Lawyer specializing in corporate and commercial matters, Josemaría Ecclefield B. practices in Chile and Italy in commercial and corporate law with over 15 years’ experience. He is able to provide ongoing advice to clients in all areas, both in Chile and abroad. Josemaría has solid expertise in the field of contracts in general and offers comprehensive advice on corporate governance. He provides support for foreign investment, the creation of foreign or domestic companies, legal representation in Chile and comprehensive legal advice on corporate law.

Josemaría has also acted as legal adviser to foreign clients. He has extensive experience in tenders and commercial contracts for Chilean and foreign clients.

Finally, he specializes in the study and management of civil and commercial matters, administrative and judicial claims relating to company law.

Melanie Ruiz-Pardo brings in-depth expertise in real estate and construction law, business and competition law, banking and financing, as well as mergers and acquisitions.

Thanks to her international experience, she plays a key role in helping her clients meet the complex challenges of cross-border transactions, particularly those involving the Indian Ocean region and Europe. She also contributes to the development of new markets and provides strategic support for large-scale projects.

Mélanie is actively involved in several organizations, including CREWM (Montreal) and Network (International), which support women in commercial real estate, as well as the development committee of the Association des femmes en finance du Québec.

Yan Danti manages the legal affairs of a portfolio of companies, handling matters such as company formation, approval of financial statements, statutory amendments, governance changes, as well as restructurings, contributions, mergers, dissolutions, and liquidations.

He is involved in corporate restructuring and reorganization transactions, as well as the issuance of complex securities. He also advises companies on capital transactions, fundraising operations, and more broadly, on all matters related to corporate law.

Prior to joining DS Avocats, Yan worked for two years at Lamartine Conseil, a law firm specialized in private equity, and for two years within an audit and accounting group.

Lisa Heizmann is an Avocate admitted to the Paris Bar and the Stuttgart Bar.

Lisa Heizmann has extensive experience in Franco-German contract and commercial law. She advises businesses and individuals on all aspects of cross-border contract drafting. Additionally, Lisa has particular expertise in intellectual property law, especially in the protection of intellectual property rights, as well as in data protection law.

Memberships / Offices:

• German-French Lawyers’ Association (Deutsch- Französische Juristenvereinigung e.V. – DFJ)

Mathieu Abdoul-Quinque spent four years advising corporate clients at Parisian law firms, primarily assisting Asian businesses. He then joined a leading firm in Vietnam, where he built a client base of foreign investors.

With over six years of experience in corporate advisory services across France and Vietnam, he understands international business environments. He joined DS Avocats as Country Manager for Vietnam to strengthen the firm’s presence in the region.

Alexandre Pous joined DS Avocats following several experiences in corporate law, litigation, and white-collar crime at both French and international law firms, in France and abroad.

As an associate at DS Avocats since 2025, Alexandre assists clients in both advisory and litigation matters, on all aspects of customs law, international trade, and regulatory compliance, with a particular emphasis on economic sanctions, export controls on dual-use goods and technologies, and military equipment regulations.

He also provides strategic counsel on compliance with France’s Sapin II law, particularly in third-party due diligence and the prevention of terrorism financing, money laundering, and foreign public official bribery

After several experiences working for international law firms, Auriane Boutillier joined the Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions, and Financing department at DS Avocats in 2025.

Auriane’s practice focuses on corporate matters, including mergers and acquisitions, and private equity transactions.

Auriane holds degrees from Paris II-Panthéon-Assas University and New York University School of Law.

Before joining the firm, Gabriel completed his Bachelor of Laws at the University of Sherbrooke, where he was highly involved in various committees within the student association of the Faculty of Law. In parallel with his Bachelor of Laws, Gabriel pursued a graduate degree in Common Law and Transnational Law (Juris Doctor), which equipped him with extensive knowledge in Canadian, American, and English common law, as well as various insights into international and transnational law. During his time at the University of Sherbrooke, he served as a research and teaching assistant with several professors. He conducted extensive research in construction law, contract law, and legal interpretation.

Finally, community involvement is important to him. Over the past few years, Gabriel has served as an administrator of the Sherbrooke Young Lawyers Association, holding the position of secretary-treasurer. He has also been involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Young Bar of Quebec.

Lawyer in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group

Camille specializes in civil and commercial litigation, focusing on the prevention and resolution of disputes through mediation, arbitration, and court proceedings. Recognized for her professionalism and rigor, she is committed to providing high-quality legal services to her clients.

She stands out for her ability to quickly identify their issues to propose effective strategies tailored to their specific needs, whether in matters before the courts or in connection with alternative dispute resolution methods. Admitted to the Bar of Quebec in 2018, Camille holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the Université de Montréal and is also a member of the Young Bar of Montreal.

Conferences

• Co-speaker: Sanctions environnementales : de l’avis à l’ordonnance en passant par la révocation de l’autorisation [Environmental penalties: From the notice and order to the revocation of the environmental compliance approval], Langlois Knowledge, webinar, May 26, 2022.
• Co-speaker: Application de la loi et sanctions en matière environnementale [Environmental enforcement and penalties], Langlois Knowledge, webinar, December 15, 2021.

Lawyer in the Tax Law Group

Robert Iverach’s area of practice is income taxation law, in which he has specialized since 1974. He has advised numerous corporations, income trusts and individuals on a wide variety of income tax related matters. In his practice, he has dealt with diverse businesses and transactions, including equity and debt financings, mergers, acquisitions, reorganizations and restructurings. He has also dealt extensively with the Canada Revenue Agency in connection with advance income tax rulings, technical interpretations and the resolution of income tax reassessments. In 1978, he was a Founding Partner of the tax law firm of Felesky Flynn LLP, where he practiced for 27 years before retiring in 2005.

Robert was the Founding Editor of the Canadian Petroleum Tax Journal and has been the President of the Canadian Petroleum Tax Society and the Calgary Scout Foundation. Robert Iverach has completed the Directors Education Program of the Institute of Corporate Directors (of which he is now an examiner) and is entitled to use the designation: “ICD.D”. He is also a Director of several public and private entities.

Adrien Mitchell is a lawyer in the litigation and dispute resolution group base in the Montreal office. Adrien specializes in civil and commercial litigation, with a strong focus on construction law. His practice is based on a collaborative approach and the pursuit of innovative legal solutions, perfectly adapted to the specific challenges of this sector. He excels both in court representations and in alternative dispute resolution methods.

Forward-thinking, Adrien is passionate about the impact of artificial intelligence on the practice of law. He notably contributed to a pilot project involving smart contracts on blockchain for the construction sector, in partnership with the Laboratoire de Cyberjustice at the University of Montreal.

During his studies, he was an active member of a committee on technology law, a speaker and author of articles on emerging technologies. He also participated in developing partnerships with the Montreal start-up sector.

Perfectly bilingual, he is committed to advancing the legal field toward the future, benefiting both legal professionals and the clients he serves in the construction industry.

Rose Ménard is a notary with experience in general notarial practice and expertise in real estate. She stands out for her attention to detail and commitment to quality service. Thanks to her great adaptability, she responds effectively to the varied needs of her clients, whatever the challenges encountered. With her positive, open-minded attitude, Rose easily integrates into the teams with which she collaborates, bringing constructive energy and a spirit of cooperation. What’s more, her natural empathy enables her to understand and accompany her customers in a personalized way, offering support that is both attentive and caring.

Natacha Boivin is a partner based in the Montreal office. A lawyer and accredited mediator in civil and commercial law, she continues to practice in civil and commercial litigation, real estate and business law, with a particular focus on the construction sector. Since the introduction of Law 25, she has chosen to develop her passion for information technology, assisting Quebec, Canadian and international organizations, both private and public, in their compliance with privacy legislation.

With over 30 years’ experience, she has held leadership positions, notably as partner in private practice and vice-president of legal affairs at the APCHQ, where she played a key role in the evolution of Quebec’s construction industry. 

She is known for her close client relationships and is highly valued for her availability, openness, efficiency, rigor, and strategic guidance in development and construction projects. Her expertise spans contract review and negotiation, corporate structuring, obtaining licenses from the Régie du bâtiment du Québec, mandatory or conventional warranties, as well as dispute prevention and resolution.

Dedicated to knowledge-sharing, Natacha has developed a step-by-step flat-rate service for compliance with privacy laws and health and social services information protection law in Québec. Her approach prioritizes complete organizational autonomy and includes governance plan documents as well as the legal and practical knowledge needed to manage these laws effectively and avoid penalties. To date, over 500 companies have benefited from her guidance.

With a distinguished career in tax law, Erika brings extensive expertise in international tax advice and tax litigation. Her professional career began at Rousaud Costas Duran, Legal and Tax Advisors, where she acquired foundational experience in legal and tax matters. She later advanced her career at KPMG Abogados Barcelona, expanding her practice to include international taxation, corporate restructuring, and tax reviews in the context of financial auditing.

As a founding partner of Laways Legal and Tax, Erika practiced as a tax lawyer until 2024, consolidating her position as trusted advisor on Spanish and international tax law.

Areas of Expertise:

• Spanish and International Taxation: Providing ongoing advice to individuals and businesses.
• Corporate Restructuring and Acquisitions: Management of complex operations with a focus on tax efficiency.
• Tax Procedures and Inspections: Representation and defense of clients in proceedings before the authorities.
• Tax Litigation: Successful management of disputes before the courts.

Thanks to its in-depth knowledge of tax law and its client-oriented approach, Erika offers strategic solutions tailored to the needs of companies and individuals in a globalized economic environment.

Marie-Charlotte has been a practicing lawyer since 2011. She began her career at a leading Parisian business law firm before joining Léa Duhamel‘s team at Cloix & Mendès-Gil. In 2017, she established her own employment law practice, and in 2024, she became part of DS Avocats. Based in Paris, she provides advisory services and represents clients in litigation.

Marie-Charlotte’s expertise covers a range of employment law issues, including working hours, variable compensation, and psychosocial risks.

With a background in general public law and drawing from an experience in the legal affairs department of the Ministry of Ecological Transition, Salomé Le Goff joined DS Avocats in July 2024.

She works alongside public and private sector actors in issues related to urban planning, both as a consultant and in litigation, within the Urban Planning department.

Alfonso González Moreno is a dedicated legal professional with extensive experience in corporate law. Currently serving as a lawyer at DS NAVARRO CASTEX Abogados since January 2020, Alfonso González Moreno has demonstrated a strong commitment to providing exceptional legal services.

Alfonso González Moreno combines a solid academic foundation with practical experience, making him a valuable asset in the legal field. His bilingual proficiency further enhances his ability to serve a diverse clientele effectively.

Alejandro LAJE is a seasoned expert in privacy law, freedom of expression, and digital platform regulation. With extensive experience in Consumer Law, Tort Law, and inheritance rights, Alejandro has been a key player in prominent law firms since 2001. He has successfully defended cases before the Supreme Court of Argentina and other appellate courts.

In addition to his legal practice, Alejandro is a distinguished academic. He is a professor in the Doctorate in Law program at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), the University of Business and Social Sciences (UCES), and the University of the Argentine Social Museum (UMSA). Alejandro is also a tenured professor of Philosophy of Law in the Law degree program at the Faculty of Law and Political Sciences of the Inter-American Open University.

From 2007 to 2021, Alejandro served as the Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Law and Political Sciences at the Inter-American Open University

Alberto Navarro (b. Montevideo, 1961) is Buenos Aires based DS Navarro Castex founding partner (www.dsnavarrocastex.com). His area of expertise is Corporate Finance, M&A, VC and Closely Held, Family-owned companies. With both Uruguayan and Argentine citizenship, Mr. Navarro is also admitted into practice in Uruguay where his Firm counts with an office covering international clients’ needs, mainly in the cities of Montevideo and Punta del Este.

Mr. Navarro graduated as a lawyer from Universidad de la República, Montevideo, and was admitted into practice in Uruguay (1985) and Argentina (1988), respectively. He also holds an MBA degree from IAE Business School (Buenos Aires, 1987) and a Master in Laws (LLM) from Harvard Law School (Cambridge, Mass., 1989).

Among other professional activities, between 1990 and 1996, Mr. Navarro served as in-house counsel for Cargill –US leading commodity trader, and then as internal counsel / general counsel of Acindar -Argentine major non-flat Argentine steel producer (currently Arcelor Mittal Group). In 1996 he set up his own legal practice until today.  

Among his academic curricula, Mr. Navarro founded the Legal Issues in Doing Business area at IAE (1992), where he was a part-time Professor at said business school management programs until 2009. Also, and for the past 25 years he has been visiting professor at several, local and international, universities and academies (i.e. Universidad de San Andrés , Universidad Di Tella, UCA and UBA, in Buenos Aires; Instituto de Empresas (IE), Madrid; Queen Mary Law School, at both London and Paris branches), as well as actively participated in several international panels and fora, mostly at the International Bar Association (IBA), the American Bar Association (ABA), the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA), the Association Internationale de Jeunes Avocats (AIJA), the Union Internationale des Avocats (UIA), and Vistage, in most of which he presented papers and acted either as panellist or panel chair for approximately 25 years.

Since 1998, and among other prestigious affiliations, Mr. Navarro has been an active member of the IBA, and as such he served as Chair of its Closely Held and Growing Business Enterprises Committee (Legal Practice Division, 2008-2009), Chair of its Professional Ethics Committee (PPID/SPPI, 2015-2016), IBA Council Member on behalf of Colegio Público de Abogados de la Capital Federal, Argentina (2012-2022), and Officer of the Bar Issues Commission (BIC; 2017-Dec. 31, 2022).

Mr. Navarro is fluent in Spanish, English and French and also manages basic skills on Italian and Portuguese.

International social memberships: Harvard Club of NYC; Cercle de L’ Union Interalliée, Paris.

More information about DS Navarro Castex: Click here.

Florencia Cavazza is a lawyer who graduated from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1995. She specialized in business law, earning a postgraduate degree from the Argentine Notarial University in 2000. In 2001, she expanded her knowledge by studying the U.S. legal system at the International Law Institute in collaboration with The George Washington University Law School (Washington, D.C., USA).

Florencia has developed a distinguished career in the legal profession, focusing on corporate law as well as mergers and acquisitions. She advises local and international clients with businesses in Argentina across various industries.

Her extensive experience allows her to navigate complex legal environments with precision and strategic vision. Florencia specializes in designing corporate and contractual structures, providing comprehensive legal services in these areas, and advising clients on the negotiation, planning, and drafting of corporate governance rules.

Additionally, she acts as a director appointed by shareholders or as a representative of local or foreign shareholders. This is what makes her a trusted advisor to her clients.

More information about DS Navarro Castex: Click here.

He joined Navarro Castex Abogados in 2008, where he worked as a lawyer in the Department of Corporate and Company Law until 2010. After developing his professional activity in recognized law firms in Buenos Aires and as Director of Commercial Loyalty of the Secretariat of Domestic Trade (2017-2020), was appointed partner of the study in 2020, in charge of the Department of Competition Law.

He graduated as a lawyer with a Diploma of Honor from the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences of the University of Buenos Aires in 2008. In 2009 he completed an Update Program in Jurisprudence in the matter of Societies at the Foundation for Research and Development of Sciences Legal (“FIDAS”). In 2012 he completed the Master’s Degree in Law and Economics at the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella. In 2013 he completed his postgraduate studies at Chicago-Kent College of Law of the Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago, Illinois, United States of America), in an international exchange program focused on Antitrust Law, Unfair Competition, Trademarks and Entertainment Law.

More information about DS Navarro Castex: Click here.

Blake Mezzarobba is a lawyer in our Calgary office. Blake has experience in corporate and commercial matters, securities, and mergers and acquisitions.

His academic journey is marked by a Bachelor of Education and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Brock University in 2018, and a J.D. from Thompson Rivers University in 2023.

Prior to entering the legal field, Blake made a significant impact at the Kikino Metis Settlement of Alberta, where his dedication to teaching middle school and community involvement earned him the divisional nomination for the distinguished Edwin Parr award.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Blake’s passion for community and sports is evident. He has not only volunteered as a youth sports coach but also showcased his leadership and sportsmanship by coaching Men’s Hockey in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference. In addition to his community involvement, Blake was a spirited member of the TRU Lawgers hockey team during his law studies, demonstrating his ability to balance academia with personal interests. In his leisure, he is an avid golfer.

Emmanuelle Sinclair specializes in notarial law, focusing on legal drafting, the analysis of real estate contracts, and the management of complex commercial real estate cases. She understands the importance of every detail in legal documents.

Emmanuelle chose to study law, captivated by the way laws govern societies and protect individuals’ rights. Her deep respect for justice and its ability to resolve conflicts fairly drove her to excel in this field.

Catherine HILGERS brings experience to companies and individuals facing complex tax issues, with a particular focus on international taxation and tax audits. With a robust background that spans tax administration, legal practice, and corporate roles, Catherine offers unparalleled expertise in navigating the intricacies of tax regulations.

Catherine specializes in:

• Tax Audits and Disputes: Providing strategic advice and representation during tax audits and resolving disputes with tax authorities.
• Growth and Restructuring Operations: Advising on tax-efficient strategies for corporate growth, mergers, and restructurings.
• Transfer Pricing: Assisting with the implementation and documentation of transfer pricing policies to comply with international standards.
• Day-to-Day Tax Monitoring: Offering continuous support to manage and optimize clients’ tax positions.

Catherine Hilgers is fluent in French, English, and Spanish, enabling her to effectively serve a diverse clientele. She is also an active member of the Iberian Desk, facilitating cross-border tax matters between France and Spanish-speaking countries.

A graduate of Sciences Po Paris and the Ecole Nationale des Impôts, Catherine combines academic rigor with practical experience to deliver top-tier tax advisory services.

Graduated in Law from the University of Barcelona in 2019, Master’s in Business and Corporate Law from the same university in 2021, and completed his training with the Master’s in Access to the Legal Profession in 2023. Member of the Barcelona Bar Association.

Specialized in commercial, corporate, mergers and acquisitions and real estate law, he regularly advises national and international clients on a wide variety of matters related to these areas.

Additionally, he has experience in real estate transactions, M&A, venture capital/private equity, and advising start-ups, especially in various investment rounds and shareholder agreements, enabling him to offer comprehensive and strategic solutions to his clients.

Nuria Sanjuán Sánchez is a tax junior jurist who recently embarked on his professional journey on the legal field. Her undergraduate experience and internship solidified her interest in fiscal matters and its impact on businesses and individuals, steering her towards that specialisation.

Born and raised in Barcelona, Nuria developed an early interest in international relations. Her multilingual abilities, including fluency in Spanish, English and French, enable her to engage effectively with clients and colleagues from a diverse cultural background.

