Paris

Launched in 1995, Dechert Paris is a key player in the firm's expanding European and global network. Our business and industry-focused team in Paris includes more than 60 lawyers, including several who joined us from Coudert Brothers in 2005. Most of our lawyers are business school graduates, and are trained in French as well as U.S. or UK law. Our clients include French, and foreign, multinationals that operate in sectors including pharmaceuticals, construction, heavy industry and telecommunications. They rely on us for our knowledge and skill across practice areas, and our particular expertise in mergers and acquisitions, private equity, international arbitration and complex litigation, financial services, tax law, employment law and intellectual property.

We focus on:

• Mergers and acquisitions
• International arbitration and dispute resolution
• Financial services
• Employment
• Tax
• Intellectual property

Offering a deep knowledge of key industry segments and working in international teams, Dechert’s Paris lawyers provide clients with a distinct competitive advantage that blends a strong French legal practice with the experience of working across jurisdictions and cultures to accomplish our clients’ objectives. Our clients value our responsiveness, in-depth market knowledge and tireless dedication to achieving their commercial objectives.

Corporate and Securities

Dechert’s corporate and securities team of more than 25 lawyers structures and negotiates cross-border mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and financings. We work with both corporate and financial investors, including private equity and venture capital firms, on stock and asset sales and transfers, auction strategies, investments in portfolio companies, refinancings and restructurings, and exit strategies that maximize the return on their investments.

Our finance lawyers focus on structured finance and securitization, acquisition finance, securities regulations, banking and other international financial transactions.

One hallmark of our team is an in-depth knowledge of the pharmaceutical/life sciences industry, including the all-important regulatory framework that underlies transactions. We also have extensive experience advising multinational companies investing in emerging markets, mostly in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution

Our international arbitration lawyers act both as counsel and arbitrators, and they have extensive experience in commercial and investment disputes before such forums as the International Chamber of Commerce, the London Court of International Arbitration and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes. We also help resolve disputes involving sovereign states and the energy, construction, defense and telecommunications industries.

Dechert’s skilled litigators also represent parties in complex commercial disputes, such as those involving post-acquisition issues, product liability and industrial risk, with a particular focus on the pharmaceutical, medical device and healthcare industries.

Financial Services and Asset Management

Our Paris lawyers are part of the firm’s highly regarded international financial services practice. We advise sponsors, principals of private investment and private equity funds, and institutional investors with services ranging from fund formation to new product development and regulatory compliance.

In addition, we handle corporate matters related to the entire life cycle of investment funds and asset management, from secondary transactions to fund reviews and transactions for management companies.

Employment

Employment laws are an important consideration in virtually every major business decision and transaction in France. Our lawyers work with clients to achieve their business objectives in compliance with those laws. We counsel on ways to increase workplace efficiency, improve employee relations and avoid litigation.

Our team also represents corporations in disputes and inquiries related to employment practices in France.

Tax

Our multidisciplinary tax team finds creative solutions to the most complex tax issues. Our lawyers focus on mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, transfer-pricing policies and practices, management of intangible assets, development of intra-group cost-sharing agreements and representation of clients in tax audits and tax litigation.

Intellectual Property

The intellectual property team in Dechert’s Paris office regularly protects clients’ interests in France and throughout the world, devising strategies to enhance market position and protect clients from infringement and unfair competition as well as from actions for revocation of their IP rights. We help resolve national, pan-European and international patent litigation as well as devise offensive and defensive strategies, in diverse industries including pharmaceutical, chemical, energy, electronics, IT & telecoms, agribusiness and construction.

We have a record of achieving favorable results for our clients by systematically favoring alternative dispute resolution, whether in pre-litigation or litigation phase, and use a pragmatic and commercial approach when handling cases. Dechert’s Paris IP team also works hand in hand with our clients from the outset to structure and negotiate IP agreements that strengthen their bottom lines.

Dechert Paris is also a leader in the life sciences field, and has earned plaudits for its work in this area from Chambers, Legal 500, Practical Law Company, and Décideurs Stratégie Finance Droit. Clients hail from all aspects of the life sciences industry, including biotechnology, bio-informatics, drug discovery, genomics, biopharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and pharmaceutical and medical device companies.