Paris launch with 22 lawyers from BCLP and K&L Gates the next step to providing international and UK corporates with a premium full service offering in key European jurisdictions. 

Addleshaw Goddard is doubling the size of its operations in continental Europe with the opening of its first office in France, Europe's third biggest economy. 18 lawyers from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner led by Office Managing Partner Rémy Blain, will join four real estate lawyers from K&L Gates led by Head of Real Estate Edouard Vitry who arrived at AG at the beginning of 2021. 

The opening in Paris offers AG a full corporate, commercial, real estate and disputes practice in Europe's three largest economies, and increases the firm's footprint in a key M&A and arbitration centre to better serve international and UK corporates and private equity clients. The Paris office will be led by Rémy Blain.

The six new Paris-based partners lead established, high-quality teams specialising in cross border disputes and transactions, real estate and commercial services (specifically Finance, M&A and Private Equity, Commercial Litigation, International Arbitration and White Collar Crime, Real Estate, Commercial Contracts, Data Protection and Employment). They are:

Corporate

• Rémy Blain 
• Antoine Martin
• Mathieu Taupin

Real Estate

• Edouard Vitry

Litigation

• David Père
• Cécile Terret

M&A partner Fabrice Bouquier will initially join Addleshaw Goddard's Hong Kong office before returning to Paris later in the year.

AGs Paris team advises local as well as international businesses, particularly outbound and inbound work for clients with interests in the USA, Germany and the Middle East, spanning sectors as diverse as automotive, defence and aerospace, retail, food and agriculture, software and technology. 

With its existing offices in London, Dubai, Singapore and now Paris, Addleshaw Goddard joins an exclusive club comprising law firms with a branded presence in all the key arbitration centres – a strategically important footprint for multi-nationals, banks and governments in addition to the firm's construction, engineering and infrastructure practice.

The addition of 7 partners and their teams in France will see headcount in AGs continental Europe business grow to nearly 50 lawyers with further hires in transactional disciplines in both Paris and Hamburg, which opened in June 2019, in the pipeline. 

John Joyce, Addleshaw Goddard Managing Partner, said: 

"Clients are increasingly telling us that their preference is for an integrated cross-border capability. Opening an office in the two largest Eurozone economies in quick succession is an important milestone in our plan to build over the coming years a meaningful presence in the major European markets to better service global and UK corporates. Our German office has quickly exceeded expectations and Paris is a unique opportunity to bring a second profitable, market-leading practice to the firm in another key European centre identified by clients." 

He added:

"The Paris teams are very well known and respected in their markets and share our vision to offer the very best client experience and importantly the values which underpin our culture. We are delighted they have chosen to join us."

Remy Blain, who has served as Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner Managing Partner in France since 2016, said: 

"Joining Addleshaw Goddard is a terrific opportunity to integrate ourselves into a growing, international business with strong sector alignment and a really imaginative approach to the delivery of legal services. The more we discovered the more the move made sense for our clients and for us."

Addleshaw Goddard has 13 offices worldwide – six in the UK; two in Asia; three in the Middle East and two in continental Europe.