In her role, she supports senior partners in advising both national and international companies and individuals, as well as ensures the fulfilment of their fiscal obligations.

Maria Nieves has professional experience in private enterprise, financial, tax and labour management in the construction sector, media and advertising agencies and family-owned companies.

She is specialized in tax advice, tax optimisation, tax assessments for individuals and legal entities.

As a practicing lawyer since 2001, she is specialized in tax advice covering all national and international operations of Spanish companies and individuals.

Since 2006, her career as a lawyer has focused on providing tax advices to companies in tax procedures and their relationships with the Spanish Tax Administration in all types of inspections, appeals and claims, up to the contentious administrative procedure before the Courts.

Alongside her activity as a tax advisor, she taught courses for more than 20 years at Pompeu Fabra University and Esade, in the courses of law, business administration and labor relations, specializing in both in tax procedures as well as on corporate taxation and personal income tax in Spain.

After starting her professional life at the Pompeu Fabra University, she later joined a firm specialized in tax advice for professional individuals, alternating both activities.

Judith Riera is a lawyer in the Barcelona office of DS Avocats. After graduating in Law, she completed the Master’s Degree in Legal Practice and became a member of the Barcelona Bar Association (ICAB).

She began her professional career doing internships in the corporate departments of national law firms with international scope. She then consolidated her experience working as a junior lawyer, providing advice to companies at all stages, from creation to dissolution, and actively participating in the drafting and review of commercial contracts and contracts in the healthcare field. In addition, she has experience in issues related to foundations and associations.

Her training was expanded by completing the Advanced Master’s Degree in Legal Sciences in Barcelona and Mannheim (Germany), thus enriching her legal perspective internationally. In addition, Judith plays the role of coordinator and legal advisor at the Legal Clinic of the Pompeu Fabra University, where she provides legal advice to people without resources.

In 2024, she is participating in the Young European Lawyers Academy in Trier (Germany) and Luxembourg, after being nominated as a candidate by the Barcelona Bar Association. At DS Avocats, Judith is part of the corporate, foundations and acquisitions department, actively participating in advising on these matters, as well as in the review of contracts.

Lawyer specializing in civil and commercial litigation, as well as extrajudicial and preventative counseling. Cristina brings extensive experience across various sectors including retail, healthcare, construction, and industrial.

Based in Barcelona, Cristina is part of the litigation department, enthusiastically advocating for clients’ interests in the Courts of Justice. She has also participated in national and international arbitration proceedings.

Cristina’s expertise lies in civil and commercial litigation, with a focus on contract breaches, civil liability for damages.

Moreover, Cristina has a wealth of experience in regulatory compliance, adeptly developing and implementing compliance plans. She excels in establishing and managing whistleblowing channels and protocols to prevent any criminal activity.

As a member of the commercial department, Alejandro specializes in commercial contracting, providing services to a wide variety of clients, primarily in the technology sector. His work focuses on assisting companies dedicated to the development and implementation of software and technological solutions, helping them navigate the complex legal and contractual environment of their industry.

His experience ranges from drafting detailed contracts to protecting intellectual property and advising on regulatory compliance. He has had the privilege of collaborating with some of the most innovative technology companies, providing legal solutions that facilitate their growth and success in a highly competitive market.

In addition to his focus on the technology sector, Alejandro also advises companies in other sectors such as retail, energy, industrial, food, etc. Furthermore, he provides advice on data protection and compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). With specific training as a Data Protection Officer (DPO), he is equipped to help companies implement privacy policies and procedures that ensure compliance with current regulations. His goal is to protect his clients’ personal and sensitive information, minimizing risks and ensuring compliance with data protection regulations.

Juliette Halimi is a lawyer in the Tax department with experience in both corporate and personal taxation. She advises companies and individuals on French and international Tax law issues.

She works on business structuring and transfers issues, as well as the tax aspects of audits, restructuring and mergers & acquisitions.

She assists companies and individuals in their relations with the tax authorities and represents them before courts. She is also involved in tax rescripts procedures.

Mahaut is a member of the Paris and Colombian Bars. Member of the Iberian Desk and the Latin America Desk, she mainly advises Spanish and Latin American companies, assisting them with their investments and disputes in France in connection with industrial and commercial projects, as well as financial and banking restructuration. Mahaut assists her clients with both advice and litigation. 

Mahaut has solid expertise with Spanish-speaking clients thanks to her experience in France and Colombia in Franco-Hispanic law firms and in the LATAM regional legal department of a major group.

Mahaut is a member of the Association des Juristes Franco-Colombiens (AJFC).

Coline’s practice focuses exclusively on labor and social security law, and she advises and litigates for companies of all sizes.

Coline also assists clients with restructuring and has a solid background in labor law due diligence.

Coline has extensive experience of working with Spanish-speaking clients, both in Peru and in Franco-Spanish law firms. As part of the Iberian Desk, Coline also advises Spanish and Latin American groups with interests in France.

She is a member of the International Association of Young Lawyers, she is also a regular speaker at secondary schools as a volunteer with the Initiadroit association.

Olivier Fedon has been a partner at the Rennes Bar since 2004. With a postgraduate degree in business law, he specializes in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and corporate law.

He assists companies in their growth and development projects, particularly in the sale and transfer of businesses, on both the buy and sell sides.

Olivier has also completed his training in trust law and holds a university degree from the Faculty of Law in Orléans. He regularly advises settlors and beneficiaries of management and security trusts.

Olivier has held the position of Treasurer of the Rennes Bar and was a member of the Bar Council. He currently sits on the regional disciplinary board for lawyers in the Rennes Court of Appeal. He is also a member of MEDEF 35, demonstrating his commitment to the economic and professional fabric of his region.

Graduated from Aix-Marseille University and Bordeaux School of Law, Jorel Weber joined the corporate team of DS Avocats Bordeaux in late 2022.

He now supports businesses and startups in their growth journeys, focusing on corporate law issues, particularly in the fields of medTech and sportTech. Jorel provides expertise in fundraising, collective procedures, as well as sales and acquisitions. Additionally, he advises self-employed professionals on business succession planning.

Bringing two years of experience from Parisian law firms specializing in Labor Law, Maud Riflade joined the Bordeaux office in 2024. She assists businesses and associations of diverse scales, addressing both individual and collective legal matters. Maud also represents clients in social litigation across all judicial forums.

Manon Colombin-Ollivier specializes primarily in corporate law, with a focus on fundraising activities.

Having earned a Master’s degree in International Business Law, Manon completed her final traineeship as a legal intern at DS Avocats in 2021.

She was admitted to the bar in 2022 and joined the corporate team at DS Avocats Bordeaux in 2023.

A lawyer since 2012, Charlotte Dumont began her career with a leading Parisian business law firm before joining the employment practice of Cloix Mendès-Gil in 2014, then DS Avocats in 2024. She was promoted to Counsel on July 1, 2021.

She is based in Paris, where she advises and litigates on individual and collective labor relations issues.

She also handles collective and high-stakes individual litigation.

Alexandre Clément advises and litigates for DS Avocats clients in the following areas: contract law, commercial law, criminal business law, competition, distribution and consumer law.

He joined DS Avocats’ Commercial and Competition Law department in 2024, after a number of experiences in leading business law firms and at the French Senate.

Alexandre holds a Specialized Master in International Law and Management from ESCP Business School and a Master 2 in International Business Law from Université Paris Cité.

For over 25 years, Léa Duhamel has been a trusted advisor to companies on their social strategies, including growth, downsizing, mergers, and diversification. Her expertise spans reorganization, collective bargaining, and crisis management.

Léa is renowned for her practice in both collective and high-stakes individual litigation, particularly involving protected employees and discrimination cases.

In addition to her legal practice, Léa has extensive teaching experience at Université de Paris I and Université Paris-Dauphine. She now offers targeted training for clients, management teams, and HR operational staff.

Léa holds a doctorate in law and has earned double distinctions in labor law and social security law from the Paris Bar.

Nana Anastasia Sulaiman is currently in charge of corporate governance for clients founded under DS International Corporate Services (DSICS) and DS Avocats Singapore (DSA).

Having commenced her journey with DSICS and DSA in 2023, Nana brings a wealth of expertise, boasting 7 years of invaluable experience in corporate governance. In her pivotal role, she collaborates seamlessly with her team of adept lawyers, contributing significantly to the expansion and sustained growth of DSICS’ extensive clientele and portfolio.

Nana takes pride in providing meticulous legal administration and support to her firm’s esteemed partners. Beyond her integral role at DSICS, she actively nurtures a robust network of professional connections. Her efforts extend to sourcing and managing legal documentation in alignment with the Singapore Companies Act of 1967.

Aymeric Marie Dit Roulland joined DS Avocats in 2023 after gaining experience in customs law at Arsène Taxand and KPMG Avocats.

He advises and litigates in both French and English, with dual expertise in general tax law and customs law – international trade.

Aymeric Marie Dit Roulland is based in Paris, where he works closely with multinational companies and SMEs, professional organisations and the relevant administrative authorities. His practice covers a wide range of areas: customs law (customs valuation & transfer pricing, tariff classification, origin, special regimes, AEO certification), economic sanctions and export control of dual-use goods and defence equipment, environmental taxation, energy and excise duties, import VAT.

Marianne joined DS Avocats in September 2023, after initial experience as an associate in a law firm specializing in urban planning law.

She advises and litigates within the urban planning team of the firm’s Urban Strategies Department.

Marianne advises and assists public and private project developers in setting up their operations.

Years of experiences both in law firms and in company as paralegal have given her a good understanding of cross-border investments issues and the day-to day problems associated with the operation of foreign companies.

She has gained experience in tax optimization, equity transfers, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, liquidations, labor disputes, distribution and commercial leases.

Her expertise in tax law, business law and EU law allows her to assist clients in expanding into the French and EU markets and to find the most pragmatic solutions.

Matthieu Benoit-Cattin joined DS Avocats in 2023. He advises energy producers and suppliers, energy network and transmission companies, investors and industrial groups on the development of their energy, industrial and construction projects.

Matthieu Benoit-Cattin advises on regulatory, contractual and transactional aspects in the energy and infrastructure sector.

He completed his final internship with the project finance team (energy & infrastructure) at CMS Francis Lefebvre.

Mehdi MOUNIR, lawyer, has extensive expertise in real estate and criminal business law. He currently works in the Urban Strategies division of the Real Estate department, applying his in-depth knowledge to meet the specific needs of public-sector clients.

His area of expertise covers a variety of operations linked to land development in the public interest, including the amicable or compulsory acquisition of real estate (including setting compensation, commercial eviction, urban pre-emption rights, and rental issues). He is also involved in projects for the creation of transport facilities, ZACs and land reserves.

He also has significant experience with the 15th Correctional Chamber of Nanterre, a chamber specializing in economic and financial offenses, as well as experience in rental litigation (residential and commercial leases). He has developed a rigorous and efficient work methodology, based on an in-depth understanding of the issues at stake.

This diversity of expertise enables him to take a comprehensive approach to each case and provide full support.

Fabio Herlent works both as an advisor and in litigation on behalf of local authorities, public institutions, semi-public companies (SEM), local public enterprises (SPL) within the Urban Strategies Department.

Across the board, he is involved in both public and private law issues relating to the implementation of development and construction projects (creation of transport facilities, ZACs, land reserves, etc.).

Its main activities concern land management (administrative and judicial phases of the expropriation procedure, pre-emption, amicable sales and acquisitions, eviction, commercial eviction, etc.) and development law, including the management of public and private domain.

With over 25 years of experience in employment law, Béatrice POLA advises large French companies from various sectors, supporting them in all aspects of employment law. Her expertise is particularly distinguished in the fields of company restructuring and reorganization, mainly in adressing psychosocial risks and workplace environmental factors.

As a litigation specialist, Béatrice POLA represents her clients before social and common law courts, in both individual and collective matters. She is regularly called upon to handle complex cases involving discrimination, harassment, and breach of contract, whether individual, collective, or negotiated.

In addition to her advisory and litigation activities, Béatrice POLA is also a trainer and speaker, sharing my expertise with experts. She co-hosts, with Les Éditions Législatives, a monthly breakfast meeting called “Le Cercle RH”. This event brings together HR directors from major companies for in-depth discussions on jurisprudence and current topics.

Counsel in the Employment Law department, Estelle Coulombel has a wealth of experience in managing complex litigation and pre-litigation cases (union/ethnic/gender discrimination; moral and sexual harassment; psycho-social risks; suicide in the workplace).

She offers diversified expertise in labor law, including the management of international mobility and transnational secondments, as well as the conduct of internal investigations following an employee alert.

Estelle Coulombel is also involved in training (lectures at the University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne; participation in the seminar of the Association Française de Droit du Travail). She is the author of many specialist articles.

Nuria notably advises Spanish and Latin American companies on their investments and/or litigation in France in connection with industrial or commercial projects, as well as on financial and banking restructuring operations. She also advises French groups with interests in Spain and Latin America.

In addition to her work as a legal counsel and defense lawyer, Nuria is regularly appointed Sole Arbitrator, or Member of the Arbitral Tribunal, in international arbitrations by the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris (ICC).

After starting her professional life with English solicitors as Spanish in-house counsel, she continued her career as an associate at an international law firm in Barcelona, in the Corporate M&A department.

In 1993, she joined a prestigious law firm in Paris as an associate, before being appointed partner in 2000.

She then set up Cuatrecasas’ Paris office in 2004 and managed it until 2015.

From 2015 to 2018, she was partner in charge of the Iberian Desk at a prominent law firm in Paris.

In January 2019, she joined a French-Spanish law firm, where she was a partner until December 2023.

• Vice-President of DIALOGO France, “Think Tank”-Association d’Amitié Franco-Espagnole since 2014
• Vice-Chairwoman of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Paris (2001 to 2013), then Director
• Member of the International Commissions of the Paris Bar Association and Head of the Franco-Spanish Commission of the Paris Bar Association since 2014
• Member of ACE (Avocats Conseils d’Entreprise) in charge of the Franco-Spanish commission since 2011

Kevin practices civil and commercial litigation in the DS Ottawa Office. 

He obtained his J.D at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University). While at LASL, Kevin has helped work in student engagement, orientation, was a representative on the LASL student society, and is still an active peer mentor.

He participated in several moots. Kevin was a Finalist and awarded Top Oralist at the McCarthy Tetrault Cup. He later represented Lincoln Alexander on their first ever moot team at the Gale Cup.

Prior to entering Law School, Kevin obtained his B.A at McGill University with a double major in Economics and Political Science, and a minor in East Asian Cultural Studies.

Christina Muccari practices in the field of civil and commercial litigation. Her mandates lead her to assist her clients in the drafting and review of contracts, negotiating commercial transactions and conflict resolution.

She has also acquired extensive pleading experience, having made legal representations before all common law and appeal courts in Quebec.

Graduate from the University of Ottawa, she remains involved in several programs which, in collaboration with universities, serve to offer mentoring to young students, such as the McGill pre-law students’ society, the Programme d’enseignement clinique of the University of Ottawa and the Pro Bono Students of Canada group.

Mohammad (Mo) works in the business law group in Montreal.

He represents private and public companies of various sizes, brokers and institutional investors in a wide range of business transactions, including mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance in the private and public markets. He also advises reporting issuers on regulatory compliance, continuous disclosure and governance issues.

Mo is also involved in his community, particularly as co-vice president of communications and marketing of Iran-Canada Business Council (ICBC). Before joining DS Avocats, Mo held a position as legal counsel specializing in corporate law, mergers and acquisitions and securities for a public consulting firm in strategy and digital technologies in North America.

At the end of her academic career, Magalie joined the tax department of DS avocats.

Before starting her university studies, she completed a Techniques de comptabilité et de gestion at Cégep de Victoriaville. Her work ethic earned her the Bourse des CPA du Québec and the Bourse mérite d’excellence. During her law degree, Magalie represented the Université de Sherbrooke in the Donald G.H. Bowman National Tax Moot, where her team submitted one of the best appeal briefs. Attentive and dedicated, Magalie will not hesitate to use her creativity to implement solutions that meet her clients’ needs.

Gabriel is a partner at the Montreal office, where he practices business law with a focus on real estate, transactional, and commercial law, as well as partnerships.

Appointed equity partner within our Canadian structure in 2025, he distinguishes himself through his keen business acumen and his ability to swiftly grasp his clients’ strategic objectives and challenges. Combining legal rigor with a pragmatic approach, he is committed to delivering tangible, results-driven solutions tailored to his clients’ needs.

Gabriel has advised both private and public entities across a broad range of industries, including real estate, automotive, financial services, professional services, private financing, and equity investments.

He is highly regarded for the quality of his services, rigor, organizational skills, and ability to actively listen and cultivate enduring business relationships, making him an essential asset in any commercial endeavor.

As the youngest equity partner at the firm, Gabriel represents the next generation of lawyers—passionate, dynamic, and committed to delivering high-quality services that combine legal expertise with a deep understanding of his clients’ needs in an ever-evolving technological landscape.

With experience at the Expropriations Chamber of the Paris Court of Appeal and several internships in law firms, Cédric Bortolussi joined DS Avocats for his first collaboration in order to strengthen the real estate litigation section of the Urban Strategies department.

With an academic background in public law, he assists local authorities, public institutions and semi-public companies in the amicable or compulsory acquisition of real estate.

A lawyer since 2003, Georges Ferreira began his career in a Paris-based law firm specializing in corporate law, after a spell as a consultant with an international law firm based in La Défense.

Prior to this, Georges Ferreira taught at universities, the CNAM, and a business school in Paris, as well as provided in-company training.

With a doctorate in law, he has authored several articles and commentaries on case law published in specialized legal journals.

In 2007, he founded and helped develop Cabinet de l’Orangerie in Versailles.

Proven experience as an advisor, as well as sustained legal practice in the field of employment law, have forged his pragmatic and strategic approach to the cases and issues entrusted to him by companies of all sizes.

Skills

• Labour and Employement Law
• Contract law, Law of Obligations

Publications

• Article, Le nantissement de second rang de compte d’instruments financiers, JCP 2005, éd. E., n°3, p.80 ;
• Article, Le tiers convenu dans le gage, Répertoire Notarial DEFRENOIS, 15 février 2004 ;
• Note d’arrêt, (Cass. com., 9 juillet 2002), La lettre de confort, une garantie indemnitaire, JCP 2003, éd. E., n°6, II, 234 ;
• Coauteur du guide juridique et fiscal de l’entreprise, Editions DALIAN ;
• Note d’arrêt (Cass. civ. 3ème, 21 nov. 2001) Les actions possessoires et l’action en référé, JCP 2002, éd. G, n° 43, II, 10164 ;
• Note d’arrêt, coauteur, (Cass. civ. 3ème, 19 déc. 2001) La nature juridique ambiguë des chemins ruraux, Petites Affiches, 1er novembre 2002, n°219, p.12.
• Thèse, Les Garanties indemnitaires, Editions Universitaires Européennes
• Coauteur d’un guide de Droit des affaires, Editions DALIAN ;
• Note d’arrêt, coauteur, (C.A. Versailles, 9 oct. 1997), La nature juridique du règlement amiable, JCP 1998, éd. E., n°13 p.513.

