partners Europe, 2020
Litigation
- Tier 4 - Legal 500 EMEA 2020
M&A/Private Equity
- Tier 2 - Fusions & Acquisitions - Legal 500 EMEA 2020
- Tier 2 - Private Equity/Venture - Growth Capital - Legal 500 EMEA 2020
- Band 4 - Chambers and Partners Europe 2020
Public Law
- Band 1 - Chambers and Partners Europe 2020
- Tier 2 - Legal 500 EMEA 2020
Real Estate
- Band 3 - Chambers and Partners Europe 2020
- Tier 2 - Legal 500 EMEA 2020
Tax
- Band 2 - Chambers and Partners Europe 2020
- Tax Firm of the Year - International Tax Review Awards 2020
- Tax Litigation and Disputes Practice Leader of the Year - Eric Meier - International Tax Review Awards 2020
- Impact Deal of the Year - International Tax Review Awards 2020
- Impact Case of the Year - International Tax Review Awards 2020
- Tier 1 - Legal 500 EMEA 2020
Diversity
We have signed the UN Women Empowerment Principles that guide businesses on how to empower women in the workplace, and participated in the Women's Forum 2016. We also organize regular events to promote gender equality and provide networking opportunities for women such as the Women Leaders' Confidences, a series of conferences featuring a woman embodying leadership. We also sponsored the first Women Lawyers Forum and hosted an exhibition entitled "OFF the Wall" to showcase the work of six female photographers.
Pro Bono & Community Service
Our recent pro bono activities include partnering with Amazon on preparing legal research papers on the rights of child migrants for Save the Children and performing volunteer work at Autremonde, an association combating social exclusion. We also advised artist Gunter Demnig's foundation on his Stolpersteine project to remember victims of National Socialism by installing brass plaques in the pavement in front of their last known addresses. So far more than 50,000 of these plaques have been installed in 18 countries throughout Europe, including France.
Sustainability
We recycle 80% of the paper used by our Paris office through a partnership with Tri-Ethnic, a company dedicated to social inclusion and sustainability. We also recycle glass, cans and plastic. In 2013, our Paris office signed a green lease that includes energy savings considerations and initiatives to reduce our future energy consumption.
Key Contacts
-
Managing Partner
Eric Lasry
Partner- Paris
+ 33 1 44 17 53 65 Email -
Banking & Finance
Michael Foundethakis
Partner- Paris
+ 33 1 44 17 53 40 Email -
Competition/Distribution
Léna Sersiron
Partner- Paris
+ 33 1 44 17 75 49 Email -
Employment/Expatriation
Olivier Vasset
Partner- Paris
+ 33 1 44 17 53 32 Email -
Information Technology & Communications
Rémy Bricard
Partner- Paris
+ 33 1 44 17 53 11 Email -
Intellectual Property
Virginie Ulmann
Partner- Paris
+ 33 1 44 17 53 30 Email -
Litigation/Arbitration
Katia Boneva-Desmicht
Partner- Paris
+ 33 1 44 17 64 65 Email -
Mergers & Acquisitions
Stéphane Davin
Partner- Paris
+ 33 1 44 17 53 24 Email -
Public Law/Environmental Law
Arnaud Cabanes
Partner- Paris
+ 33 1 44 17 53 62 Email -
Real Estate
Marc Mariani
Partner- Paris
+ 33 1 44 17 75 25 Email -
Tax
Veronique Millischer
Partner- Paris
+ 33 1 44 17 53 26 Email