Ormen Passemard – ORPA Legal

FIRM DETAILS 

Managing Partners: Pascal Ormen, Remi Passemard
Number of partners: 2
Number of lawyers: 10
Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish
Location: Paris, France

FIRM OVERVIEW
Since 2004, Ormen Passemard ORPA Legal has been recognized as a leading law firm by its clients who praise for its ability to handle large, complex matters, including mass litigation. The partners have developed specific, complementary and in-depth knowledge in high-stakes litigation areas, particularly in insurance, reinsurance, construction, financial lines, industrial risks, product liability and cyber risks. The firm has built an esteemed niche practice, both in France and abroad.

MAIN AREAS OF PRACTICE 

• Litigation
• Insurance & Reinsurance
• Insurance Regulatory
• Construction
• General liability
• Product liability
• Directors & officers' liability
• Financial lines
• Industrial risks
• Banking
• Due Diligence
• Cyber-risks

LITIGATION:
ORPA Legal acts in a wide range of commercial cases, whether in proceedings on the merits, in applications for urgent interim relief, in arbitration and mediation or in complex, court-ordered expert investigations. Areas of practice include enforcement of warranties and indemnities granted on the sale of a company; performance of commercial contracts; termination of business relationships, tort and contract liabilities.

INSURANCE & REINSURANCE:
ORPA Legal has a strong reputation in insurance law and a great expertise in all areas of the insurance industry, including reinsurance. Its extensive experience ranges from coverage disputes (application of coverage over time, exclusions, forfeiture, etc.) to subrogation actions. Relevant areas also include casualty and PI claims; property; life insurance; bond and credit insurance; cyber-risks; contamination.

ORPA Legal have been advising a leading French Insurance Group in their proceedings related to business interruption coverage post COVID-19.

INSURANCE REGULATORY:
The firm regularly provides assistance on licensing requirements, on policy wordings & distribution (especially on Insurance Distribution Directive of 20/01/2016 - IDD) and advice on insurance issues raised during Mergers and Acquisitions. It assists foreign insurance companies on their collateral tailored for the French market.

ORPA Legal have been advising a major French provider of mobile phones in structuring an insurance programme covering mobile damages and theft.

CONSTRUCTION:
ORPA Legal acts in a multitude of construction law cases (e.g. enforcement of builders’ warranties, building defects; completion bonds, compliance with contract specifications and building permits, construction of major public facilities, etc.)

On-going matters include , the defense of an international technical consultancy firm’s liability, the management of a foreign insurance company litigations cases in France and also, an investigation following the destruction of a supporting beam during a renovation project.

GENERAL LIABILITY:
ORPA Legal handles major product liability cases, with specific experience in consumer, pharmaceutical, chemical and electronic products, in parts suppliers and car manufacturers.

ORPA Legal represents a company specialized in home appliances in expertise investigations and litigations about the quality of its products.

FINANCIAL LINES:
ORPA Legal is appointed by French or foreign insurers as monitoring, coverage or defense counsel in connection with losses pending before French or foreign jurisdictions (D&O, EPL, IPO, crime and fraud, transaction risk insurance, FI).

ORPA Legal is representing a D&O insurer in various coverage litigations arising from liability claims before English courts against directors of a listed company (amount at stake over €100m)

INDUSTRIAL RISKS:
ORPA Legal intervenes in crisis situations during major industrial accidents, to preserve the rights of its clients and assists them in expert investigations and legal proceedings for recovering compensation or defending their interests and reputation. Areas of practice include energy facilities (power stations, offshore oil platforms), large-scale construction projects (airports, malls, industrial facilities), substantial losses and bodily injury occurring on industrial facilities.

The firm has been defending a supplier of spare parts following a major fire in a refinery (amount at stake over €200m).

BANKING:
ORPA Legal acts for foreign and French financial institutions in banking litigation matters, such as unsatisfactory financial investments; debt recovery and enforcement of securities, investments lost in fraud schemes, duty of vigilance on international transfers of funds, structuring and transfer of assets, private banking, wealth management.

DUE DILIGENCE
Thanks to its expertise in the regulatory and contractual aspects of Insurance Law, the firm has supported several players in the insurance sector in carrying out due diligence in the context of business transfers

CYBER-RISKS:
ORPA Legal provides advice to insurers on cyber-risk policy wordings, coverage and indemnification in cooperation with IT experts investigating data loss, security breaches.

The firm is assisting an insurer in relation with a cyber-intrusion in its IT system for payment and transfer of funds; legal advice on cyber exposure in cyber/non cyber policies.

As part of its international development, ORPA Legal joined in 2021 the INSULAW network (International Insurance Lawyers) as the exclusive representative for France; the network specializes in insurance matters and is made of 31 law firms with 47 offices in Europe, Latin America, North America, Asia and Oceania and 1322 lawyers.