Four Jones Day lawyers in Paris named among best by Forbes and La Lettre des Juristes d’Affairs (LJA)
Jones Day partners Audrey Bontemps, Bénédicte Graulle, and Françoise Labrousse are named among Forbes and French legal publication La Lettre des Juristes d'Affairs (LJA)'s "Top 40 lawyers of the CAC 40" in France. The list honors 40 business lawyers named by the general counsel of each of France's Top 40 companies listed on the French CAC stock market index. In addition, counsel Alexandre Heydel has been listed among the Top 10 "Rising Stars."
Named to the list for the second consecutive year, Ms. Bontemps' practice focuses on private M&A, including domestic and cross-border divestitures, acquisitions, and strategic alliances; contracts; and corporate law issues. Her recent highlights include advising TotalEnergies on the transformation of its former refinery in Grandpuits in France into a zero crude platform with the creation of joint ventures with Plastic Energy to build France's first advanced plastic recycling plant, and with Saria to build a biojet production unit primarily producing for the aviation industry. She also recently advised Sanofi on several divestments of multijurisdictional products portfolios.
Ms. Graulle focuses on investigations, compliance and criminal litigation, particularly in white collar crime, financial, and industrial matters, as well as in human rights matters. She assists clients in France and abroad before criminal courts and authorities at all stages of proceedings (investigation, dawn raids, search and seizure, hearing), as well as during inspections performed by administrations such as the French Anti-corruption Agency. Ms. Graulle is currently involved in very high profile investigations concerning corruption, human rights, and environmental crime offenses.
Co-Leader of Jones Day's Government Regulation Practice, Ms. Labrousse is an environmental lawyer and litigator in France, focusing on environment, climate, energy, industrial crisis, products compliance and liability, chemicals, waste, and health and safety-related issues under French, European, and international law. In those areas, she defends clients in compliance investigations, regulatory enforcement actions, and litigation matters before civil, administrative, criminal, and arbitral courts. Ms. Labrousse is currently advising on several climate change actions before French and other EU courts, as well as on the investigations and proceedings following a major fire accident in a Seveso facility.
Mr. Heydel acts for French and foreign clients and focuses on private M&A, strategic alliances, contracts, and corporate law issues. Recent transactions include advising TotalEnergies on the creation of joint ventures with Plastic Energy and Saria as part of the transformation of its Grandpuits former refinery in a circular economy site. He also advised Société Générale in the sale of the professional equipment financing businesses operated by Société Générale Equipment Finance to Groupe BPCE.
