Pierre-Emmanuel Fender is a French qualified partner in the Paris office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Mr. Fender serves as a member of the firm’s Litigation and Business Restructuring Practice Groups.

Mr. Fender specializes in complex cross-border restructurings and French pre-insolvency and insolvency matters. Mr. Fender regularly advises investors on the management or acquisition of defaulting entities, distressed companies undergoing insolvency proceedings, and creditors—including banks and CLOs—for the recovery of their receivables and the protection of their securities.

Mr. Fender’s core litigation practice covers disputes in relation to restructurings, including collective labor disputes in relation to restructurings, as well as general litigation—from product liability issues to claims brought in relation to breach of competition law.

Mr. Fender has notably been involved in the insolvency of Nortel, Energyplast, Smoby, Mecachrome, Atari, Air Liberté, Cidou, Heuliez, Krief Group, Ascometal, Gerard Darel, Lfoundry, TP Ferro, FLY-Atlas-Crozatier, Groupe Bernard Tapie, William Saurin and, more recently, Doux, Modacin (Camaïeu) and Rallye (holding of Casino).

Chambers Europe 2020 recommends Pierre-Emmanuel Fender in its Restructuring/Insolvency category. Clients report that he has a “very practical approach,” adding that he is “very good in anticipating issues and has a good grasp of the situation in negotiations.” Legal 500 EMEA 2020 also recommends him for Insolvency (Band 1) as a “key contact”. Previous editions referred to him as one of the practice’s “key names” and called him a “rainmaker”. The directory also ranks him in its Dispute resolution – commercial litigation category (Band 2), reporting : “Pierre-Emmanuel Fender has excellent technique, is rigorous and provides a strategic outlook over cases” and previously describing him as an “excellent litigator”. Best Lawyers in France (2020-2021) also recommends him for Litigation as well as Insolvency and reorganization law.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn in 2017, he practiced with Ashurst from 2002.  He previously practiced with Landwell & Associés, Arthur Andersen International, and HSD Ernst & Young.

Admitted to the Paris Bar, Mr. Fender graduated in 2000 from the University of Strasbourg III Robert Schumann, with a DESS (postgraduate degree) in business law and a DJCE Magistère (postgraduate degree) in Franco-German business law; and with a Maîtrise (LLM) in business law. In May 2016, he published an article titled, “Prévention des difficultés des entreprises: le banquier et le pouvoir de dire non … sans limite?” in Le Monde du Droit. He is also an occasional speaker at Strasbourg University where he delivers a training and workshop session on French restructuring to DJCE students.

He speaks French and English fluently.