John is a lawyer in the Corporate law group of DS Lawyers Canada, in Montreal.

He studied law at the Université de Montréal. An active member of his community, John chaired the Revue juridique étudiante de l’Université de Montréal and was treasurer of the Comité droit constitutionnel and the Comité droit fiscal. He was fortunate enough to intern at the Greek Consulate General in Montreal during the summer of 2022.

Prior to his university studies, John graduated with distinction from Marianopolis College with a DEC in Business Administration, where he was President of the Marianopolis Investment Club and the Young Executives Business Club.

John is also fluent in French, English and Greek.

Nikoletta practices Employment and Labour Law, an area of law that is well aligned with her professional background in Human Resource Management. Her practice focuses on drafting, conducting legal research and appearing in court.

She completed her articling at a national business law firm after graduating from Université de Montréal.Prior to her legal studies, Nikoletta worked within the HR department of an international renovation company. Working in a high-paced HR environment is what sparked her interest in pursuing a career in law as she became curious to learn about the legislation that governed employment standards, human rights issues and labour relations in Québec.

Frédéric Vachon practices corporate and transactional law at the Montréal office of DS Lawyers. He works primarily on transactions involving the purchase and sale of businesses, business financing, business start-ups, and commercial agreements of all kinds, including letters of intent, offers to purchase, purchase and sale agreements, loan agreements, shareholder agreements, confidentiality agreements, and commercial leases.

Before obtaining his law degree from the University of Ottawa, Frédéric also completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the John Molson School of Business and commercial law training at the London School of Economics and Political Science.His background and experience allow him to gain a deep and comprehensive understanding of his clients’ issues. His ability to simplify complex issues and appreciate the challenges faced by entrepreneurs serves him well in his role as a lawyer and as a business advisor.

Lawyer specialized in the international corporate and mining area, he is also in charge of advising family offices, startups and venture capital at DS Chile. He has more than 20 years of experience in corporate governance, M&A, finance, mining, energy, and national and international investments. He has a broad business vision and a great capacity to adapt to new professional challenges and interpersonal skills to form, lead teams and close complex deals.

Lawyer of the Venture Capital and Startups area, with more than 10 years of experience, he specializes in advising on intellectual property asset management for companies, startups and universities. He especially focuses on the organization of technology-based companies, designing the financing structure, intellectual property policy and advising the boards of various startups in the fields of e-sports, cleantech, fintech, edtech and traveltech. He is also co-creator of the course Startup Law: Innovation and Law at the Diego Portales University and participates as a mentor of the GT Network (Chilean Network of Technology Managers) and Media Factory (FDM).

Lawyer with 3 years of experience, his practice focuses on labor issues such as judicial representation, drafting of employment contracts, dismissal letters, severance payments, annexes, internal regulations. He also has experience in corporate law supporting companies in matters of incorporation, dissolution, transformation of companies, modification of bylaws, purchase and sale of shares, shareholders meetings, drafting and review of commercial contracts, purchase and sale of real estate, contracts of promise of purchase and sale, money loans, among others.

Lawyer with more than 10 years of experience, specialising in advising companies and startups on international taxation issues, design of marketing structures and exploitation of SaaS models, payment gateways and travel startups, among others. In addition, in recent years he has led the implementation of optimization strategies in the payment and recovery of overcharged contributions (land tax), highlighting among them advice to national and international real estate investment funds, storage centres, hotels, television channels and shopping malls.

Lawyer with more than 10 years of experience, he is a specialist in business law, with particular emphasis on corporate, tax and labour law. He has experience as a professor of commercial and labour law in undergraduate law courses. He is currently working as an external tax consultant for medium and large companies. He has extensive experience in labour litigation and corporate consultancy.

A lawyer since 1999, Valérie Léger began her career as an associate with a well-known Versailles firm specializing in business law and distressed companies.

In April 2005, she set up her own law firm in Versailles, then took part in the development of Cabinet de l’Orangerie in January 2007.

Valérie Léger holds a DEA (post-graduate diploma) in Commercial Contracts, and has extensive experience in business law. She works on behalf of companies of all sizes, providing them with assistance in both advisory and litigation matters.

Her expertise lies mainly in corporate and commercial law, as well as in assisting distressed companies, both in the field of prevention (mainly ad hoc mandates and conciliation) and in the handling of difficulties (safeguarding, judicial recovery or bankruptcy).

She also defends directors facing liability claims and sanctions.

After a university career leading to a doctorate (specialising in civil and commercial contract law), Charlotte pursued her professional training in an American law firm in Paris before practising in La Réunion where she assisted ultra-marine groups in the management of their real estate assets and assisted them in their restructuring.

As a temporary teaching and research assistant and then as a lecturer, Charlotte continued to teach at the Bachelor and Master II Business Law levels in Montpellier and La Réunion. She was a member of the Bar Council (Saint-Denis) and has been involved in the service of the profession.

Gabrielle Chanoine-Assous is specialized in public business law.

She advises clients on public and private projects, as well as on litigation.

Louis Clément specializes in corporate and commercial law, investment management, and health law, with expertise in mergers and acquisitions, the sale of businesses, consortium formation, and commercial agreement drafting and negotiation.

With a track record of representing clients of all sizes, Mr. Clément has served as a key member and leader of multidisciplinary teams of lawyers in high profile cases involving pharmaceutical companies, energy companies, among others.

His success has led to recognition as one of best lawyers in Canada multiple times, particularly in the areas of corporate law, mergers & acquisitions law, and leveraged buyouts and private equity law.  

Community involvement

Former trustee, McCord Museum

Professional memberships

• Member of the jury for the “Les Mercuriades” contest, 2017-present
• Board Member, Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec (FCCQ), 2015-2020
• Past President, Le cercle finance et placement du Québec, 1993-1994

Juliane joined DS Lawyers in 2022 as a paralegal in the corporate law team. She assists the lawyers in corporate matters regarding compagnies reorganizations, amalgamations and acquisitions, and other transactions.

She is involved in the updating of minute books, incorporations and dissolutions of companies, as well as any corporate act related thereto.

She comes from France, and she studied at the University of law of Aix-en-Provence, in France. Juliane chose to make her professional career in Canada and arrived in Montreal in 2021, after her graduation. Meticulous and dynamic, Juliane works with passion, and she makes a point of fulfilling her missions. Enthusiastic by nature, she always works with a positive attitude both with her team and with clients. Her adaptability and intellectual curiosity allow her to take up any challenge presented to her.

With several experiences in law firms specializing in real estate and commercial law, Andréa Layani joined the Real Estate Department of DS Avocats in 2022.

She advises and litigates for a clientele mainly composed of landlords and investors in matters of leases (commercial leases, civil leases, residential leases), real estate transactions, real estate development and co-ownership.

Mr. Lozeau practices in commercial litigation, with a particular emphasis on bankruptcy and insolvency. He has been involved in several dispute resolutions at settlement conferences.

Mr. Lozeau was President of the Bar of Montreal’s Liaison Committee with the Superior Court (Commercial Division) from 1997 to 2004.

Mr. Lozeau has also lectured on bankruptcy and insolvency law, particularly in the area of tax debt, and teaches security law at the Faculty of Law of the Université de Montréal. He is also a lecturer in bankruptcy and insolvency law at the École du Barreau.

Mr Lozeau is a graduate in law from the Université de Montréal. Called to the Quebec Bar in 1981, Mr. Lozeau is also the recipient of the Jetté Campbell Prize awarded to the best student in civil law.

Georges Samoisette Fournier assists employers in the interpretation of collective agreements, with labour relations, with the application of labour standards and represents them in various employment-related disputes. As such, he also acts on behalf of employers in matters of criminal offences under the Act Respecting Occupational Health and Safety and in grievance adjudication. 

His practice includes acting on behalf of employers both before all levels of court as well as before various administrative tribunals. 

Georges holds an MBA from the Université de Sherbrooke and is a member of the Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines agréés (CRHA). He provides advice to companies under federal and provincial jurisdiction in both individual and collective labour relations.  

PUBLICATIONS 

• “La protection des dénonciateurs d’actes répréhensibles : outil efficace ou obstacle à la gestion des ressources humaines?”, Développements récents en droit du travail, publications Yvon Blais, vol. 429, 2017 
• “Employer liability for employees who drive while impaired by alcohol , cannabis”, The Lawyer’s Daily, Dec. 2017 
• “Workplace Safety Obligations: Hardhat Over Turban”, Canadian Employment Safety and Health Guide, LexisNexis, 2016 

CONFERENCES 

• Lecturer (45 hrs): Construction site safety management (APECQ) 

• Protecting whistleblowers (Développements récents en droit du travail et Deuxièmes mardis) 

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATION(S) 

• Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines du Québec (CHRP)< 
• Barreau du Québec 

As a recognized leader who is admired by everyone, Nicola Di Iorio is considered one of Quebec’s leading specialists in the field of labour and employment law, as well as human rights law and administrative law. Sought after as an advisor by major organizations and SMEs, he has helped hundreds of companies in their most complex needs and has sat on various boards for numerous corporations. 

A member of the Bar since 1983, he has been a partner of major national firms and has taught at several Quebec universities, namely with Faculties of Law, Faculties of Management, and the Barreau du Québec. Having received the Advocatus Emeritus (Ad.E.) distinction from the Quebec Bar, he has co-authored two major works about labour standards, and has contributed to several research papers and given various conferences on complex timely subjects. 

Nicola is very involved in his community. Among other things, he founded the Cool Taxi organization in 2010 and spearheaded the National Impaired Driving Prevention Week, which was adopted by the House of Commons, with the first week taking place from March 18-24, 2018. He was elected to the House of Commons in 2015, and served on the Standing Committee on National Security. A graduate of Université de Sherbrooke and Columbia University, Nicola has received numerous distinctions from his peers and has been listed in the country’s most prestigious legal directories on several occasions. 

PUBLICATIONS 

Nicola has co-authored two major works about labour standards, and has contributed to several research papers. 

CONFERENCES 

• Associate professor, Faculty of Law, Université de Sherbooke 
• Guest lecturer, Faculty of Law, Université de Montréal 

• Lecturer, McGill University 
• Head lecturer, École du Barreau 

INVOLVEMENT 

• Founder of the Cool Taxi organization (2010); 
• Head of the National Impaired Driving Prevention Week. 

Victoria S. Cormier is a lawyer in the Montreal office of DS Lawyers, where her practice is focused on civil and commercial litigation, and real estate law. She is frequently appointed to represent general contractors, property owners, and private lenders in various securities enforcement files. Having started her career at DS Lawyers as a summer student in 2022, Victoria quickly demonstrated her ability to manage complex files, both factually and legally. Her involvement in all stages of the legal process, from drafting legal documents to arguing cases before courts, ensured that she vigorously defended her clients’ interests.

Prior to joining DS Lawyers, Victoria studied law at Université de Sherbrooke, where she was an active member of several student committees at the Faculty of Law, including the Access to Justice Committee and the SimONU Committee. Victoria co-authored the Université de Sherbrooke Faculty of Law’s brief in support of Bill 75 aimed to improve accessibility and efficiency in the justice system. Her thoroughness and advocacy skills were recognized during her time at University when she and her colleague won the Best Litigation Pair at the national Laskin Moot Court Competition. During her studies, Victoria also worked as a research assistant for the UN Global Compact, a U

After completing her professional training at the Quebec Bar in Fall 2021, Xiao joined DS Lawyers Canada as an articling student in June 2022.

While at university, Xiao completed a clerkship with a judge of the Court of Québec. She also worked on many cases for the Mile End Legal Clinic. She eventually developed an interest in business law through her internships at a local law firm and a legal start-up company. Outside of work and study, Xiao is involved in the Montreal Chinese community as a member of the legal committee of YCPA. She is also a mentor for commerce students from Marianopolis College.

Lindsay Amantea practices corporate law and commercial real estate, specializing in business purchase and sale transactions, advising start-up enterprises, and corporate reorganizations. She also has experience in estate planning and administration with a focus on unique and complex situations.

Thanks to her interdisciplinary background she likes to implement creative methods to achieve her clients’ needs. Lindsay also offers services as a parliamentarian and is a member of the National Association of Parliamentarians. As a lifelong volunteer, she believes in giving back to her community. She has been active with organizations such as Pro Bono Students Canada, Student Legal Assistance, and Ask Her YYC. She has also spent almost two decades in political organizations and campaigns for every level of government across Canada. Lindsay enjoys playing ultimate frisbee, collecting coins, and listening to live music.

Thomas Heine is a lawyer with DS Lawyers Canada’s Calgary office, and has experience with corporate/commercial matters, mergers and acquisitions, and securities.

Prior to joining the firm in 2021, Thomas received his J.D. from the University of Calgary, and a Bachelor of Science with a Kinesiology Specialization from Queen’s University.

Trained in intellectual property litigation at a prestigious Paris law firm for 15 years, Charles-Antoine Joly then joined a firm of former industrial property attorneys to share his litigation skills. He has more than 25 years’ experience of litigation in all areas of intellectual property: patents, trademarks, designs and copyright.

He joined DS Avocats to strengthen the litigation activity of the Intellectual Property, Digital Technologies and Data team, particularly in the field of patents and in the context of the establishment of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) in Paris, with which he is registered as an authorised representative.

In addition to his professional career, Charles-Antoine is actively involved in the field of intellectual property at association level. He is a member of the Patent Committee of ECTA (European Communities Trade Mark Association), where he helps to shape trade mark and patent policy and practice at European level. He is also Vice-Chairman of AAPI (Association des Avocats de Propriété Industrielle), a key organisation for lawyers specialising in the protection and defence of industrial property rights. In addition, Charles-Antoine co-chairs the Copyright Committee of AIPPI (Association Internationale pour la Protection de la Propriété Intellectuelle), reflecting his expertise and deep involvement in the field of copyright law. These associative roles testify to his passion and dedication to the field of intellectual property, reinforcing his position as a leading professional in this sector.

Ziping is based in Ho Chi Minh and provides services for the establishment and development of Chinese companies in Vietnam. She specializes in compliance and general corporate legal consultations. She also has experiences in investigating cybercrimes in Vietnam for multi-national companies.

Before transferring to Vietnam, Ziping worked in DS Avocats Shanghai office, providing corporate and compliance services for foreign – funded enterprises in China.

Ziping graduated from Georgetown University Law Center (LL.M) and the University of Sydney Law School (J.D.). She holds the Chinese Lawyer Qualification Certificate and is also a practicing lawyer in New York States of United States and a solicitor in New South Wales of Australia. She is also a registered foreign lawyer in Vietnam. Prior to joining DS Avocats, Ziping worked in a Chinese law firm and a US law firm’s Beijing office.

Niu Yaqin assists foreign companies in their establishment and acquisition projects in China and ensures the daily legal follow-up. She has started to develop an expertise in the field of commercial contracts (distribution, agent, purchase/sale, etc.).

Clément Lalmanach holds a Master’s degree in Labor and Social Security Law from the University of Bordeaux. He joined the Bordeaux office in 2021 and practices exclusively in labor law.

Clément advises companies and associations of all sizes and in various sectors of activity, as well as their executives, on individual and collective labor relations.
He also assists regional players in the sports world.

In litigation, Clément acts before all social jurisdictions, with a particular interest in labour court proceedings during collective procedures (recovery, liquidation).

Antony Kerr-Aspirot is a lawyer practicing in the area of mergers, acquisitions and business coaching in the Business Law Group at DS Lawyers Canada. Mr. Kerr-Aspirot understands the reality of entrepreneurs and knows that the best legal solution is not always the best business solution. In collaboration with his clients, Antony finds creative solutions to bring their business projects to reality.

Antony Kerr-Aspirot sits on the board of directors of the SP Foundation, an organization that supports people with multiple sclerosis.

With several years of experience at a Parisian law firm specializing in construction and insurance litigation, Marion Centime joined the real estate team at DS Avocats’ Bordeaux office in 2022.

She leverages her expertise to assist a diverse clientele in the following areas:

• Construction law advisory and litigation: Assisting public and private project owners in the execution of their real estate projects (new construction, rehabilitation, transformation, etc.), as well as supporting builders. Her extensive experience in handling large-scale claims makes her a key legal advisor for clients, offering comprehensive support that integrates strategic, operational, and legal considerations for major projects and construction-related disputes.
• Real estate development and project structuring: Advising real estate stakeholders on the structuring and execution of projects, from the planning and pre-construction phases to construction and operational stages.
• Property portfolio management: Assisting operators in managing their real estate assets, including advisory and litigation services related to leases and real estate transactions.

Additionally, she provides legal support for complex real estate structuring operations.

The core practice of Émilio De Angelis is in commercial and corporate law. His practice is mainly focused on transactions and corporate financing within the Business Law Group of the Quebec City office of DS Avocats.

His hard work was recognized during his university years when he was nominated for the Richard Wagner Chief Justice Award from the Pro Bono organization. Before joining DS Lawyers, he completed his law studies at Université Lavel, where he worked with the Pro Bono and Jeunesse Enrichie organizations, among others.

In addition to his professional and academic commitments, Émilio is an avid volleyball player and hiker.

A graduate of Sciences Po Lyon and Sciences Po Strasbourg, Audrey Samain joined DS Avocats’ Public Business Law team in Lyon in January 2022. She specializes in general public law and more specifically in public property law, local government law, administrative liability law and civil service law.

Michael Ginevsky practices primarily in the areas of capital markets, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, securities regulatory compliance and general corporate law. He works with clients in a wide range of industries, including oil and gas, technology and life sciences, and advises clients on various matters, including court approved arrangements, amalgamations, corporate reorganizations, public and private offerings of equity and debt, securities regulatory compliance, stock exchange listings and general corporate law. Michael has experience assisting public and private companies in all stages of the business lifecycle.

He received his Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) (B.Comm.) with Honours from the University of British Columbia and his Juris Doctor (J.D.) with Distinction from the University of Alberta.

Adrian Harvey practices primarily in the areas of corporate finance, capital markets and securities regulation. Adrian acts for both issuers and underwriters in respect of financings, mergers and acquisitions, and all dealings with regulators including stock exchanges and securities commissions. Furthermore, his practice involves asset acquisitions, dispositions, and general corporate and commercial matters. He has also acted on behalf of investment funds.

