Regionale Märkte

Enterprises and investors with interests anywhere in Europe must comply with two levels of legal and regulatory challenges: those of the Member States in which they have operations and customers, and those of the European Union.

Operating at the heart of the EU, our Brussels team supports our global client base and provides sophisticated counsel in all aspects of competition and international trade law, including the following areas transaction counsel, merger control notification, state aid, public procurement, cartel investigations, technology licensing, pricing and distribution arrangements, EU and Member State litigation, arbitration and mediation, risk arbitrage, sector inquiries and agency complaints.

We are multi-legal, multinational and multilingual: we work closely with lawyers throughout the Firm, including practitioners in our strong Milan and Paris offices; our lawyers are of many different nationalities and speak—literally—the languages of our clients; and we are admitted to practice across Europe and the United States. As specific examples of our broad reach, we have dealt with merger control clearances in more than 30 jurisdictions around the world, and anti-dumping cases in more than 20 countries outside of Europe. This international perspective enables us to balance different viewpoints, identify the most effective approach to each matter, and foster a broad network of key legal, regulatory and industry contacts around the world.

Our Brussels team and individual lawyers are recognized consistently by publications such as Legal 500 EMEA 2015 for providing high-quality counsel on EU regulatory and trade matters. Chambers Europe 2015 praises our “strong reputation for multi-jurisdictional competition work” and our “close links with colleagues across Europe and in the USA.” The publication further recognizes our “long-standing experience” in anti-dumping cases and EU trade defense law, as well as our “additional strength” in EU export sanctions and WTO disputes.

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 110-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 us 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.

Areas of focus

Africa / Engery

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 the firm’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

Our 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.

Führende Unternehmen setzen auf McDermott Will & Schulte. Weil wir rechtliche Herausforderungen präzise lösen, unternehmerisch denken und messbar bessere Ergebnisse erzielen. Unsere Anwältinnen und Anwälte arbeiten datenbasiert, denken international vernetzt und bringen tiefes Branchenwissen mit – mit einem klaren Anspruch: Always Better. Wir bieten Full-Service-Rechtsberatung für Unternehmen jeder Größe, Finanzinstitute, die öffentliche Hand und Privatpersonen. Was uns auszeichnet: juristische Exzellenz, wirtschaftlicher Weitblick und ein klares Verständnis für die Herausforderungen unserer Mandanten. In Deutschland tief verankert, weltweit vernetzt – mit über 1.700 Anwältinnen und Anwälten an mehr als 20 Standorten.

For Italian-based companies and multinational corporations active in the local market, the firm provides effective, coordinated legal counsel on cross-border and domestic transactions and on a broad range of legal issues, including EU competition and government regulatory compliance, energy, tax, insurance, health, private equity and capital markets, banking and finance, intellectual property, real estate, restructuring and employment law, as well as litigation, arbitration and alternative dispute resolution.

Our clients include public and privately owned companies in many industries and of all sizes and geographic reach, from small and family-owned businesses to medium-sized companies and large multinational corporations. We emphasize the delivery of sophisticated, practical advice that combines high levels of legal knowledge with effective engagement management and seamless teamwork. We avoid a one-size-fits-all approach, preferring to focus our resources and attention on those areas where we believe we can serve clients best and add value to a transaction.

Our practice is local, regional and international. We help Italian clients expand their operations and investments outside national borders and work with international companies seeking to enter the Italian market. Our lawyers are highly experienced professionals capable of delivering legal services in English, German, French and Italian to better serve clients worldwide. No matter the size or scope of the engagement, we emphasize the development of longstanding client relationships that enable us to provide client-centered guidance well into the future.

Our practices and individual lawyers have been recognized by Chambers Europe, The Legal 500 EMEA, and other respected industry publications and ratings agencies for the quality, consistency, and creativity of our legal counsel.

As a nexus of international trade and finance, London is a focal point for businesses launching strategic initiatives and investments around the world. Parties to international commercial and financial transactions often choose English law and jurisdiction to govern deals and disputes.

