Alumni stories from Paris

AG alumnus Jack Cooper shares how a move in-house to a fast-growing Paris-based tech business has reshaped his role as a lawyer. He shares some of the interesting trends he is seeing in the tech space at the moment and highlights the importance of staying connected to the AG alumni network. 

What drew you to move in-house with a tech start-up and to relocate to Paris, and what excites you most about the role? 

After qualifying as an Avocat in France, one of my key professional objectives was to gain hands-on experience of a market-leading French business. I wanted to understand where the differences were and how this impacted how I needed to work as a legal advisor. This was an opportunity to do just that! 

How did your time at AG prepare you for the pace and demands of this environment? 

AG supported my cross-qualification in French law, so that certainly plays a big part in my day-to-day role! Aside from that, the biggest skill that AG taught me was the importance of constructing a well-functioning team. I was fortunate enough to be part of a really fantastic team during my time at AG, and this taught me that if you have that in place, high-performing legal functions will follow.

What are the most interesting trends you’re seeing in the tech space at the moment? 

Tech and AI are increasingly becoming part of geopolitical discussions and are considered part of national security in extreme cases. Personally, I have never seen such a rapid shift in regulation in a particular area of law, and with this has come a great deal of uncertainty. This is creating a lot of interesting discussions in the context of contractual negotiations and how we manage risk as a business. 

How does the role of a lawyer differ in-house compared to private practice? 

The key word is prioritisation. In private practice, the focus is to provide the most complete analysis possible to enable decision-making with our clients. When in-house, the big distinction is that you are part of the decision-making. High-growth businesses have many competing needs, so you need to be able to identify what takes priority and base your legal analysis on that foundation.

How important is it for you to stay connected to the alumni network? 

Professional networks matter for in-house roles. The alumni network enables you to have this at-hand and gives you a feeling of being part of a wider support structure. 

What advice would you give to lawyers considering a move into tech? 

Legal analysis is becoming increasingly detailed and regulation-driven. This is coming at the same time as a great deal of uncertainty within the markets and the development of tech itself. The best piece of advice I can give is to try and understand what the revenue drivers are and how legal processes can map onto the user experience of your product. This will allow you to reduce the friction that can arise from incorporating the complex legal environment into your business' practices.

Aymar de Fleurieu, now Senior Legal Manager at Ocean Winds, shares his perspective on working at the forefront of France’s booming offshore wind sector. He also reflects on his time in AG’s Paris office, where the strong team culture has helped to shape his approach. 

What attracted you to your new role and what excites you most about this next chapter? 

It was mainly a combination of timing, sector and scope. Offshore wind is booming and its legal framework is still evolving. That makes the legal role particularly interesting and impactful on a day-to-day basis in project companies like Ocean Winds.

It’s also exciting to be at the heart of the energy transition and to join at such a key moment in France: the third multi-year energy programme (PPE3) was just finalised in February and it's leaving significant room for offshore wind, with major tenders on the horizon.

On a more personal note, after eight years in private practice, I was very keen to move closer to the projects themselves. I feel that this role gives me exactly that, with a strong international dimension and the opportunity to work on cross-border projects in a truly global industry. It also felt like the right step up for me, moving into a managerial role.

What does the Paris office mean to you, and do you have a standout memory from your time here?

Very simply: the people. The people in the Paris office always felt like a real team: extremely professional and talented, but also genuinely friendly and open. For me, it’s something that really reflected AG’s culture.

A standout memory would definitely be the Disputes Away Day in Dublin in March 2026. Although I was about to leave AG, it was a great moment to reconnect, meet colleagues from other offices (especially newer teams like Warsaw and Madrid), and really see the diversity of personalities and strengths that make this firm what it is. I remember it left me with a very strong sense of where AG is heading!

What are you most looking forward to in the next 12–18 months in your new role?

At this stage (only a month in!), it’s really about learning as much as possible. Discovering OW's business in depth, understanding how our legal teams fit within the broader decision-making process, and just interacting more closely with non-legal teams, which is something I’m really enjoying (and that I already enjoyed when working on international arbitration matters!).

I also cannot wait to grow in the managerial side of the role, getting to know my team better, and developing a more hands-on, business-oriented approach to legal work. It's still practising law, but just in a different way, in a different environment, and with different people - which makes it a truly thrilling change (even if slightly daunting at times!). 

Any advice you would give to lawyers considering a move in-house, particularly into the energy sector?

From my (still quite recent!) experience, I’d say: go for it if you’re even slightly curious.

What I’ve really enjoyed so far is the shift from advising from the outside to being part of the project: you’re not just analysing risks, you’re helping move things forward in a very concrete way. That's both challenging and very rewarding.

The learning curve in energy - especially offshore wind - is quite steep at the beginning, but that’s also what makes it so exciting. You’re constantly discovering new things, and you quickly get up to speed just by being immersed in it. It's intense but incredibly stimulating!

Overall, if you like the idea of being closer to the action and seeing how projects actually come to life, it’s a fantastic move. So don't be afraid of the change!