Adrian Harvey received his Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Economics with first class standing from the University of Alberta in 2003 and also completed the Canadian Securities Course (Honours) in 2005. He received his Bachelor of Laws in 2006 from the University of Alberta. Prior to joining Burstall LLP in 2010, he practiced corporate and securities law with a large international law firm in Calgary.

Adrian Harvey is a member of the Canadian Bar Association and the Calgary Bar Association. In addition, he has acted as corporate secretary or director for both publicly traded and private companies, as well as secretary and director for an Alberta political party.

Adil Hirji practices corporate, commercial and securities law with a focus on corporate finance, public and private equity and debt offerings, and mergers and acquisitions.  His practice also involves advising issuers on TSX, TSX Venture and CSE listings, including in connection with initial public offerings, reverse takeovers and qualifying transactions. With respect to mergers and acquisitions, Adil has advised clients on a range of complex transactions including plans of arrangement, amalgamations, restructuring transactions and takeovers. He also has experience advising issuers on corporate and commercial legal matters, continuous disclosure, corporate governance, and banking transactions. He has experience assisting public and private companies in all stages of the business lifecycle.

Adil Hirji received his Bachelor of Commerce (B.Comm.) with a major in Finance from Dalhousie University. During his undergraduate degree, he spent a semester in the United Kingdom, as well as a semester in China on an internship. He received his Bachelor of Law (LL. B) with honors from the University of Durham and completed the Canadian accreditation examinations. Mr. Hirji also completed the Canadian Securities Course certification.

Adil Hirji is a member of the Council of Champions of the Calgary Public Library Foundation Board of Directors and a member of the West Island College Alumni Advisory Board.

Lawyer with more than 25 years of professional experience, specialized in commercial and tax law related to the company, mergers, acquisitions and business reorganizations in general, his practice also includes areas such as infrastructure and concessions, real estate and construction law.

In charge of negotiating and executing contracts for the purchase and sale of companies and legal advice to companies, especially foreign investors and their expansion to the South Pacific Region.

He has been Professor of Mergers and Acquisitions and Taxation of the Company

Patrice Mouchon has a solid experience in the reorganisation of numerous French and multinational groups in sectors as varied as the Automobile industry, Air transport, chemical Industry, Mining, Banking, Mobile telephony and services, both in Business law and labour law.

His activity has led him to advise and defend financial and industrial operators in Africa and especially in the Arab world.

He has participated in numerous arbitration and mediation proceedings in disputes between European, Arab and African companies.

In arbitration matters, he has in particular obtained awards from the court of arbitration of the international chamber of commerce, on the scope of the concept of “RIBA” on the basis of Malekte muslim Law which is an integral part of the law of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.

Patrice Mouchon has been working for almost 30 years in the framework of humanitarian associations, notably for the sovereign order of Malta.

Registered at the Casablanca Bar since April 24^th 1996, she founded Hamzi Law Firm on July 1^st 1999.

Her main areas of expertise are Contract Law, Corporate & M&A, Employment Law & International Mobility, Social Arbitration & Labor Litigation, Insurance & Transportation and finally Project Finance.

Zineb Idrissia Hamzi is regularly recognized as a leading business law attorney by leading publications, such as the Chambers Global Guide, IFLR 1000 or the magazine “Décideurs juridiques”.

Lou Ricard has a background in business law, and her career has enabled her to develop skills in both private and public law. 

Today, she works alongside public and private sector actors in issues related to urban planning law, both as a consultant and in litigation, within the Urban Planning department which she joined at the end of her final internship.  

Mr. Burstall practices in the area of commercial law with an emphasis on securities law. Its practice includes all aspects of securities law from both the perspective of an issuer or an underwriter, including initial public offerings, secondary financing, mergers and acquisitions, all dealings with regulators including stock exchanges and securities commissions, and corporate governance. He also practices in business and corporate commercial law, including all forms of corporate governance, shareholder agreements, and managing shareholder disputes.

He’s a director or secretary of several issuers both, listed or private. Dale is also a director or trustee of charitable organizations.  In addition, Mr. Burstall has in the past and continues to sit on certain advising committees of the Alberta Security Commission or The TSX Venture Exchange Inc.

Dale was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and raised in Calgary, Alberta. He received his Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary in 1982 and his Bachelor of Laws from the University of British Columbia in 1985. He was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1986. He joined the firm in 1987 as an associate, and became a partner in 1994.

Robert Verbuck specializes in corporate and securities law, with a focus on capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance.

With over 20 years of experience, Robert has advised numerous start-ups and emerging companies across a range of industries. He also serves as a director, corporate secretary, and counsel to select private and public enterprises that align with his interests, particularly in the storage and real estate, energy, agritech, and health product sectors.

Robert holds a Bachelor of Arts from Western University (1993) and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Toronto (1998). He is a member of the Law Societies of Alberta and Ontario.

Götz Gaiser is admitted to the the Stuttgart bar and the Paris bar. He specializes in international business law and has particular expertise in Franco-German law.

Götz Gaiser advises his German and French clients on commercial and corporate law matters, supporting them from business formation through contract negotiation and drafting. He also works on cross-border M&A transactions. Additionally, advising start-ups is a key part of his practice.

Memberships / Offices :

• International Association of Young Lawyers (AIJA)
• German-French Lawyers’ Association (Deutsch- Französische Juristenvereinigung e.V. – DFJ)
• German-Chinese Lawyers’ Association (Deutsch-Chinesische Juristenvereinigung e.V. – DCJV)

Vanessa Dobler’s core fields of expertise lie in family and inheritance law, where she assists clients with the drafting of prenuptial agreements, divorce proceedings, and estate planning.

Additionally, Vanessa is a certified mediator specializing in alternative dispute resolution.

Mtre. Angèle di Giovanni’s practice include all aspects of civil and commercial litigation.

She has acquired particular experience in real estate and international commercial law.

Her various mandates lead her to get involved at all stages of the files, including research and redaction as well as representations before the courts.

Daniel joined DS Canada Lawyers LLP (DS) in March 2019, after completing his legal studies at the Thompson Rivers University in 2018. Since being admitted to the British Columbia Bar in 2021, he has served his current role as an associate in DS’s Vancouver office.

In practice, Daniel is detail-oriented and approaches problems with a pragmatic attitude. His undergraduate degree in commerce and previous banking experience have afforded him the breadth of knowledge necessary to be an effective corporate commercial lawyer, where he displays a strong aptitude in securities related matters. 

Rare in this day and age, Daniel is a generalist who in equally comfortable as a litigator, being often able to leverage his strong transactional background in helping clients resolve complex disputes. In that capacity, Daniel has appeared before various levels of British Columbia’s Courts, as well as numerous administrative tribunals. 

Daniel takes pride in his ability to deal with a broad-spectrum of requests for clients, and his ability to provide tailored advice based the clients’ unique and specific needs and circumstances.  

Isabelle Doyon is an associate at DS Avocats in the Shanghai office, specializing in intellectual property law, digital law and personal data protection.

She assists foreign companies operating in China in their digital projects and in their compliance with personal data regulations.

Isabelle began her corporate career at L’Oréal, then joined the law firm Clifford Chance in Paris where she remained for 5 years, before moving abroad where she worked for different groups and law firms (Greenberg Traurig LLP and Ralph Lauren Corporation in New York and Tyco in the Netherlands).

Before joining DS Avocats, Isabelle worked as an IP / Digital lawyer with Groupe SEB.

Laurent Kihl handles tax litigation for individuals and companies.

His area of expertise extends to tax consulting and tax audit assistance.

He has extensive expertise in patrimonial taxation. He also supervises restructuring operations for tax purposes and coordinates audit operations.

A graduate of the École Nationale des Impôts, Laurent Kihl was an auditor, then inspector in charge of litigation (corporate taxation) at the Hauts-de-Seine Tax Services Department.

Jean-Claude Drié assists companies and public actors in managing their tax issues. 

He provides upstream advice or downstream assistance in the defense of cases. In the latter case, he works closely with the tax authorities, identifies the appropriate parties and tends to resolve disputes within a diplomatic framework.

If necessary, he organises interventions at the central administration of Bercy before any litigation is brought before the courts.

Jean-Claude Drié is a graduate of the École Nationale des Impôts and holds a doctorate in law.

He has been a public finance inspector in charge of tax auditing at the Direction des Vérifications Nationales et Internationales (DVNI), a teacher at the Sorbonne and has authored books on taxation, he is also a lecturer in account auditing and local taxation.

Member of the Chamber of notaries of Quebec since 2014, Mtre Audrée Roy is a member of our Business Law Group.

Her practice is mainly focused on corporate financing with a particular focus on commercial real estate such as movable and immovable hypothecs, real estate refinancing as well as various security interests.

She also advises clients on real estate transactions and acts particularly in context of mergers, acquisitions, corporate reorganizations, and construction projects.

Her expertise is put to good use in drafting promises to purchase, commercial leases and various agreements, as well as in litigation and dispute resolution cases. 

Xiao Joni worked in the Chinese marketing department of a century-old international company and was promoted shortly afterwards due to her excellent performance.

She joined DS China in 2018, and with her 6 years of marketing experience, she has built up DS China’s online and offline promotion channels, Customer Relation Management system and internal and external communication mechanism to enhance the brand awareness and influence of DS.

She supports the firm’s partners in expanding and maintaining a network of resources for cross-border legal service needs in China.

Andrea Buchin is General Delegate for China.

After holding marketing management positions in international companies, she supported companies in their development and positioning strategy, particularly in Asia.

She joined DS Avocats in 2011, bringing her skills to support the management of DS Avocats’ offices in China, as well as to Business Development. Her work is also aimed at optimizing resources in a context of strong growth.

Today, she is the Shanghai contact for our clients on their general business structuring and compliance issues in China.

Pilar Martin is a member of the Litigation and Compliance Department.

She has experience in advising individuals and companies from various sectors (retail, real estate, industrial, banking, etc) in civil proceedings (payment claims, contractual resolutions, damages, civil liability, etc) and in criminal proceedings (crimes related to the business environment).

She also has extensive experience in implementing and developingof criminal compliance plans for companies.

25 years of experience in legal translations.

Shujuan joined DS in 2008. She is in charge of carrying out the administrative formalities for the incorporation of companies and the registration of amendments to the articles of association.

She also specialises in the formalities for obtaining work permits and work visas for foreign employees.

15 years of experience in legal translations.

Chiara Zanframundo’s practice focuses on employment law.

With specialized training in labor law in Italy, after a 6-month internship at the Court of Appeal of Brescia (Social Chamber), and a 4-year experience with a leading Italian labor law firm, in 2019 Chiara benefited from the International Internship with the Paris Bar.

Thus, she joined the Italy desk of the International Department in March 2020 to provide her training and experience for Italian companies in France and French companies in Italy.

Chiara also holds a Master’s degree in “Social Law and Labor Relations” from the University of Paris Panthéon-Assas.

A former social security executive, Ghislaine Strebelle-Beccaert joined DS Avocats in June 2020 to reinforce the labour law team of the Lille office, in order to develop more particularly an activity focused on the control of professional risks for our clients (work accidents, occupational diseases, optimization of the AT rate, social security litigation) as well as the management of the URSSAF control and its contestation.

She also develops a more “traditional” activity, both as counsel and in court, in labor law.

In this context, she provides practical support and advice to company directors and their HR departments on all aspects of the company’s social life, in the context of a genuine partnership and decision support, adapting this advice to the conventional context.

Diénaba Camara is involved in corporate law cases. She provides day-to-day and exceptional legal secretarial services: constitution, approval of accounts, all statutory modifications, all changes in governance, restructuring operations, etc.
She is in direct relation with clients, chartered accountants and auditors. She also monitors and carries out all corporate law formalities.

Antoine Pupponi works within the urban strategies department in a multidisciplinary manner, both as an advisor and in judicial and administrative litigation, on matters relating to property management (amicable sales and acquisitions, administrative and judicial phase of expropriation, pre-emption, right of priority, retrocession, eviction, etc.) and urban planning law (urban planning permits and documents, criminal urban planning law, civil urban planning litigation).
He also assists project sponsors on environmental assessment issues.

Javier Duany has more than 25 years of experience in the administration of portfolios of national and foreign trademarks and patents, in litigation and fight against piracy and infringement of trademarks and patents, in processes of unfair competition and free competition. Exhibitor in different forums about brands and fight against piracy. He participated in the Legislative Committee organized by the Peruvian entity of intellectual protection, INDECOPI, which elaborated the legal framework on measures to combat piracy. Member of the Anti-Piracy Commission in both AMCHAM Peru, as well as the Inter-American Association of Intellectual Property (ASIPI) and the International Trademark Association (INTA). He has been designated as a leader in the practice of intellectual property law by various international ranking companies such as Chambers & Partners, Leaders League, Who is Who, among others.

His practice is developed in Competition Law, Intellectual Property, including registration and protection of trademarks and patents, processes for unfair competition, consumer protection, piracy and infringement of trademarks, patents and copyrights; as well as in personal data protection.

PROFESSIONAL AND ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES

• Member of the International Trademark Association INTA
• Member of the Peruvian Association of Intellectual Property – ASIPI
• Member of the Peruvian Association of Intellectual Property – APPI
• Member of the Intellectual Property Committee of the Chamber of Peruvian – North American (AMCHAM).
• Former member of the Industrial Law Committee of the Lima Bar Association.

Enrolled at Milan Bar Association, Marco Bello’s practice is focused on Real Estate (in connection with “development” and “trading transactions” of real estate assets). He provides assistance to Italian and foreign clients on international trade, corporate and commercial law. He also provides assistance in relation to corporate transactions, including acquisitions and M&A operations. He grants advice to Italian and foreign clients for cross border transactions in Brazil.

According to the fact that has been working cross border in Brazil since 2008 he is able to advice clients for any relevant matter on that market. He has developed a significant experience in litigation and international arbitration, particularly in real estate and corporate matters. He works regularly in Italian, English and Portuguese.

In 2006 and 2007, Marco Bello was Professor in the “Master’s Degree Course” on “Real Estate Advisory” organised by the University of Verona”, collaborating with Professor Roberto Bottiglia, Professor of Economics of Financial Intermediaries.

In 2000, he was a Lecturer for the Infor School of Professional Development within the course entitled “La gestione e gli adempimenti delle operazioni di commercio con l’estero”.

Mr. Simard is a seasoned litigator who represents a business clientele before the courts in all types of commercial disputes and insolvency proceedings. These include shareholder remedy litigation, contractual disputes, enforcement of security, injunction and safeguard proceedings, as well as representing various stakeholders, creditors and debtors in insolvency proceedings as well as trustees, monitors and receivers.

In addition to being a frequently sought-after speaker, he has been a professor and author at the Quebec Bar School since 2005 and is also Past Chair (2020-2021) of the national Insolvency Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association of which he is still a member of the executive.

Elia Gissi’s practice is focus in corporate and commercial law. He works in a wide range of fields, providing assistance in merger and acquisitions, corporate reorganizations, negotiating and drafting commercial agreements.

He also supports the DS Avocats Milano’s litigation team in any disputes concerning corporate and commercial’s matters. He speaks Italian, English and French.

Maria Cristina Ferrara is the office manager, responsible for the general services of DS Avocats Milan.

She attends to clients and suppliers, manages the organization and communications, the agenda and the commitments of the team, organizes meetings, appointments, conference calls and business trips. She is also in charge of accounting and billing. She speaks Italian and English.

Prior to joining DS Avocats, Liu Yimin practiced in two renowned Chinese law firms.

She specializes in M&A transactions and corporate law and has built a solid experience in a wide range of industries.

She leads and coordinates numerous M&A projects both in the audit and transactional phases.

Giulia joined the team of DS Avocats Milan in 2018. She mainly focused on civil, real estate and commercial law, assisting clients in any related disputes, both on a domestic and on a cross-jurisdictional basis.

She provides advice and assistance to clients in relation to personal data protection issues, in particular on profiling and marketing techniques.

With 20 years of experience in expropriation/pre-emption, Xavier Gosselin has full mastery of all aspects of this field with respect to the strategies to be devised and procedures carried out before the administrative (Declaration of Public Utility /transferability/pre-emption) or expropriation courts.

He is in charge of redevelopment operations, RHI, urban renovation, real estate restoration.

Recognized expert in social law, Catherine Brun-Lorenzi advises companies and their managers on all the individual and collective aspects of the subject and assists them before the various jurisdictions.

Co-founder of the association FEMMES ET DROIT, she sat on the Council of the Bar Association (2014-2016 mandate).

Claire Champion focuses her practice on corporate transactions (mergers and acquisitions) and private equity.

In particular, she advises on fund-raising, both nationally and internationally. She covers the whole spectrum of the investment life cycle, including buyouts, build-ups and exits, for both managers and private equity houses.

More broadly, she provides corporate law advice to both French and foreign companies.

Claire is active in particular in the healthcare and life sciences, agri-food, chemicals and business services industries.

At the same time, she regularly leads conferences and professional training courses.

Sébastien is a primary partner in the firm’s Montreal office. He specializes in transactional law, mergers and acquisitions, financing, banking, commercial law and commercial real estate.

Sébastien is recognized and appreciated for his sharp business skills, versatility and pragmatic, results-oriented approach. He regularly acts as a primary advisor to his clients in their business initiatives and projects, mainly in mergers and acquisitions, during which he has acquired significant experience in complex transactions. He is also solicited for his ability to efficiently advance and close various types of transactions involving many stakeholders and professionals, in different jurisdictions. Drawing on his experience in commercial litigation, he is involved in atypical transactions taking place in complex contexts, such as corporate restructuring or business reorganization.

In the financing sector, Sébastien represents various institutional lenders and chartered banks, notably for financing in the real estate, automotive, distribution, manufacturing, transportation, and life sciences sectors. He is involved both upstream, in developing structures, advising credit authorities, assessing, and managing risk, and in drafting, putting in place security and taking out guarantees. In addition, he has extensive experience in managing contractual aspects between creditors. As well as acting for lenders and investors in other types of transaction, whether via private equity, venture capital or subordinated debt.

In the Real Estate sector, Sébastien handles a wide range of real estate transactions and financings, as well as setting up holding and consortium structures. He has also established a particular expertise in projects involving major infrastructures and various non-traditional components of property law (e.g. underground, aerial). Sébastien also regularly advises property and real estate portfolio owners and managers, as well as investors and industry professionals.

In addition to his usual practice, Sébastien is closely involved in various files relating to the management of relations between shareholders, including disputes. He is also an accredited commercial mediator. Sébastien has taught security law and business law at the Quebec Bar School. He has also taught real estate law and has appeared as a consultant on television and radio programs on this topic, which has always fascinated him.