From our office in the heart of the City, we offer broad-based legal services tailored to London’s role as an international centre. We are unique among US law firms in London, as virtually all of our lawyers are UK-qualified. Many of our clients’ businesses and interests are global in scope, and they rely on our ability to handle English law matters in Africa, Asia and other international markets. We also work seamlessly with the Firm’s European offices on pan-European matters.

We know that in today’s global market, you need innovative and actionable solutions to give you an edge. Our lawyers draw on deep experience to advise public and privately owned companies, financial institutions, trading houses, funds, and high-net-worth individuals and family offices on the full spectrum of law, including:

• Banking & Finance
• Corporate/M&A
• Dispute Resolution (Litigation and Arbitration)
• Energy
• Healthcare & Life sciences
• Labour & Employment
• Private Client & Wealth Management
• Private Equity
• Tax & Transfer Pricing

We are consistently recognised for our high-quality counsel and dedication to our clients. Legal directories and trade publications such as Chambers UK, The Legal 500 UK, IFLR1000 and Citywealth praise us for providing “responsive and pragmatic advice” and “solutions that work for business,” combined with a “sensitivity to cost issues.”

Corporate / mergers & acquisitions

A defined, dynamic M&A strategy is critical to stay competitive in the global marketplace. You need trusted counsel who know your business needs and your market realities. Our seasoned M&A lawyers represent a wide range of public and privately held businesses, from large multinational companies to venture-backed start-ups, as well as private equity funds, family offices and financial institutions. We conduct buy-side and sell-side due diligence and manage complex transactions with multijurisdictional components, all while drawing on our extensive knowledge of specific industry sectors and markets, as well as the commercial contexts in which our clients operate. We advise clients on public company takeovers, domestic and cross-border private company and assets transactions, regulatory analysis and execution, and competitive auction processes.

Dispute resolution

Our dispute resolution lawyers are always ready to roll up their sleeves and deliver the sound, practical legal strategies necessary for success in commercial and financial disputes and international arbitration across all sectors and geographies. Wherever you conduct business, we’ll be there to help. As trusted advisers to leading financial institutions, corporations, contractors, investors and family offices, we have deep knowledge of our clients’ industries, including finance, energy, insurance, commodities, shipping, construction and IT. We deliver commercially viable solutions to resolve contentious situations effectively and timely in jurisdictions around the world, including Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Our team is adept at handling cases both in court and through alternative resolution proceedings such as arbitration. Our wealth of experience encompasses a range of circumstances from insolvency, liquidation, contractual disputes and claims, to fraud, joint ventures and art theft.

Energy

Businesses across the energy sector rely on us for our ability to address the unique legal issues associated with operating in this highly specialised market. As part of a global team, we represent commodity traders, investment banks, hedge funds, energy companies and government agencies. We have extensive experience in upstream advice for oil and gas majors and independents, and advice in energy commodities trading, including structured deals involving power, gas, emissions, coal, metals, LNG and biomass, and all other commodities and downstream projects. Our experienced energy project lawyers advise on all aspects of financing, developing, off-taking and contracting for energy and infrastructure projects, while our corporate energy and trading lawyers represent clients in mergers, acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures and corporate restructurings. We have a long track-record advising clients in infrastructure projects such as new-build energy capacity, transmission lines and terminals, including all aspects of project documentation and financing, with a particular emphasis on conventional power and renewables.

Healthcare & life sciences

Today’s global healthcare marketplace is marked by unprecedented transformation and opportunity. Our market-leading team partners with stakeholders at the forefront of health innovation to foster the unique partnerships and ventures that are transforming healthcare today. We offer comprehensive service across a broad spectrum of business challenges, including corporate and commercial advice, M&A, private equity, finance, restructuring, employment law and tax. We serve as counsel to hospitals, nursing homes, health technology companies and agencies, as well as tech companies and other businesses looking to invest in health interests. We also counsel public healthcare institutions on procurement, regulatory and contractual matters. Our multidisciplinary offering encompasses digital health, healthcare litigation, life sciences, insurance, regulatory diligence and healthcare real estate.

