Litigation: Elite - France
What the team is known for
Cleary Gottlieb's commercial litigation practice acts in contractual disputes, competition litigation and shareholder disputes. The law firm advises high-profile corporate clients from a variety of sectors, including banking, media and healthcare. The practice offers additional expertise in cross-border litigation, and clients benefit from the firm's network of offices in the USA and several European countries.
Strengths
"We have a good relationship with the Cleary team. The lawyers are very competent, with fluid communication and expertise in this area of law."
"The lawyers are incredible in teamwork. They are the kind of people who can easily handle any type of case. They are team players who have great communication skills and can collaborate with anyone."
"I think the firm's responsiveness is really good but also the team gives very clear and business-friendly advice which goes beyond the legal aspect of the case."
"Cleary are able to intervene in complex cases and mobilise the necessary resources."
Work highlights
Cleary Gottlieb represented SARPI in interim proceedings brought by Lafarge Ciments relating to the sale of SARPI’s stake to Nouveau Suez.
Notable practitioners
Jean-Yves Garaud remains a leading authority in the French litigation market, advising domestic and international corporates on a wide spectrum of disputes, including damage claims as well as shareholders' and contractual disputes. "Jean-Yves Garaud is a phenomenal lawyer. He is absolutely excellent and a pleasure to work with." "He is very strong in understanding how to develop a defence strategy, not only legally; he can also seek relevant information from across jurisdictions." "High-quality and strategic, Jean-Yves Garaud is very easy to work with. He is one of the best in the market."
Delphine Michot joins the rankings in recognition of her diverse litigation practice, which includes unfair competition, post-M&A and insolvency-related matters. "Delphine is excellent at what she does. She is so good at explaining the French market and giving context to the case. She can explain the case so well and provides the best strategy, keeping the clients confident." "Delphine is very creative - the French system is not as clear or black and white, but she is excellent at coming up with better solutions for us to succeed." "She is competent, efficient and provides relevant and operational advice."