Involved from an early age in the community and in various charitable and philanthropic endeavours, he is currently Governor of the Quebec Bar Foundation, after having been invited to serve as Governor of the Next Generation. He has served on several boards of directors, as well as various corporate advisory committees in growth and risk management contexts. He is also a frequent speaker on a variety of topics related to mergers and acquisitions, business transfers and succession.

Sébastien is listed as one of Canada’s leading corporate and commercial lawyers in the prestigious Chambers & Partners Directory.

Stéphane Gasne a une solide expérience de presque 20 ans sur les grands projets à travers l’Europe, l’Afrique et l’Asie, accompagnant les acteurs majeurs du secteur de l’énergie et du BTP, ainsi que les banques de développement, les fonds d’infrastructures et les sponsors, notamment chinois.

Il intervient en financement de projets, développement de projets et construction d’infrastructures.

Daniel joined the original firm in 1980 and was made partner in 1987. He co-founded DS Avocats in the early 1990s and has chaired the firm, as well as the international DS Group, since its creation.

At the same time as his contribution to the international development of DS, he created and developed the Public Business Law Department, which he led for several decades.

Olivier Fages has been a Partner since 1992. Olivier is a member of the Executive Committee of DS Avocats, and was Chairman from 2020 to 2024.

Olivier has played a key role in the international development of DS Avocats in Europe, in Asia and more recently in Latin America.

Olivier has been central to the development of DS Avocats’ Real Estate Offer, contributing to the creation of our multidisciplinary service offer for real estate players.

He led the Real Estate department for several years, and assisted many of the firm’s longstanding clients in their strategic investment operations and in the management of their real estate assets.

Kimberley Okell specializes in business law and handles matters in both national and international levels.

Her expertise is focused on mergers and acquisitions, securities, corporate governance and the continuous disclosure requirements governing listed issuers and she is also involved in the analysis and drafting of various commercial agreements.

Martin Cauchon advises his clients primarily in international business law. He facilitates his business relationships with his clients by providing strategic advice on development, acquisitions, and strategic alliances. He draws on his years of experience as a member of senior management of companies, during which he designed and negotiated numerous transactions and alliances for Canadian and Chinese companies.

Before joining the firm, Mr. Cauchon had a distinguished political career at the federal level. First elected as a Member of Parliament in October 1993 in the Quebec riding of Outremont, he subsequently held various positions in the federal government, including Secretary of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, January 1996 – January 2002), Minister of National Revenue (August 1999 – January 2002), Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, and Minister responsible for Quebec (January 2002 – December 2003). In 2013, Mr. Cauchon entered the Liberal Party of Canada leadership race as an official candidate.

Mr. Cauchon’s unparalleled experience in government has given him a deep understanding of a wide range of issues, including the challenges facing business in a knowledge-based economy and global markets, human rights, and partnerships at the provincial, national, and international levels.

In March 2015, Mr. Cauchon, through Groupe Capitales Médias of which he was Executive Chairman until August 2019, acquired six daily newspapers, Le Soleil, Le Quotidien, Le Droit, La Tribune, La voix de l’Est and Le Nouvelliste.

He currently sits on the board of directors of several companies. He is also the Vice President of the Canada China Business Council and President of the Quebec Chapter.

Mr. Cauchon completed a Masters degree in International Business Law at the University of Exeter, UK.

Judith Lemieux assists the lawyers in corporate matters regarding mergers and acquisitions and other commercial transactions.

She is involved in the incorporation of businesses, their updating and the setting up of various types of entities.

Bruce McNiven practices business law and has extensive experience in the purchase and sale of assets, private placements and mergers and acquisition.

His practice also includes negotiating agreements related to technology licencing and in the international health sector, joint venture and distribution agreements and other commercial agreements, in Canada and abroad.

Étienne Dubreuil’s expertise applies to structuring and negotiating complex transactions, whether in international partnerships or partnerships between public sector and private sector.

He specializes in matters dealing with the marketing of intellectual assets and the outsourcing of services.

An experienced consultant, Claude Lacroix was a member of the Canadian Commercial Arbitration Center Expert Committee and applies his expertise to both Canadian and international issues.

An experienced negotiator, the variety of his practice in business law allows him to assist his clients as soon as a business is launched, in mergers and acquisitions, private, institutional and public financing or in dispute cases.

Andrée-Anne Auclair began her career in banking prior to joining DS Lawyers’ tax department.

She handles Canadian corporate reorganization, merger and acquisitions of business and business tax in general.

Stephan Cliche has been a strategic advisor in both the US and Canada. He represents several Canadian and American corporations, among which financial institutions and public organizations.

His work focuses on international agreements, intellectual property protection and cross-border financing.

Nathaly J. Vermette is a lawyer and trade-mark agent practicing in the area of business law with a focus on intellectual property law at the Montreal office of DS Avocats.

She assists Canadian and international clients in acquiring, protecting and monetizing their intellectual property rights. She suports them in the registration and protection of property rights and in the drafting and implementation of various types of commercial agreements, such as franchise, licensing, technology transfer and distribution agreements.

Her expertise has been highlighted by her teaching at McGill University’s School of Continuing Studies, where she teaches the “Intellectual Property and Contract Management” course.

Prior to joining DS Avocats, she completed her law studies at the University of Montreal where she obtained a Bachelor of Laws and a Master of Laws.

Conferences

August 8^th, 2008 American Bar Association Annual Meeting, New York City, New York.  Organization, coordination and moderating of a CLE program entitled “Ordering Liberty in an International Economy” at the New York Sheraton, featuring the Honourable Mr. Justice Ian Binnie, Canadian Supreme Court Justice, the Honourable Mr. Justice Robert Nugent, South African Supreme Court of Appeal, Professor Thomas Schoenbaum, and Mr. John Brosnan.

August 10, 2008, Secured the participation of and introduced the Honourable Mr. Justice Ian Binnie, Canadian Supreme Court Justice before address at the ABA TIPS 75th anniversary dinner held at the United Nations delegates dinning room in New York City.  Subject matter: Civil Liberties and Counter-Terrorism.

November 9^th and 10^th 2007: The “Animals and Bioengineering: A Consideration of Law, Ethics and Science” conference, held at the Duke University School of Law and co-sponsored by The American Bar Association Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section Animal Law, the Media, Privacy and Defamation and the Intellectual Property Committees together with the ABA Section Of Science And Technology Law.  Secured the participation of and introduced the Honourable Mr. Justice Michel Bastarache, Canadian Supreme Court Justice.

August 9^th to 13^th, 2007: American Bar Association Annual Meeting held at San Francisco, California.   Organization and coordination of a CLE program entitled: “Intellectual Property Insurance Coverage: How to Get it; How to Keep It!”

August 2006: American Bar Association Annual Meeting held at Honolulu, Hawaii.  Organization and coordination of a CLE program entitled: “Keep it Secret, Keep it Safe: Protecting Intellectual Property and Trade Secrets”.

Service de la formation permanente du Barreau du Québec, Développements récents en droit de la propriété intellectuelle, November 14, 2003, Intercontinental Hotel, Montreal.  Subject: Domain Names.

Federation of Insurance and Corporate Counsel (F.I.C.C.) Annual Conference held from July 21^st to 28^th, 2001 at the Grosvenor House, London, England.  Subject:  Napster and Copyright.

Federation of Insurance and Corporate Counsel (F.I.C.C.) Annual Conference held from July 23^rd to 29^th, 2000 at the Silverado Resort, Napa Valley, California.  Subject:  Domain Names in the Realm of Trademark Law.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s (CBC) French program, “Branché” 1999 television interview.  Subject:  Cybersquatting.

The second “Manifestation Internationale Vidéo et Art” held September 18^th to 22^nd, 1995 at Montreal, Quebec.  Subject:  Internet, the role of video distributors and the legal protection of art.

The 4^th Business and Professional Women’s Annual International Conference held April 1^st and 2^nd, 1995 at Le Nouvel Hotel, Montreal.  Subject:  Internet and the Law.

FOU-ART held June 12, 1994 at L’Union Française, Montreal.  Subject: Virtual Reality and Copyright Issues.

Publications

VERMETTE, Nathaly J., Apps for Aging Lawyers: Prostheses for the Mind?, ABA, Solo, Small Firm & General   Practice Division, GPSolo, Summer 2013, Vol. 30, No. 4

VERMETTE, Nathaly J. and Juan Alberto DIAZ-WIECHERS, Believe it or not, Plant Breeders Have Rights Too, ABA, TIPS, TortSource, Winter 2011, Vol. 13, No.2.

MANOLIS, F. Mikis, Nathaly J. VERMETTE and Robert J. Hugerford, The Doctrine of Forum NonConveniens: Canada and the United States Compared, 60 Fed’n Def. & Corp. Couns. Q.3 (2009), 3.

VERMETTE, Nathaly J. An Introduction to The Honourable Justice Ian Binnie’s Article (Legal Redress for Corporate Participation in International Human Rights Abuses: A Progress Report), ABA, TIPS, The Brief, Summer 2009 Vol. 38 No. 4.

VERMETTE, Nathaly J., An Introduction To The Honourable Justice Michel Bastarache’s Article (The patenting of living matter as seen by the Supreme Court of Canada), ABA, TIPS, Animal Law Committee Newsletter, Spring 2008.

BROUILLETTE, Robert and Nathaly J. VERMETTE, Establishing And Controlling Intellectual Property Royalties, ABA, TIPS, Intellectual Property Committee Newsletter, Winter 2008.

VERMETTE, Nathaly J., Trademark and Reverse Trademark Hijacking in The Global Market Place – A Canadian Perspective, ABA, TIPS, Intellectual Property Committee Newsletter, Spring 2005.

VERMETTE, Nathaly J., Les noms de domaines, Développements récents en droit de la propriété intellectuelle (2003), Vol. 197, 143.

VERMETTE, Nathaly J., Domain Names in the Realm of Trademark Law, 60 R. du B., 149; 51 F.I.C.C. Quarterly, 1.

VERMETTE, Nathaly J., L’Origine du droit canadien des marques de commerce, 14 C.P.I. 431.

Affiliations

• Québec Bar. Member since 1994;
• Governor of the Quebec Bar Foundation since 2011
• American Bar Association, Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) and Intellectual Property Section. 2004-2005: Newsletter Editor, and Web-Site coordinator: 2005-2006: TIPS Intellectual Property Committee Chair-elect; 2006-2007 and 2007-2009: TIPS Intellectual Property Committee Chair; 2008-2010; Chair of Distance Learning Committee; 2007-2010: Member of the Continued Legal Education (CLE) Board; 2010-2011: Co-chair of the 2011 ABA Annual Meeting Arrangements in Toronto; 2011-2012: Orientation Chair & Member of the Scope & Correlation Committee; TIPS Fellow; Elected to ABA TIPS Council Member for Bar years 2012-2015;  Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC).
• International Trademark Association (INTA) – Member of the Anti-Counterfeiting Committee et le Emerging Issues Committee

Cindy Ho specializes in business law and works in a wide range of fields, including corporate and commercial law, mergers and acquisitions, real estate, public and regulatory law. She assists corporations in their general business operations, from research to negotiating and drafting of agreements.

She is involved in national and international transactions, with a particular emphasis on China related matters.

L’expertise reconnue de Donald Béchard, Ad. E., l’amène à intervenir sur des questions de preuve et de procédure civile, ainsi qu’en qualité d’arbitre dans des litiges commerciaux.

Il est également conférencier et coauteur du Manuel de l’objection (Éditions Yvon Blais, troisième édition 2009) et de L’Expert (Éditions Yvon Blais, troisième édition 2011).

Alexandra Normand joined the tax department at DS Avocats after obtaining her Bachelor’s degree in Finance and her Master’s degree in Taxation.

Her practice is mainly focused on tax planning, business transfers and corporate reorganization.

Frédérique D’Amours focuses her practice on commercial and corporate law, namely M&A, corporate financing and corporate reorganization. She is also familiar with the insurance industry.

Michèle Frenière focuses her practice on litigation and strategic advice in real estate and construction. She advises and represents various stakeholders at every stage of their projects, particularly with regard to their contracts, liabilities, claims, and calls for tenders. She has been teaching at École Polytechnique since 2011 in the master’s program in civil engineering construction project management, and she has redesigned the construction project management course at École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS). She regularly acts as a speaker and trainer at conferences and in companies. She is also the author of the book “La résiliation unilatérale : un régime unique en constante évolution” (Unilateral Termination: A Unique and Constantly Evolving Regime), published in the Barreau du Québec’s Développements récents en droit de la construction (Recent Developments in Construction Law).

Michel Gervais has a broad experience in notarial law, gained through over thirty years of private practice in real estate, commercial and corporate law, as well as non-contentious matters and estate planning.

Their confirmed trust and loyalty allowed him to assist his clients in both business and private sectors.

Éloi Desjardins’ area of practice focuses on M&A, corporate financing and the various aspects of commercial and transactional law.

He represents reporting issuers, brokers and investment funds in Canadian capital markets transactions and advises them regarding regulatory compliance.

Brian Johnson advises his clients regarding a wide range of business law matters with a focus on the corporate and commercial concerns of technology and IP based clients.

As an entrepreneur himself and with long experience commercializing clients’ intellectual property assets, he brings a sensible and cost-effective perspective to present and future needs.

Holding a DESS industrial Property of University Paris II, She worked during 23 years for Gide Loyrette Nouel (Beijing, Shanghai & Paris).

She assisted the clients in setting up in China/France and were also in charge of legal translation.

Vianney is a partner at the firm and a graduate of Sciences Po Lyon and Université Paris I. He advises and represents clients in matters of urban planning and environmental law.

He supports project developers with issues related to environmental assessments and the coordination of regulatory procedures, including public participation processes, mandatory consultations, planning document modifications, and required permits.

Vianney has also developed particular expertise in legal and technical aspects of aquatic environments and biodiversity. He regularly assists both public and private project sponsors in securing their operations when dealing with sensitive environmental concerns such as protected species, wetlands, flood risk, and coastal protection.

Thibaud Le Conte Des Floris assists and advises French and foreign clients on their personal data law issues (GDPR compliance audits, data governance, internal methodologies and procedures, subcontracting agreements, confidentiality policies, CNIL controls, etc.).

He is more generally involved in IT law, both in consulting and in litigation.

Graduated from Sciences Po Strasbourg, Arnaud Vermersch joined the environmental and sustainable development law department of DS Avocats in January 2019 after a first 4-year experience in a litigation French law firm.

He provides advisory and litigation services to private and public actors.

Anne-Marie Bonin Lavoie has developed an expertise in civil and commercial litigation and in media law. She is involved in all the stages of the cases brought to her, from research, analysis and writing to representation before the Court.

Josée Pilon is a partner in the litigation department of DS Avocats in Montreal. Her practice focuses on employment and labour law as well as civil and commercial litigation. She is also the head of the litigation group.

With more than twenty years of experience as a lawyer, she assists companies or managers in cases involving employment law situations and/or issues.  On a daily basis, she advises her clients on all aspects of employment law, including hiring employees/consultants (employment contracts, service contracts, offers and conditions of employment), termination of employment (dismissals, permanent or temporary layoffs), application of employment standards, workplace psychological harassment, compensation, employment policies, employee manuals, as well as the application and validity of restrictive covenants (non-competition, non-solicitation).  She also drafts and negotiates all documentation relating to employer-employee relationship. Finally, she acts on behalf of her clients before Quebec’s civil and administrative courts and tribunals (at first instance, review or appeal) and/or in arbitration, particularly in matters of employment or labour law, including disciplinary measures, termination of employment, terms and conditions of employment or application of restrictive covenants. 

She also represents clients in civil and commercial litigation and in matters of estate law.

She taught the Labour Law section at the Quebec Bar School (Montreal) from 1999 to 2022.

Webinars, Conferences, and Publications:

Webinar:  Covid-19 Labour Law, Force Majeure and Government Measures in Quebec and Canada, DS Lawyer Canada, May 2020;

Publication: Commentary on the decision Canada Post Corporation v. Rippeur – Prescription and Right to Reinstatement in Human Resources Bulletin, February 2014, The Human Resources Reference, EYB2014BRH1400;

Publication: Commentary on the decision Asphalte Desjardins Inc. v. Quebec (Commission des normes du travail) – Can the employer waives notice of resignation given by an employee in Human Resources Bulletin, May 2013, The Human Resources Reference EYB2013REP1345;

Conference held by the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association (CCCA): Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, blogs: how new technologies are changing the game in employment law, as part of the Seminar “Managing Employment-Related Issues in Turbulent Times: What’s in store for 2010”, January 2010;

Lecture: overlooked or lesser-known standards with respect to overtime and vacation, as part of the Seminar “Challenges of the Economic Recovery: Are You Ready?”, September 2009;

Publication: Questions and answers during the webinar “How to remain productive in the event of an A(H1N1) pandemic“, website “les affaires.com”, 2009.

Jacinthe Kirouac-Letendre has solid experience in tax and commercial litigation. She has also acquired considerable experience in bankruptcy and insolvency cases.

She has represented a multitude of taxpayers before the tax authorities, from the tax audit process to appeals in the courts. She has pleaded in all courts of first and second instance in Quebec.

Kim Toffoli practices business law. She specializes in financing and commercial law. She represents and advises financial institutions as well as private corporations regarding all matters relating to financing, mergers and acquisitions and corporate reorganizations.

Isabelle Giroux is a lawyer practising in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganizations, financing and drafting/negotiating commercial agreements in the Corporate/Commercial Group in the DS Québec office.

She assists her entrepreneurial clients by accompanying and advising them in dealing with the various legal issues they face.

Isabelle represents small and medium-sized Québec businesses in provincial, national and international legal matters, particularly in transactional and commercial matters. In addition, she is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ursuline Cultural Heritage Trust.

SOCIAL INVOLVEMENT She has served on the boards of directors of various organizations. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Fiducie du patrimoine culturel des Ursulines.

Richard Laramée specializes in business law and represents public and private corporations, both in Canada and abroad. His areas of practice include the manufacturing industry, entertainment, real estate, retail and new technologies.

He provides expert advice regarding the structure and management of businesses, as well as in reorganization and M&A related matters.

Vincent Routhier’s practice focuses on international trade and customs law; particularly in trade remedies (ADD | CVD), cross-border trade facilitation and customs/export controls compliance. He assists clients in developing import and export compliance programs and has represented clients before Canadian, U.S. and European agencies in the context of trade and customs proceedings. He advises corporate clients and governments on a broad range of international trade and customs law technical matters, providing strategic counsel in regards to issues arising from WTO Agreements, bilateral trade agreements (CUSMA/NAFTA/CETA/CPTPP), Canadian, American and European Union member state trade and customs provisions.