Labour, employment & benefits

In today’s fast-paced marketplace, employers face challenges on every front. Our UK employment team partners with employers across a broad range of industries to identify the potential legal implications of workplace issues develop comprehensive programmes that will limit legal exposure, and provide effective representation in litigation. We offer practical advice at every step in the employment process, from recruiting and hiring through retention and training, to termination and retirement. Our lawyers have in-depth experience managing employers’ most sensitive and confidential employee relations issues, including guidance throughout disciplinary, grievance and sickness absence processes. The team is equally adept at handling employment and benefits issues that arise in the context of complex corporate transactions and business reorganisations, and European data privacy matters.

Private equity

Private equity firms face tremendous pressure to deploy capital, all in the current market of hypercompetition. Our lawyers are committed to helping sponsors and their portfolio companies tackle all types of private equity transactions, including buyouts, buy-ins and add-ons, restructurings, refinancings and exits. We work seamlessly with our European competition, regulatory, international dispute avoidance and resolution, intellectual property, media and technology, tax and employment practices to advise clients on how to maximise after-tax investment returns at all stages of fund formation, buyouts, and early- and late-stage investments.

Private client & wealth management

The concerns of today’s closely held business owners and high-net-worth individuals are global—both geographically and in the breadth of legal issues that require attention. Our award-winning London private client team works closely with the Firm’s global private client practice to represent high-net-worth individuals, multi-generational families, family offices, large closely held businesses, foundations, private trust companies, corporate trustees and special-purpose investment management entities worldwide. We regularly advise clients on cross-border tax, structuring and dispute resolution in the United Kingdom, United States, France, Switzerland and South Africa. We also have wide experience with structures in the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and other offshore financial centres, and partner with our clients to protect and minimise risks to their assets in those jurisdictions. Our lawyers stand ready to help you navigate the complex mix of individual, family and business concerns that arise in the context of estate, wealth transfer and business succession planning, international tax planning, creation and operation of private foundations and charitable organisations, and dispute avoidance and management.

Tax & transfer pricing

Taxpayers worldwide are facing increasing scrutiny of longstanding tax structures. Our highly ranked tax practice provides cutting-edge advice in all areas of taxation for major companies doing business in Europe and around the world. Combining our London lawyers’ talent and innovation with close working relationships with revenue authorities in Europe, the United States and throughout the world, we offer strategic European and international tax planning services, covering all direct and indirect taxes, and deliver innovative advice quickly and effectively. Major multinational enterprises rely on us to handle transfer pricing planning, advance pricing agreement (APA) and controversy matters, including controversy cases that other professional advisors have not been able to resolve. We routinely handle some of the largest transfer pricing cases around the world.

Business is local and global at once. No multinational entity is too large to be affected by state laws and municipal ordinances. Likewise, no individual, high-net-worth family or closely held company—no matter how focused its financial and business interests—is immune from international competition and geopolitical events.

With hundreds of lawyers located in business and financial centers across the United States, we provide clients with legal advisors who are as familiar with local and national laws and regulations as they are with domestic and global economic conditions and market forces. Our US lawyers are a core component of our integrated, international law firm and have recognized strength in tax, private equity, mergers and acquisitions, health care, high-stakes litigation, antitrust, intellectual property, international trade, labor and employment, wealth management, and many other key areas of transactional and regulatory law.

We provide industry-focused counsel to multinational companies, rising entrepreneurial firms, investors and capital providers, as well as many of the world’s wealthiest families and individuals. We emphasize and foster long-term relationships with business leaders and have developed an extensive network of professional colleagues and experienced outside advisors from many sectors. Taken together, these strengths help us deliver stellar legal and business results for our clients, time and time again.

Our US-based practice teams and individual lawyers have been recognized for the quality, consistency and creativity of our legal counsel by respected industry publications and ratings agencies such as Acritas, The American College of Tax Counsel, Benchmark Litigation, The Best Lawyers in America, BTI Consulting Group, Chambers Global, Chambers USA, Global Arbitration Review, Global Competition Review, IFLR1000 Financial and Corporate Guide, International Tax Review, The Legal 500, The National Law Journal and many more.