Addleshaw Goddard marks five years in Paris

Addleshaw Goddard (AG), the international law firm, is celebrating the fifth anniversary of the opening of its Paris office, marking a period of sustained growth and an increasingly prominent presence in one of Europe’s key markets.

Since its launch in 2021, Addleshaw Goddard’s Paris office has seen its partner numbers almost triple, most recently welcoming employment partner Jérémie Paubel from Baker McKenzie earlier this month. Over the same period, the firm has significantly expanded its international footprint and full-service offering, opening nine new offices in Dublin, Luxembourg, Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Riyadh, Madrid, Warsaw and Abu Dhabi. It now operates from 21 offices across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Working closely with colleagues across the firm’s international network, the Paris team advises French and global clients on complex, high value mandates and has built recognised strength across finance, M&A, real estate, commercial disputes, international arbitration, white collar crime, public law, competition, IP/IT and data protection, employment and insolvency/restructuring.

The last five years have been an exciting period for our Paris team. We’ve grown significantly in that time, building a strong reputation in the market for our work on cross border M&A, finance, disputes, real estate transactions and wider commercial matters.

Julien Bacus

Partner and Head of the Paris Office

Addleshaw Goddard

During the past five years, the Paris office has advised on a range of significant matters, including financing and real estate work for Kai Yuan Holdings in connection with the Marriott Champs Élysées hotel; major refinancing transactions for Rémy Cointreau; renewable energy acquisitions for Engie Green France; advising HarperCollins, one of the world’s largest publishing companies, on its acquisition from Sony of the manga publishing business distributed under the Crunchyroll brand; competition and regulatory investigations for Rexel, a global distributor of electrical supplies and services; and advising MUFG, a leading global financial group and international bank.

The anniversary marks the firm establishment of AG in Paris under the leadership of recently appointed Head of Office, Julien Bacus. Ranked in the Legal 500 ‘Hall of Fame’ for his finance expertise, Julien assumed the role last year, strengthening Addleshaw Goddard’s cross-border integration as a member of the firm’s Board and co-Head of its Investment Banking practice. Julien is also a University Professor associated at Le Mans University (Professeur des Universités associé) where he teaches financial and corporate law.

Julien Bacus, Partner and Head of the Paris Office at Addleshaw Goddard, comments:

“Our progress reflects the quality and commitment of the team here in Paris, as well as our close collaboration we have with lawyers across our international network of offices. I’d like to thank everyone who has been part of this journey as we look forward to the next phase of our growth.”

Andrew Johnston, Managing Partner of Addleshaw Goddard, adds:

“Paris is a strategically important market for Addleshaw Goddard. The development of the office since 2021 reflects both the strength of client demand for our international, cross border capabilities and the important role Paris plays in our AG2030 growth strategy. It is a key part of how we support French and international clients across our core practice areas.

Looking ahead, Addleshaw Goddard will continue investing in talent to grow its Paris team and focus on delivering market leading legal advice.”