He provides clients with strategic and technical expertise with respect of ADD and CVD methodological issues, injury investigations, Safeguard proceedings, and Judicial Review. He has appeared before the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, the Canadian Federal Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court of Canada, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. International Trade Commission and the EC’s DG Trade. He also advises and represents clients with respect of tariff classification, valuation, origin, marking, penalty determinations (AMPs) and export controls.

He is rated in LEXPERT® and WHO’s WHO LEGAL (WWL) as a Leading Lawyer in Customs and Trade. He is a Certified Commercial and Civil Arbitrator and has been named to the CITT’s Expert Advisory Committee and appointed by the Governor General in Council as a permanent Panel Roster member for Canada under CUSMA. He manages the Customs and International Trade Law Practice.

Isabelle Haberer is in charge of the legal management of a portfolio of companies and the ordinary and exceptional legal secretariat: incorporation, approval of the financial statements, all modifications to the articles of association, all modifications to governance, restructuring operations, contribution, merger, dissolution and liquidation, and all related legal formalities. She is in direct contact with clients, accountants and statutory auditors.

With more than fifteen years of experience as a legal specialist in intellectual property, Isabel Carvalhinha is in charge of managing the trade mark and designs and models portfolios of DS Avocats clients.

She assists the team in the management of intellectual property rights at both national and international level.

David joined DS Avocats in 2016 and is part of the Africa Department.

A doctor in International Public Law, he advises mostly in Public Procurement / PPP / infrastructures and corporate law, notably in the context of the OHADA law.

Audrey Clement is specialised in company law, mergers and acquisitions and financing. On qualifying in 2016, she joined the company law, mergers and acquisitions and financing department of DS Avocats.

She holds a Master 2 degree in international business law from the University of Rennes 1 and spent a year studying abroad at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom

After various experiences in Paris and Bordeaux law firms, Lucille Boyer joined the firm’s Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions department in 2019.

She handles all corporate law issues and assists companies in fund raising, restructuring operations, and the sale and acquisition of companies or groups of companies.

She has also developed expertise in “social and solidarity enterprises” (SSE) and advises companies on the possibilities offered to them to adapt their operations to SSE criteria.

Ph.D of law, Rong obtained the CAPA in France in 2017.

With her professional experiences in diverse domains, i.g. estate law, contract law, intellectual property and business law, Rong accompanies the clients-investors in their transactions in China and France.

Issakha Ndiaye has developed a leading experience in the field of public procurement, particularly in West Africa.

He intervenes on behalf of public decision-makers (drafting texts, accompanying projects etc.) as well as that of economic operators (assistance and counseling, litigation).

He has written several books on PPPs and public procurement.

Svenja Zeuch‘s practice covers family and inheritance law, particularly in Franco-German contexts.

Svenja Zeuch has extensive experience in family law, including divorce, maintenance and custody law as well as in the settlement of cross-border inheritances. In addition, Svenja has been providing voluntary advice on all legal issues to the German family planning and family counselling centre Pro Familia for several years.

Dr. Ulrich Hahn-Woernle is a German lawyer. He has extensive experience in international tax law, commercial and corporate law. His long-standing experience as a director of a leading mechanical engineering company provides the firm with valuable expertise. He advises companies on tax and legal matters on an international level.

Stefanie Bieg is a lawyer admitted to practice law in both Germany (Stuttgart Bar) and France (Paris Bar). In Germany, she is specialist lawyer in international business law (Fachanwältin für internationales Wirtschaftsrecht).

Stefanie Bieg advises German and international companies, particularly French firms, on all aspects of international business law and represents them in litigation.

A key focus of her work is labour law, where she provides preventive advice and represents clients in employment disputes, both in court and out-of-court. Additionally, Stefanie advises on commercial lease law, assisting her clients with negotiating and drafting lease agreements.

Memberships / Offices:

• Member of the Executive Board in the German-French Lawyers’ Association (Deutsch- Französische Juristenvereinigung e.V. – DFJ)
• German-Spanish Lawyers’ Association (Deutsch-Spanische Juristenvereinigung e. V. – DSJV)
• International Business Law and Insolvency Law Working Groups of the German Bar Association (DAV)

Thierry is a specialist lawyer in international business law with extensive expertise in contract law, commercial and corporate law, insolvency law, and intellectual property law.

Thierry advises companies on all aspects of international business law. A key focus of his work is supporting cross-border M&A transactions as well as advising start-ups. Additionally, Thierry has extensive experience in litigation and alternative dispute resolution at both the national and international levels. He helps his clients resolve disputes efficiently while developing tailored strategies for each case.

Memberships / Offices :

• President of the European Lawyers Network (EurAvocat)
• German-French Lawyers’ Association (Deutsch- Französische Juristenvereinigung e.V. – DFJ)
• German-Chinese Lawyers’ Association (Deutsch-Chinesische Juristenvereinigung e.V. – DCJV)
• International Business Law and Insolvency Law Working Groups of the German Bar Association (DAV)

Sandrine Kirschenbilder is an experienced jurist with extensive expertise in French contract, commercial, and insolvency law.

Sandrine Kirschenbilder supports clients in cross-border Franco-German matters, helping them navigate complex legal and economic challenges. Additionally, she assists companies with the enforcement of outstanding claims.

Sandrine is a Conseillère du Commerce Extérieur de la France (CCE) and President of the Baden-Württemberg chapter. Through her experience and her network, Sandrine Kirschenbilder helps companies to develop their business efficiently across borders.

Memberships / Offices:

• French Foreign Trade Advisor in Germany (Conseillère du Commerce Extérieur de la France – CCE), President of the Baden-Württemberg regional group
• German-French Lawyers’ Association (Deutsch- Französische Juristenvereinigung e.V. – DFJ)

Pham Quynh Nhi has experiences specializing in business and investment laws.

She assists foreign investors to implement their projects in a wide spectrum of industries in Vietnam. Nhi holds a bachelor degree in commercial laws from Ho Chi Minh City University of Law

My Hoa joined DS Avocats after working as a legal consultant for the oil & gas projects. She advises on the implementation and legal compliance of projects in Vietnam.

Hoa holds a bachelor’s degree in International Trade Laws from University of Laws & Economics – Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City.

Ilka Schtesche is the Office Manager and a jurist. She has been part of the team since 1995.

Thanks to her legal training and extensive experience in debt management and the administration of supplier pools, Ilka Schtesche has in-depth knowledge of insolvency law. In addition to these specialist areas, Ilka is responsible for the operational and organisational management of the law firm and is in charge of marketing, controlling and data protection.

Pol is a commercial lawyer who specialises in the digital market, intellectual property and privacy, acting in legal disputes if necessary.

In 2016, he co-founded a law firm specialised in his field of practice.

He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Young Lawyers’ Association (GAJ) and a member of the Transformation Commission of the Barcelona Bar Association.

He has also received several awards, as well as specialised training for the exercise of the functions of Data Protection Officer (DPO) and is passionate about the world of technology.

He is always willing to take on new projects and challenges in multidisciplinary teams.

Lawyer specialized in corporate, financial-regulatory and tax law.

He regularly advises national and international clients in all kind of matters related to these areas, as well as he also has experience in the field of M&A and venture capital transactions.

Martin Bussières, one of the co-founders of the firm, is a leader of the Canadian tax group and a member of the firm’s executive committee. He practises in the areas of Tax Law and Corporate Law for all the offices embodied in the of DS Lawyers Canada family.

Throughout his practice, Martin has developed a particular expertise in corporate financing, purchase and sale of companies, corporate reorganization, mergers and acquisitions, succession planning and estate planning. Martin’s mandates involve both small and large companies.  He also represents his clients before the tax authority.

Ryan Flewelling’s practice covers a wide range of matters, including commercial and real estate disputes, insolvency and estate litigation. He has extensive experience representing clients at the trial and appellate levels in the Ontario and federal courts, as well as before various administrative tribunals.

Before joining DS, Xu Sissi worked for a Chinese and an international law firm based in China.

She is specialized in corporate law, foreign investment law and M&As.

Jean-François Welch’s practice is mainly transactional and his expertise concerns especially M&A, financing, real estate law and aviation law.

He assists clients in Canadian and international matters for SMEs and multinational corporations.

He is often called upon as a business lawyer, to advise his clients on strategic issues. He serves on the Board of Directors for various major organizations.

Isabel Moga Rella, a Spanish national, has been working in China since 2009. She advises Spanish and French companies in their investment and development projects in China.

She is specialized in corporate law and labor law.

Leader in procedural, corporate and contract law practices, consulting on issues of conflict resolution, negotiations, transactions, arbitration and business development around the Commodities, Construction, Hotel, Real Estate industries and retail.

He has negotiated and participated in the drafting of projects of a large number of complex corporate agreements, collaborating successfully in closing transactions and liquidation of companies.

More than 20 years of experience in consulting and negotiations, transactions, m&a, arbitration, corporate law, civil law (contracting), administrative law and intellectual property and competition law.

He participates as arbitrator in ad hoc and institutional arbitration processes and is currently part of the payroll of arbitrators of the National and International Arbitration Center of the Chamber of Commerce of Lima and others.

Head of the Tax & Finance practice, with relevant experience in Peru and Latam in tax-corporate and tax-private-client national and international consulting, planning, and structuring; M&A transactions, re-organization and re-structuring of companies, project, business, and investments.

He is Board member of several companies in the Banking, Construction, Warehousing and Maritime Logistics Services among other companies and non-profitable entities.

He collaborated with the issuance of statutes applicable to the tax, commercial, and security regulations, a professor of Law in one of the main Peruvian Law Universities and a continuous speaker on national and international business and academic forums.

Percy Castle has been constantly recognized by several international rankings.

More than 30 years of experience in the exercise of Procedural Law, Arbitration, Negotiations and Conflict Resolution, in business legal consulting, participation in the evaluation, qualification and recovery of delinquent debts, from banking entities and private companies.

Advice on arbitrations of law and conscience, in negotiations for the search for resolution, attention to preliminary and judicial processes on various matters in conflict.

Leader of Compliance, Infrastructure (PPPs) and Public Contracting´s area. He advises national and foreign companies for the preparation of offers, execution and management of contracts, as well as, plans and develops public-private investment projects of public infrastructure and promotion of private investment. He designs legals structures for the establishment and implementation of foreign companies in Peru.

Leader of remunerative planning and hiring structure. Creation of new companies, hiring and determination of working conditions, as well as in their decoupling, suspension and termination of labor relations.

Development of business policies, advice on the obligation to hire workers with disabilities and international displacements, as well as the hiring of foreign personnel and the regularization of their immigration status.

Charles Castle is a well know lawyer in the customs and foreign trade sectors of the maritime industry, warehouses and logistics, shipping, importer, exporters and transport services, serving for more than 15 years to the largest companies in the national and especially international market in complex international transactions and operations (sales, distribution, leasing, among others), structuring of customs and logistics operations, implementation of customs benefits (Drawback; OEA; etc.) and the application of tariff reduction agreements concluded by Peru.

He has been internationally distinguished as one of the most prominent attorneys in the International Trade / WTO practice, by Chambers & Partners and Legal500.

He has been a professor of various undergraduate and postgraduate courses in foreign trade at the most recognized universities in Peru, as well as an active and recurring speaker at various national and international forums, such as the AmCham Foreign Trade Facilitation Committee and the Association Peruvian Customs Law and International Trade – APDACI, and author of various articles on his specialty.

More than 15 years practicing the consulting, planning and structuring of local and foreign investments, advice in the planning, financing, development of mining and energy projects and m&a. Advice on financing for companies of the stock and insurance sector. Performing preventive audits and sponsorship in tax control procedures, contentious tax and administrative procedures. He has been arbitrator of private cases.

Partner in charge of the Commercial, Mergers & Acquisitions and International Law department of DS Abogados Chile. Having more than 25 years of experience, advises companies and investment funds in various sectors such as the Retail Industry, Pharmaceutical Industry, New Technologies Industry, Renewable Energy Industry, mining and services industry in general. Furthermore, he also assists these companies in their M&A processes, conflict resolution and complex negotiations.

Advising clients in various fields of activity, and more particularly in matters of free competition law, distribution, regulation and administrative processes.

Partner in charge of the area of litigation and arbitration in DS Chile, lawyer specialized in arbitration, civil and family litigation, as well as in the planning of negotiations and judicial strategies. he is a member of the Mediation and Arbitration Center of the Santiago Chamber of Commerce and the First Court of Appeals of Santiago.

He has experience in International Arbitration and was a professor at the Diego Portales University School of Law for more than 12 years.

Sacha Brodetsky holds a Master degree in General Private Law from the University of Paris II and an LL.M. from the University of Melbourne (Australia).

He joined the Environmental and Sustainable Development Law department of DS Avocats in February 2020 after a 2-year experience in a renowned French law firm in the field of insurance law and industrial risks. He provides both advisory and litigation services in the field of environmental law and insurance law.

Seynabou Kandji is the head of the Dakar office of DS (DS Consulting Afrique). She applies the skills available in the offices of DS around the world to develop the activities of the Group in Sub-Saharan Africa. She advises local and international clients (foreign investors, multinationals, public institutions etc.).

She is qualified in international business law, common law and environmental law.

Reiga Shimizu is a graduate of Chuo Law School (Tokyo), and holds in France an LL.M (University of Paris I Sorbonne) and a Master 2 in contract law and commercial practices (University of Paris XII).

After several years working in Tokyo for Japanese companies, Reiga joined DS Avocats in Paris in 2012 as head of the Japan Desk.

Reiga is regularly involved in cross-border transactions between the European Union and Japan (mergers and acquisitions, commercial contracts, international mobility, etc.).

She advises both Japanese groups wishing to establish themselves in France and Europe and French groups wishing to invest in Japan in various sectors such as industry, aeronautics, automotive, food processing, etc.

Chiara Poggi Ferrero is the partner in charge of the International Desks at DS Avocats.

Following her studies in Italy (University of Padua Law School) and France (LL.M Paris 2 Assas), Chiara became a member of the Milan and Paris Bars. She is in charge of the Italy Desk and brings to the firm over 20 years’ experience in corporate law, in both Italy and France. Chiara advises on cross-border transactions between France and Italy, commercial transactions and disputes and international personnel mobility.

She is the author of many publications and speaks frequently at corporate law conferences in France and Italy in collaboration with a range of Italian and French organisations, industry bodies, employer confederations and universities. In addition, together with the department’s international desks and the DS Avocats teams across the world, Chiara advises on inbound and outbound investments, in particular at the European level.

Chiara was awarded the French National Order of Merit for her activities promoting French and Italian cooperation in 2017.

Chiara was also distinguished in 2021 with the Order of the Italian Star at the rank of Knight.

Pierre-Louis Boret graduated from the University of Bordeaux and also studied at City University, London.

He worked as a trainee in several law firms and companies, in France and abroad, before joining the corporate team of DS Bordeaux in 2019.

Since 2013, Marie-Ludivine Facon assists project owners and companies in the protection and enhancement of their intangible assets (copyright, trademark, design, patent, digital), their image and their know-how in France and abroad, as well as in their development strategy and in the negotiation of commercial agreements. 

She acts both as counsel and in business litigation and more particularly before the courts and industrial property offices.

She holds a Master 2 in Industrial Property from the University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas, a Master 1 in Corporate and Contract Law from the University of Lille II and a Certificate in Law & Management from EDHEC Business School.

Verónica Ramírez is a partner of the Spanish law firm DS OVSLAW. In her professional practice she is involved in the comprehensive advice of companies, both national and international, through planning, design and advice both in the incorporation of all types of companies and in the recurrent advice throughout their corporate life, providing support to corporate and administrative bodies and intervening in operations of restructuring, acquisition, sale and merger of companies.

Veronica has extensive experience both in advising start-ups (especially in the various rounds of investment and agreement between partners) and in advising private equity entities (investment and disinvestment processes in companies) and venture capital funds.

A member of the Barcelona Bar Association, Veronica has collaborated with the Abad Oliva University of Barcelona, teaching sessions on the processes of M&A.

Yvon Martinet is Chairman of DS Avocats and the DS Group.

His experience has enabled him to acquire a cross-disciplinary approach to the law and a well-established practice in the field of industrial risks (Health, Safety, Health, Environment) both nationally and internationally.

He is regularly appointed as a mediator, third party conciliator by the parties to the contract or by judges, but also as an arbitrator.

He has been a director of the organisations Planète Urgence, Droits d’Urgence and Alliance pour les Droits de l’Homme, non-profit organisations involved in social economy.

Holding a CSRD sustainability auditor certificate, a training approved by H2A issued by Apava/Afnor, Yvon Martinet has extensive expertise in supporting companies to address CSR challenges (CSRD, taxonomy, duty of care…).

Yvon is a Knight of the National Order of Merit and former Vice-Bâtonnier of the Paris Bar Association (2012-2013). He is also a former Member of the Bar Council (2014-2016) and of the National Council of the Bars (1999-2001), member of the French delegation to the Council of the Bars of the European Union (CCBE) (1999-2004), representative of the Paris Bar on the board of the International Bar Association (IBA) (2002-2004), former President of the Environmental Lawyers’ Club (CDAE) and former First Secretary of the Traineeship Conference (class of 1991).

Head of the Environment and Sustainable Development Department, and OTI Technical Director, Patricia Savin manages cases in the fields of the Circular Economy, biodiversity, brownfields, CSR, sustainable real estate, ICPE, etc.

She was a member of the Steering Committee of the French Ministry of Ecology that drafted the Circular Economy Roadmap (FREC).

She was a member of the working group set up by the Minister of Justice to introduce “ecological damage” into the Civil Code and of the Legal Committee of the Ministry of Ecology in charge of drafting the Charter of the Environment.

Patricia is in charge of the Sustainable Development Commission of the Paris Bar Association and regularly speaks at conferences and seminars.

She is an independent director of COVIVIO, an SBF 120 real estate company, as well as President of the Think Tank OREE, which brings together companies and local authorities on the themes of circular economy, biodiversity and CSR.

Holding a CSRD sustainability auditor certificate, a training approved by H2A issued by Apava/Afnor, Patricia Savin has extensive expertise in supporting companies to address CSR challenges (CSRD, taxonomy, duty of care…), informed by the work carried out within the OREE network that she chairs.

Having joined DS Avocats in 2005, Michaël Moussault is now a partner in the Urban Planning Department and manages the Real Estate Development team of the firm.

Michaël is a specialist in property law. In particular, he advises on questions relating to land acquisitions (compulsory or amicable), as well as the management of assets (occupation of the public and private domain), issues relating to the eviction of businesses and relocation of occupants from buildings acquired in the context of development projects. Through his recognised expertise in real estate development, Michaël delivers numerous training programmes and manages DS Avocats’ partnership with the two publications in the area of expropriation, Etudes Foncières and La Gazette des Communes.

