In 1967, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher decided to widen its expansion outside the U.S. and established its first international office in Paris. Today, our Paris office consists of a dynamic team of lawyers who are either dual or triple-qualified, having trained in both France and abroad.
Accolades
Our Paris office is recommended for Corporate and Commercial, M&A, Capital Markets and Administrative and Public Law by European Legal 500. The same publication recommendeds a number of our lawyers for Corporate/M&A, Private Equity and Tax. Chambers and Partner's Global Guide to the World's Leading Lawyers 2008 and Practical Law Company's Which Lawyer? also recommends our lawyers in the fields of Corporate/M&A, Private Equity and Tax. A French publication, "Le Guide des Cabinets d'Avocats d'Affaires" by Caura Barszcz, has described Gibson Dunn as a "firm going places and worth knowing... one of our favorites". The same publication (4th edition) most recently described Gibson Dunn as a "Haute Couture law firm, which explains its appeal to both lawyers and clients".
Corporate/M&A/Private Equity
Our Paris office specializes primarily in complex corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, asset and investment management, public offerings, and financing. We represent many multinational firms in both domestic and cross-border, and both public and private transactions, including acquisitions of distressed companies.
Our long-term presence in Europe has given us considerable experience in representing clients with international business interests that require a coordinated response across borders. Our lawyers are distinctively positioned to offer the highest-quality legal advice to corporations considering activities in France. Our role is not only to advise on French legal issues but also to assist clients in familiarizing themselves with the French business community and ways of doing business in France. Our approach ensures that we meet the goals of our clients using the means available under French law.
Our Paris lawyers offer innovative solutions to unprecedented challenges faced by high-profile clients. We represented a major investment fund in the first ever ousting in France by minority shareholders of the incumbent board of directors of a listed company during an annual shareholders' assembly. This landmark event was described by the Financial Times as "another triumph in the battle for shareholder democracy in France."
Public Law
Our public law practice has considerable experience in advising on privatizations, public-private partnerships, regulatory law and complex transactions. We have extensive experience representing and assisting the French State, governmental bodies and state-owned and private entities in their development, the management of their regulatory environment, and their administrative and arbitration proceedings.
Tax
Our Paris office tax team advises domestic and international corporate clients and investment funds on the tax structuring of French and international corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, private equity/venture capital and structured finance transactions. The team has significant experience in advising corporate clients and investment funds investing in real estate or hotels in France and has particular expertise with regard to the French equivalent of the REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) regime.
Real Estate
Our Paris-based lawyers have regularly assisted clients in relation to the acquisition or disposition of real estate assets located in France involving extensive due diligence, urban planning and tax structuring. Our Paris lawyers also regularly give advice regarding the leasing of industrial, office, retail and commercial space and telecommunications sites.
Litigation
Our Paris team plays an active role in guiding clients in the strategic management of significant litigation matters.
Labor and Employment
Our Paris lawyers also represent corporations in developing and negotiating executive and employment agreements and in the management of their contractual and labor law issues.
For more information, please contact Bernard Grinspan, the Partner-in-Charge of our Paris office, at +33 1 56 43 13 00.