Hua Zhong has been working for DS since 2014. She acts for Chinese companies in legal matters such as investment in France.

Before joining DS, she worked in the Compliance and Legal Department of ICBC (Europe). She holds the AMF Professional Certification.

Since October 2016, she moved to DS Shanghai where she assists French and European companies in China.

Margot Cougnoux graduated from the University of Aix en Provence with a Master Degree in Corporate Law and a DJCE diploma.

She joined the Commercial Law and Competition Law Department of DS Avocats in 2019.

She assists the firm’s clients in consulting and litigation in the following areas: contracts law, commercial law, insurance, competition, distribution, consumer affairs.

Thomas Obajtek manages the Lille office and advises in the area of prevention and management of business difficulties. He also advises on the takeover of businesses in difficulty and corporate litigation.

Lucas Mascarade, in charge of the Indonesian Desk, is seconded in Jakarta since 2016.

After an experience with Business France Singapore and as an associate in a German Law Firm in Kuala Lumpur, he focuses on advising European companies for structuring their investment in South East Asia and Indonesia as well as Indonesian companies for their investment in Europe.

He advises the clients of the Indonesian Desk concerning Contract Law, FDI Law, Corporate Law, International Business Law, Economic Law, Dispute Resolution and Labor Law.

He has been appointed as the advisor of the French Embassy in Indonesia since 2018 and French Trade Advisor since 2020.

After first practising at Cornet Vincent Segurel in Paris, Julia Folgoas specialised in company law and mergers and acquisitions. She joined the company law, mergers and acquisitions and financing department of DS Avocats in 2016.

Julia is dual qualified from ECS Lille (now known as Skema Business School) Grande Ecole section and has a Master 2 degree in Business law (European and comparative law).

Jean-Baptiste Micard is specialized in intellectual property law. Before joining DS Avocats, he completed several internships, including one in an industrial property consulting firm.

He currently practices in copyright law, trademark law, new technology law, in both advisory and litigation in French and English.

Emma passed her Bar School Finals in 2012 and is qualified from the University of Panthéon-Assas, Paris II (Diploma in legal business advice (DJCE).

After first practising at an British law firm, Emma Quercy is specialised in company law and mergers and acquisitions. She joined the company law, mergers and acquisitions and financing department of DS Avocats in 2016.

Dimana Todorova has joined DS Avocats in 2017 after significant experiences in law firms in Brussels and Paris specialized in European and competition law, as well at the European Court of Justice.

She provides legal advisory services and litigation services, in French, English and Bulgarian, with a double expertise in trade defense measures and European competition law, as well as all questions related to EU law.

Clarisse Marot holds a Master 2 degree in Labour Law from the University of Nantes. She joined the Bordeaux office and provides advisory and litigation services exclusively on labour law to businesses and executive managers.

Laurence Ren has a doctorate in law from the Université Paris I, is a member of the Paris, Beijing and New York Bars and practices French and international corporate law. She advises Chinese clients on mergers and acquisitions, commercial contracts and international investments, as well as on the contentious aspects of these transactions.

Catherine Verneret specialises in trademark, design and copyright law. She also advises on the protection of personal data. Catherine has developed a solid experience in the distribution, telecommunications and perfume sectors.

Her practice is split between transactional and contentious matters.

Alix Schontz has specialized training in labor law and dedicates her activity to assisting companies in various economic sectors in the Nouvelle Aquitaine region, particularly in the wine industry.

She ensures, through subscriptions, the regular monitoring of labour management within companies and organizations.

She is also involved in the social tribunals of the New Aquitaine region, in order to manage labor law disputes.

Arnaud Langlais has advised on M&A, private equity, and corporate law and has been involved in more than a hundred transactions and strategic operations for private and public entities: shareholder relations, joint ventures, acquisitions, and majority or minority stakes. Within the firm, he is also in charge of the corporate real estate practice and a founding member of We Law You, DS Avocats’ program for start-ups.
Arnaud Langlais is also a regular contributor to the press.

His experience with both private and public companies has led him to develop a particular expertise in companies owned by public companies: governance, and obligations towards supervisory authorities. He is involved in all types of acquisitions, majority or minority shareholdings, and joint ventures.

A lawyer since 1980, Marie-Christine Mergny has developed an activity of advice and litigation in commercial matters, particularly in international trade.

She assists French and foreign clients and represents them in litigation relating to the performance of their contracts (breach of commercial relations, contractual non-performance, product liability). She also practices in the industrial sectors.

Arnaud Fendler works on all aspects of customs and international trade law, areas in which he has developed a strong expertise since 2015.

He joined DS Avocats after several experiences in business law in the Brussels office of DS and at Gowling WLG in London.

He assists the firm’s clients, in both advisory and litigation matters, in French and English, in all the following areas: customs law (customs valuation & transfer pricing, tariff classification, origin, special regimes, AEO certifications), economic sanctions and export control of dual-use goods and defence equipment, green taxes, excise duties, trade defence and import VAT.

Arnaud Fendler is based in Paris where he works in close cooperation with multinational companies, SMEs, professional organisations and competent administrative authorities.

He is a member of the Collin de Sussy customs think tank, the ICC France Customs Commission and the ICC delegation to the WCO Technical Committee on Customs Valuation

Jérôme Lombard-Platet is a partner and head of the corporate law / M&A and financing team at DS Avocats.

He is also a member of the Madrid Bar.

He is in charge of transactions including all corporate and M&A issues (LBOs, private equity, joint-ventures, etc.).

To this end, he advises French and European corporate groups.

Jérôme Lombard-Platet has completed more than 250 transactions involving the acquisition/disposal of company shares.

He is the author of numerous articles in the magazines Option Finance and Droit et Affaires.

Zhang Beibei assists foreign companies in China in their development projects and also specializes in digital and information systems law.

Yang Lili specializes in complex M&A transactions, foreign investment and corporate law.

She previously worked in a Korean law firm in Beijing in the area of M&A transactions.

Xu Dehong has joined DS since 1999, having a double professional experience for Chinese and French entities. Thanks to her in-depth understanding of the social and legal environment of the business of foreign companies in China, she has acquired an extremely rich experience in the field of legal advice.

The scope of her intervention extends from the establishment of legal structures, to the accompaniment of their day-to-day operations up to their possible liquidation . Her experience has led her to deal with a large number of delicate situations, which makes her a valuable asset for our clients in anticipating and managing risks in China.

Jean-Charles Gancia has more than 25 years of experience in the restructuring, transfer and acquisition of companies in financial difficulties. He has worked for Hubert Lafont, a court receiver, DELOITTE Corporate Finance, SOFILAB and Societex Corporate Finance.
He has CMAP training (arbitration and mediation) and is a registered mediator with the Appeal Court of Paris.

Grégory Gutierrez advises on environmental and energy law for French and foreign industrial and real estate clients, both public and private, wishing to invest/divest or develop projects in France and abroad.

He has acquired solid experience in the field of environmental risk transfer (sale/acquisition of companies or real estate assets), particularly in the context of complex transactions involving multi-operator platforms, and assists his clients before the judicial and administrative authorities. Grégory Gutierrez has developed a strong expertise in the field of polluted soils and brownfields rehabilitation. He regularly acts in the real estate sector, particularly in the field of warehouses and logistics. More generally, he accompanies a diversified clientele in the development of projects involving various sectors (renewable energies, mining, logistics, cosmetics, chemicals, waste, quarries, aeronautics, automotive, …).

Grégory Gutierrez is a regular speaker at conferences and publishes articles that enrich the legal doctrine. He regularly conducts training sessions for professionals and students. In particular, he is a trainer at EFE (in environmental law: “improving” and “mastering” courses, and a module on the development of industrial wasteland and the ALUR law).

He is a member of the Environment & Energy Commission of ICC France since 2016.

Wuyan has been working in the Shanghai office since the early 2000s, and has developed a strong expertise in M&A transactions and joint venture projects.

She has managed several acquisition projects in the food, chemical, service, automotive, etc. sectors and has been able to extend her experience to other areas such as real estate, construction and the environmental sector and has led complex M&A projects and intra-group reorganizations.

In addition, she specializes in labor law and distribution law.

Fort d’une expérience professionnelle variée en entreprise et en cabinet d’avocats, ancien secrétaire de la conférence du stage, Arnaud Constant intervient en conseil et en contentieux en matière de droit commercial et financier complexe ainsi qu’en droit des sociétés. Il anime l’activité de droit pénal des affaires du cabinet.

Il dispense des formations professionnelles en droit des affaires et en droit pénal des affaires auprès de divers organismes.

Qiao Xuemei joined DS in 2014 after 7 years spent in a French law firm in Beijing.

She is in charge of all administrative formalities for DS’ clients, both when setting up mixed capital companies, companies with exclusively foreign capital, and during subsequent changes in their organization or governance.

She also supervises the formalities for obtaining work permits and work visas for foreign employees.

She brings to DS’ clients her extensive knowledge of the workings and specificities of Chinese administrations, her patience and her persuasive power.

She practised law for 6 years in Paris in a law firm with a reputation for tax and company law before moving to Shanghai where she joined an auditing firm (big 4), taking charge of foreign and local businesses and their Mergers & Acquisitions projects

She continues to develop her experience in taxation but has also been able to extend her expertise in other areas such as M&A transactions, corporate law and contract law.

He Shunshan, after having worked 7 years in taxation in an international accounting firm, joined DS Avocats in 2013 to lead the taxation practice.

As such, she advises foreign companies in all areas of taxation in China: VAT, income tax, personal income tax, preferential tax policies, derogatory regimes, tax optimization, in particular.

Since her arrival at DS in 2011, Gao Jing has developed an expertise in employment law.

Favoring a pragmatic and operational approach, she assists companies in their management of individual and collective labor relations: drafting of employment contracts, internal regulations, implementation of redundancy strategies, collective redundancy procedures, calculation of severance pay, negotiations with employees, etc.

In addition, she also advises foreign companies on customs law and intervenes more generally in the various legal issues that may arise in the life of a company.

Ding Yu specializes in labor law, maritime law and corporate law.

Before joining DS, she worked for more than 5 years at a renowned Chinese law firm dealing in labor law and labor litigation.

Since joining DS in 2008, Chen Xiaoyun has developed, in addition to his knowledge in environmental law, an expertise in intellectual property law.

In particular, he is in charge of managing the portfolios of trademarks, designs, patents, copyrights and software of DS Avocats’ clients.

He also advises them on all issues related to the protection of their intellectual property rights, and brings his experience both in establishing and implementing strategies for the clearance of prior rights, and in conducting and monitoring proceedings before the relevant Chinese administrations (such as opposition, cancellation and forfeiture proceedings, in particular).

Arnaud Burg holds a Master’s in Private Law, an MSTCF Certificate from the Université de Toulouse (1987-1988) and a Master’s (DESS) in Property Management from ESSEC (2003).

He is a member of the executive board of DS Avocats. He advises on mergers and acquisitions and structured financing. He brings together these two areas of expertise to assist businesses with external growth, equity capital and business transfer transactions. He also advises banks on implementing structured financings.

Christophe Billet’s experience has enabled him to develop expertise in corporate taxation in both domestic and international transactions.

He has been involved in the tax aspects of numerous acquisitions (takeovers, JVs, LBOs, etc.), investments and restructurings. In addition, he has expertise in real estate taxation, allowing him to act on behalf of major real estate operators.

He assists public players in the management of tax issues, both as counsel and in litigation, in all sectors of activity and in particular in land development in the context of concession contracts or in his own right, as well as in the area of public contracts (public procurement, public service contracts, PPP).

Alessandro, enrolled at Milan Bar Association, provides legal advice and assistance in corporate and business law to foreign companies in Italy and to Italian companies in China where he has resided and worked for over 7 years.

He specializes in international law, M&A and PRC investment law as set up, joint ventures, restructuring and acquisitions within the Chinese market where he accompanies manufacturing enterprises of different sectors in the development of their investment projects. Working for long period in Asia he has gained cross cultural negotiation skills that are utilized particularly in dispute resolutions and contracts negotiations.

Alessandro has also extensive experience in intellectual property law and he assists clients in IP strategy prevention, registrations, licensing agreements and relative litigation.

He is currently an arbitrator at the Panel of the Shanghai International Arbitrator Center (SHIAC).

Partner in charge of the Beijing office, Sylvie Savoie has been working in China with DS Avocats since 1990.

She advises foreign companies in their establishment projects and also ensures the legal support of companies already present in China by assisting them on a daily basis in the areas of contract law, employment law, commercial law and tax law in particular.

She manages DS’ intellectual property practice in China, and is particularly in charge of setting up strategies for the recovery of prior rights, drafting licensing agreements or the assignment of intellectual property rights.

In addition, she has developed expertise in the audiovisual field, particularly in film co-production projects.

Sylvie Savoie is perfectly bilingual in Mandarin.

Anne Severin has been working in China since 1997 and advises French and European companies in the Shanghai region. She was a member of the Office of the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China and is a French Adviser on International Trade.

In 2017 she was also recognised by the City of Shanghai as the first foreign lawyer to be awarded the Magnolia Medal, which recognises foreigners that have particularly contributed to the economic and social development of Shanghai.

She contributes each year to the legal section of Sinoscope and speaks on the legal environment in China before delegations from IHEDN, ESSEC, the École Polytechnique, as well as at the request of the Consul General of France in Shanghai to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Keeper of the Seals, as well as parliamentary delegations.

Samanta Librio is the Managing Partner of DS Avocats Milano. She practices commercial and corporate law, assisting on a wide range of corporate transactions such as acquisitions, investments, mergers, spin-offs, contributions in kind, reorganisations, restructurings and joint ventures. She also provides ongoing legal assistance and advice to Italian and multinational groups active in the oil and gas, heavy industry, energy, real estate, publishing and telecommunications sectors.

Her practice also includes litigation and international arbitration. Samanta has developed extensive expertise in property and property finance and regularly assists property investment funds, fund management companies, investors and property asset management companies.

Samanta Librio is a member of the board of directors of Italian listed companies and a non-profit foundation. She works in Italian and English.

Reiner founded the firm in 1986. He specializes in international business law, insolvency law, security rights law and inheritance law.

Through his close collaboration with prominent credit insurers in Germany, France, and China, he has built a prestigious international clientele. Reiner is regularly involved in creditors’ committees and has extensive experience in managing supplier pools.

He also serves as legal advisor to the French General Consulate in Stuttgart and supports clients in all French-German matters, particularly in French-German contract and inheritance law. Additionally, Reiner assists clients in national and international arbitration proceedings.

Memberships / Offices :

• German-French Lawyers’ Association (Deutsch- Französische Juristenvereinigung e.V. – DFJ)

Avocat depuis 2019, est spécialisé dans le domaine du contentieux et de l’arbitrage, intervenant principalement en matière civile, arbitrale et administrative.

Lawyer with more than 25 years of experience, he has a broad experience in the areas of Environment, Energy Law, Natural Resources Law.

He has acquired solid knowledge in Public Law with a special focus on Public Tenders in the Energy Area acting as a counsel for the Public Sector as well as for Private Companies. Furthermore, before joining the Firm, he worked as In House Legal Counsel for Transelec S.A, Chile´s most relevant energy transmission company.

Lawyer with more than 18 years of experience, she is in charge of advising national and international clients in the acquisition, development, financing, execution and commercialization of real estate projects and in the investment in real estate assets, as well as in the negotiation and preparation of contracts and documents necessary for its activities in matters related to its business, corporate and permanent administration.

Lisbeth LANVERS-SHAH is a dedicated and accomplished lawyer with over 16 years of comprehensive experience in Southeast Asia, India and Europe.

She has a strong expertise in corporate law, M&A, commercial contracts, data protection, employment law and secretarial/regulatory compliance.

She is enthusiastic about cross-border transactions across various sectors, including security, industry, luxury, IT, waste management and has a proven ability to provide strategic legal advice, manage diverse legal matters and contribute to corporate governance. She is skilled in assessing risks, calculating opportunities and building teams. She is a reliable business partner focused on helping delivering pragmatic and commercially successful outcomes.

Avocate au Barreau de Milan, Marta Longoni intervient principalement en matière du droit du commerce international, droit commercial et droit des sociétés. Elle assiste et conseille les clients italiens et étrangers sur tous les aspects concernant leur activité ordinaire, notamment dans le domaine des contrats commerciaux (tels quel les contrats de vente, d’agence et de distribution), ainsi que sur des questions liées au commerce électronique et de protection de la vie privée.

Marta fournit également une assistance dans le cadre de transactions extraordinaires, telles que les acquisitions et les opérations de fusions-acquisitions. Elle assiste spécialement les entreprises dans le cadre de procédures d’insolvabilité et de faillite. Marta a développé une expertise significative dans le domaine du contentieux et de l’arbitrage international, notamment dans le secteur du pétrole et du gaz. Elle travaille surtout en italien et en anglais.

Yi-Ta Hou began her career in 1999 with the Mergers and Acquisition Department of DS Avocats in Paris and led numerous mergers and acquisition, joint-venture and restructuring projects in Europe and West Africa before joining the Shanghai office in 2010.

Her international expertise has led to Ya-Ti being put in charge of the mergers and acquisition practice in China, which also covers joint-venture projects. She has, in addition, managed complex industrial projects that involved simultaneous plant relocations and restructuring of business activities.

Xavier Lacaze is a partner within the Commercial and Competition Law Department. He has a Master’s (DEA) in Corporate Law from Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, was an assistant lecturer at Université de Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines, where he taught EU competition law under Professor Gilbert Parléani and civil law under Professor Marie Malaurie-Vignal. He has given seminars on antitrust law for the Master’s (DJCE) programme at the Université de Cergy and has offered training at Ecole Nationale de la Magistrature on assessing the losses caused by anti-competitive practices.

Xavier has been practicing French and European competition law since 1999. He advises on both transactional and litigious matters across many sectors of the economy, including the industrial, construction and public works, energy, transport and network industry sectors. His clients are large groups that he advises on strategic and complex matters.

Xavier has acquired extensive experience in many sectors, including competition investigations, litigation and pre-litigation before the French competition authorities and the European Commission, French and European merger controls, private competition litigation, state subsidies, as well as contracts and disputes related to distribution and consumer law. He provides training in competition law, in particular to clients in the construction and public works sector, as well as the engineering, energy, transport and automotive sectors.

Véronique Fröding has been a member of the Paris Bar since 1989 and became a partner at DS Avocats in 2017 after practicing with Gide Loyrette Nouel.

She advises an international client base on the transactional and contentious aspects of cross-border investments in the fields of company and economic law, in particular in the field of product liability.

She has also developed specific expertise in energy law and regularly advises investors on the development, acquisition and financing of power plants, as well as on construction, operation and maintenance contracts.

Her expertise extends to regulatory, contractual and transactional aspects in various energy sectors, including electricity, gas, on-shore and off-shore wind projects, solar energy, biomass, and energy efficiency.

She also advises on energy sale and purchase contracts, capacity guarantees, CO₂ quotas and certificates of origin.

Véronique also assists with sustainable mobility issues, including intelligent networks, electric charging stations, self-driving cars, etc.

Her in-depth understanding of the market enables her to advise her public and private clients, in their own language, on all aspects of their transactions.

In particular, she is a member of the steering committee of the Franco-German Office for Energy Transition (OFATE).

Thomas Beaugrand’s practice focuses on IT law (large technology projects, digital services, software licensing and law, electronic communication, IT litigation and legal appraisals, digital intellectual property, etc.), data protection law (personal data, GDPR compliance, e-privacy regulations, frameworks for new data exploitation models), and e-commerce law (drafting general terms and conditions of sale for commercial websites, IoT frameworks).

Thomas also advises companies on their digital transition projects, IT acquisitions and digital restructuring (acquisition and deployment of cloud solutions, system integration and ERP, drafting and negotiating contracts, Agile software engineering, outsourcing and virtualisation, software compliance, web development, database protection, free software management, etc.), as well as ensuring that they comply with French and European data protection regulations (compliance controls, legal notices and flow regulations, action plans, assistance to DPOs, business development, digital marketing, etc.).

Thomas provides clients ranging from technology publishers to computer engineering companies and user companies with independent, proactive and pragmatic advice on both transactional and contentious matters. He also provides training on all of the above topics.

Robert Théret joined the Real Estate team at DS Avocats after many years at the head of one of the largest Paris-based notarial firms.

He advises on the transfer and acquisition of property and real estate companies, devising financing arrangements and property development and assists with investment and arbitration transactions of major French and foreign institutional investors.

Raphaël Romi holds a degree in public law. He is a former dean of the law faculty of Nantes, and heads one of the few sustainable development and environmental law master’s courses. He is ad personam Chair of European environmental law and has published several renowned textbooks in public economic law and environmental law.

He has extensive expertise in the renewable energies, biological diversity and sustainable development sectors and in the field of social and solidarity economy.

Raphaël was counsel in the Erika and Xynthia affairs; he has managed French and European litigations related to species management, has contributed to the establishment of public local regional enterprises and to legal and regulatory tracts on climate change.

He has extensive experience as an elected representative, and in particular he advises local authorities, local public establishments, as well as associations and companies on structuring and innovative and experimental contracts.

Based in Singapour since 2014, Olivier Monange has been working in Asia for more than 30 years. He opened the first French law firm in China in 1986 and was involved in negotiating the first joint venture contracts under Chinese law. Based in Beijing from 1994 to 2000, Olivier has advised many European companies on their strategies for establishing and operating in China, and has participated in several arbitrations.

He was the vice-president of the French Chamber of Commerce in China between 1996 and 2000. In 2001, he was appointed head of the International Department at DS Avocats, where he worked to develop the firm in Asia, including the Singapore office in 2004 and the Indian and Indonesian Desks, as well as the Asian client base, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Indian clients. French foreign trade advisor between 2001 and 2013.

He has become an expert in international arbitration in the fields of foreign direct investment and international contracts. Member of the ICC arbitration commissions of Paris and Singapore, the ICC Institute of World Business Law, a panel member for some of the most important Asian arbitration bodies (SIAC- Reserve List Singapore, HKIAC Hong Kong, SHIAC Shanghai, BAC Beijing, AIAC Kuala Lumpur, PIAC Ho Chi Minh City), a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb, London) and Fellow Member of the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators (SIArb). Registered as a foreign lawyer at the Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC).

He regularly acts as counsel and increasingly as an arbitrator in Asia-related arbitration cases.

Nathalie Sultan practices public business law. She advises companies, public institutions and investors on structuring and implementing public-private projects.

Nathalie has extensive experience in structuring and negotiating public contracts in various sectors, including infrastructure, telecommunications, energy and construction, in accordance with complex long-term procedures, including negotiated and/or competitive dialogue procedures. Furthermore, she advises clients on drafting secure contracts and managing risks.

She also assists with the acquisition and restructuring of special purpose vehicles created for the performance of public contracts.

In addition, Nathalie has developed significant expertise in public real estate projects, and advises her clients on how to safeguard their structures, in particular as part of calls for proposals and initial invitations to tenders, and related to public land tenure granted as part of complex projects.

Marie Trécan has been a lawyer since 2001. Her practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions and corporate law, and she assists French and foreign clients with their external growth operations (mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, etc.), their corporate law issues and their complex contractual negotiations.

She regularly assists both private and public entities in the context of transactions with real estate as an underlying element: acquisitions, acquisition of majority or minority stakes, real estate joint-ventures.

Marie Trécan has also developed a solid experience in structured finance, project finance and real estate financing for credit institutions as well as for investors involved in bond financing.

Monique Ambal provides developers (including regional authorities, public bodies, local public establishments, private development companies etc.,) with the expertise she has acquired over 32 years of advising them on setting up and implementing their projects.

Her practice focuses on choosing the appropriate urban planning procedures or permits and land strategy that tackles issues related to the public domain, defining contractual links that can be implemented between project partners, potential marketing and competition procedures, drafting, negotiating and implementing letters of intent, implementation contracts, including development concessions, mandates, etc., specifications for calls for expressions of interest or tenders, land use agreements, provisional sale and purchase agreements, off-plan and forward sales, etc., public infrastructure financing methods (development tax at enhanced rates, public-private financing agreements, mixed development zones), as well as project management processes, the creation of inter-communal structures and the transfer of know-how in the development sector, and ways to set up, transform and liquidate various private, public and mixed structures (SEMs, SPLs, SPLAs and SEMOPs).

Lubomir Roglev is a partner, Head of the Africa Desk in Paris. He specializes in corporate finance and natural resources. His experience focuses on mergers and acquisitions, private equity, acquisition finance, complex securities issues, mining and mining finance, energy and infrastructure, particularly in Africa.

He advises companies, banks, governments and investment funds in France and in Sub-Saharan Africa. He also advises international groups on the implementation of their integrity and compliance programs.

Laura Ceccarelli–Le Guen co-anime l’activité Urbanisme au sein du Pôle Immobilier de DS Avocats. Elle accompagne les porteurs de projets publics et privés dans le montage réglementaire de leurs opérations d’aménagement et d’infrastructures : faisabilité du projet, évolution des règles d’urbanisme, mise en œuvre des procédures (procédures de participation du public, droit d’initiative, évaluations environnementales, expropriation, préemption…), obtention des autorisations d’urbanisme et environnementales ; gestion des contentieux et négociations.

Elle a développé une expertise particulière en matière d’optimisation et de sécurisation de l’ensemble des procédures à mener pour la réalisation des grands projets d’aménagement et d’infrastructures au titre des différentes réglementations applicables (code de l’urbanisme, code de l’environnement, code de l’expropriation…).

Elle enseigne le droit et le contentieux de l’urbanisme au sein du Master Urbanisme de l’Ecole Urbaine de Sciences Politiques, dont elle est membre du Conseil pédagogique. Elle anime de nombreuses formations sur des thèmes tels que « Réaliser un projet immobilier d’envergure ; outils, méthodes et procédures en matière de droit de l’urbanisme et de droit de l’environnement », « Les impacts des réformes en matière environnementale sur les projets immobiliers », « Mener à bien une procédure d’expropriation ou de préemption »… et rédige régulièrement des articles sur les évaluations environnementales.

With 35 years’ experience leading his own firm, Jean-Paul Montenot’s practice now focuses on the free movement of goods within the European Union and European regulation of regulated products and the transportation of goods.

He advises on competition law (the marketing of fresh products), consumer and fraud prevention law, European law (free movement), public law (markets of national interest (marchés d’intérêt national) and state liability), arbitration law (chamber of arbitration), European law and preliminary questions before the CJEU raised before the national courts (parallel imports) and state defaults.

The above areas are almost always linked to the marketing of fresh products at every stage of the process, from seed to consumer labeling via commercial websites.

Jean-Paul is a member of the French Association for Rural Law (AFDR) and has advised professional federations and their members (UNCGFL, FEDEPOM, UNIGROS, Coordination Rurale) on both their daily operations as well as on collective disputes, such as compensation for the state’s failure to comply with the provisions of EU treaties, or state non-compliance (such as farmer’s protests, truck driver strikes) and other issues faced by their members. He has also been involved in redrafting codes of practice, such as RUCIP and COFREUROP.

Jean-Marie Salva is a Of Counsel lawyer at DS Avocats in Paris. He puts his expertise in customs law and international trade regulations at the service of the clients of DS Avocats. He provides advice (strategic consulting, optimization, compliance, AEO certification) as well as litigation.

Jean-Marie Salva is also registered on the lists of arbitrators of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

He is Chairman of the Customs Commission of ICC France and Vice-Chairman of the ICC Customs and trade facilitation committee.

He is a founding member and former Chairman of the Collin de Sussy customs think tank. He is also a founding member of the International Federation of Authorized Economic Operators (FIOEA).

Jean-Marie Salva teaches in Master 2 “International Trade Law” at the University of Paris 2 Panthéon Assas.

A former inspector at the General Directorate of Customs, Jean-Marie Salva was General Delegate of the Federation of International Trade Companies in Mechanics and Electronics (FICIME) from 1992 to 2001.

Jean-Marc Poisson is a Doctor of Public Law and has a Master’s of Law from Duke University. His professional experience is varied and ranges from university lecturer between 1996 and 2010 in France, the United States and China, counsel with rights of audience before the Council of State, to working for an American law firm. Jean-Marc is now the head of the Public Business Law department, with particular responsibility for the general public law practice. He has been managing the Lyon office since 2013.

He therefore focuses on matters related to the public domain, administrative responsibility and damages from public works, regional authority and inter-communality, public and para-public organisations, public services, administrative police and the civil service. Jean-Marc acts on non-contentious and contentious matters on behalf of public entities, including numerous public establishments, participants in the mixed economy and local public-private endeavours, as well as private sector companies that provide public services by operating networks (such as transportation, telephone, electric and postal networks), or that are more generally involved or active in the public domain, such as in the food or large-scale distribution sectors.

Isabelle Carton de Grammont, partner, has been involved for 25 years in public/private real estate law: urban planning, development, environment, land action and construction. She is the regular counsel of many public or private actors whom she assists in the implementation of their development and construction operations.

In order to provide regulatory and secure support for projects, her legal skills cover:

• from land use planning: amicable acquisitions (drafting and/or analysis of preliminary contracts) or forced acquisitions (expropriation, pre-emption, relinquishment);
• to setting up the construction or development operation: drafting and negotiating public and private contracts, competitive bidding procedures, complex arrangements, environmental procedures, urban planning authorizations and regulations, financing.
  

She also advises clients on construction law, at various stages of the project, from preparation to support during the construction phase to post-acceptance litigation, including the implementation of legal guarantees and the use of insurance policies.

She deals with all legal and judicial issues in these areas as well as in matters of leases and co-ownership. She also acts in general public law.

After completing a Master’s (DEA) in Corporate and Economic Law (Paris I), Fabrice Van Cauwelaert wrote his doctoral thesis on “The Freedom of Operators on the Market – a Competition Law Study.”

He joined the Commercial and Competition Law Department in January 2018, and he advises on transactional and contentious matters in the areas of commercial law and policy, competition law (anticompetitive and restrictive practices, merger controls and state aid) and regulatory law (business regulation, controls, administrative sanctions, etc.).

Fabrice is recognised for his experience in all matters related to the application of competition rules to the public sector and therefore works with the Public Business Law Department to assist the contracting authorities with assessing whether their planned actions comply with competition rules.

He lectures on public competition law as part of the Master’s II course on Contracts and Competition at the Université de Versailles-Saint Quentin en Yvelines, and runs an economic criminal law workshop at the Sciences Po Law School in Paris.

Frédéric Levy est responsable du Pôle Immobilier de DS Avocats. Il intervient en Conseil et Contentieux, notamment en action foncière, en matière d’expropriation, de préemption et de délaissement et en Droit de l’environnement, en matière de sites et sols pollués, responsabilité administrative, civile et pénale.

Il est Vice-Président du Laboratoire d’Initiatives Foncières et des Technologies Innovantes (LIFTI) et membre du Club des Avocats Environnementalistes.

Frédéric Godard-Auguste’s expertise is highly recognised in the field of employment law, where he advises companies of all sizes, as well as management.

In particular, he assists with individual and collective labour relations, as well as restructurings and the implementation of employment protection plans.

For the past 15 years, he has also advised court-appointed receivers and agents on businesses in distress, the application of employment law to insolvency proceedings, job restructurings, as well as on due diligence exercises in the context of transfers.

A former first secretary of the French Bar mooting competition (Conférence du Stage) and lecturer, Frédéric GODARD-AUGUSTE is also a litigation lawyer and represents clients before employment and criminal courts, and has developed a particular expertise in collective disputes and criminal employment law.

Frédéric holds a double specialisation in employment law and social security and social protection law. He is also the managing partner of the Bordeaux office.

François Dauchy has experience in the public-private sector, in both legal and business roles, for regional authorities, public bodies, development companies, etc.

Since joining the firm in 1992, he has contributed his extensive expertise in the property sector to matters ranging from development and urban regeneration projects to co-ownership disputes. He is particularly experienced in dealing with property issues related to large-scale linear transportation projects.

Over the past several years, François has also provided training on the law of expropriation and pre-emption.

Florence Bouthillier has extensive experience in drafting and managing contractual documents for clients including real estate companies and asset managers (civil and commercial leases, intermediary mandates, acquisition and transfer agreements, etc.), as well as for French and foreign investors (acquisition and transfer agreements, guarantees, etc.). She also advises on the resolution of disputes, including legal proceedings and enforcement options.

Florence is the co-author of the annotated manuals on Business Assets and Commercial Leases and Commercial Law, published by Lamy.

She has lectured at the Université de Besançon on complex real estate transactions and development agreements and is currently a member of the faculty for the master’s degree (magistère) specialising in property management and services at the Ecole Supérieure des Travaux Publics, du Bâtiment et des Services.

With 20 years’ experience in property disputes, Emmanuelle Moreau advises public and private bodies on development projects.

She assists them with drafting contracts ranging from regulating investor consultations to property protocols (protocoles fonciers) governing the sale of macro-lots, as well as contractual specifications and sale commitments and agreements. Emmanuelle manages contractual issues in connection with the development of complex real estate projects, combining the public domain and private property (servitudes, property management bodies (ASL, AFUL), sub-contracting, tenders), as well as the disputes arising from them.

Emmanuelle also advises institutional clients on valuing property assets and setting up developer/user partnerships for property development purposes (LOI, joint ventures, forward commitments to lease and sell (VEFA/BEFA), etc.).

She also advises on the reconversion of industrial brownfield land, establishing the contractual framework for the closure of classified facilities and change of land use (environmental provisions and guarantees, agreements of covering cost overruns, third party claimant agreements, etc.).

Emmanuelle is a lecturer at the Université Paris-SACLAY, where she teaches the fundamentals of private corporate law, including civil and commercial contracts, property law, and civil environmental law.

Emmanuelle is a member of the Association of Doctors of Law.

Éric Coutaud’s practice focuses on public law, particularly urban planning and development law. For almost 30 years, he has advised regional authorities, as well as their associations and operators such as semi-public companies (SEM), local public enterprises (SPL), single-purpose public-private partnerships (SEMOP), public bodies, real estate developers, etc. Based in the Lille office, he practices in the Hauts-de-France region where he advises on all areas of public law, including general administrative law, public domain, economic intervention, delegation of public services, etc.

Éric specialises in setting up and implementing complex development and real estate projects. In this field, he advises on determining and implementing procedures for administrative permits and formalities, land management, contracts, financing of public infrastructure and on how to create, transform, merge and liquidate promotional, construction and development structures.

Over the course of his career, he has acquired extensive experience in the multimodality, set up and management of logistics zones.

Eric provides training and publishes articles on development law.

David Guillot co-heads the Urban Planning Practice at DS Avocats. He advises real estate companies on establishing their planning and construction projects, including carrying out feasibility studies, project development, construction permit audits, interface with public bodies, management of disputes and negotiations. He also advises brands on commercial development.

David is also a lecturer at the Urban Planning School at Sciences Po Paris.

Bernard Tézé is a partner in the Corporate Department of DS Avocats in Paris.

He is involved in M&A, strategic alliances, partnerships, joint ventures and restructuring as well as private equity, LBO and Venture Capital, particularly in the regulated sectors (Healthcare Pharma-Biotech Medtech, Banking-Insurance and Fintech, Defence, NICT and e-commerce).

He is also involved in the ecosystem of start-ups, incubators, accelerators, family offices and venture funds.

Before joining DS in 2008, he was a Partner since 2001 at White&Case in Paris and before that Counsel at Clifford Chance in Paris.

He was also seconded for 4 years to a law firm in Japan where he returns very regularly in a professional capacity.

He has been involved in outbound acquisitions in China, Japan, Russia, Brazil and India.

Bernard graduated from HEC in 1985 and holds a Master’s degree in Public and Private Law and a DESS (post-graduate diploma) in International Taxation.

He is Honorary President of the International Development Group of the HEC Association.

Benoît Charrière-Bournazel is a member of the Paris and New York Bars as well as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales. He advises on French and international business law matters. He worked for 10 years at the French embassy in the United States and for the US law firm Covington & Burling in New York and London. Back in Paris, he worked as an associate for the US law firm Debevoise & Plimpton and was a partner at French law firm CBR & Associés, before joining DS Avocats as a partner in 2014.

Benoît is a partner in the Corporate/M&A Department as well as head of the USA and UK Desks in Paris. He advises French and international clients on external growth operations (mergers & acquisitions, private equity, venture capital, joint ventures, strategic alliances, etc.), corporate law matters (governance, compliance, etc.), international investments as well as dispute resolutions related to such matters. He has developed particular expertise in the energy, health, technology, cosmetics, food and financial services sectors.

Benoît is also head of the Paris-New York international commission of the Paris Bar, president of the New York University Alumni Club in France and member of the New York University Law International Alumni Advisory Board.

Anne De Seze is in charge of corporate law within the Corporate, Mergers and Acquisitions and Restructuring Department.

Anne provides day-to-day assistance with company law matters to large companies with complex decision-making bodies, as well as on corporate restructuring, reorganisations and complex security issuances.