Public law boutique firm CABANES Avocats advises a prominent client base, acting for a mix of public and private sector entities, and has key expertise in public law procurement. It advises on large public procurement tenders, including in the areas of data and transport. In recent work, the team has advised several public local entities on the opening of their regional rail networks to competition and on the awarding of new contracts. The team also handles major infrastructure projects, including working on the construction of a new metro line, power plant and bridge. The group is equally proficient in the litigation space and manages several large proceedings before administrative courts, often linked to the awarding or execution of public contracts. Founding partner Christophe Cabanes, Vincent Michelin, Benoît Polderman, Charlotte Pezin and Jérémie Couette are the key names.

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. fields a sizeable team that acts for both public and private entities including the French state and is retained to advise on the market’s largest projects in relation to public infrastructure and public or private real estate projects where it is able to draw on its considerable experience in urban planning. In the PPP area, the firm is particularly active in the transport sector and is advising on several public procurement contracts linked to projects relating to the 2024 Summer Olympics. Other areas of expertise include assisting with regulatory and other sensitive public law issues, such as the governance of public entities. The team is led by Thomas Courtel and Bénédicte Mazel, who excel in the field of general public law and public procurement work; Emmanuel Vital-Durand and Alexandre Gauthier, who are top references for urban planning issues; and Frédéric Mion, who joined as a partner in 2022 from the Conseil d’Etat adding complementary privatisation and regulatory strength, especially in the telecoms and media fields.

August Debouzy is increasingly retained to advise on highly strategic work. The firm has prominent regulatory law expertise and is retained to assist with strategic reorganisation projects and the management of sensitive regulatory issues, notably in the media and rail sectors – among its recent highlights, the practice advised on a strategic public audiovisual reorganisation project and on a major privatisation. The team also increasingly receives instructions to assist clients with obtaining foreign investment authorisations, notably in the defence area, as well as handling various other sovereign issues, particularly in the field of data and cloud computing. EU public law and EU regulatory law are other strong areas of focus for the team, which further strengthened its capabilities in these areas after hiring Marc Mossé in May 2022; he joined from Microsoft. The team also has additional strength handling sensitive interactions between the public and private sectors as well as expertise in litigation and public procurement. The highly regarded Vincent Brenot and Emmanuelle Mignon are the practice heads; counsel Hélène Billery provides additional support. Of note, the practice further strengthened its capabilities following the arrival of top regulatory expert Nicolas Baverez from Gibson Dunn in early 2023.

Fréget Glaser & Associés is recognised for its high level regulatory expertise. The firm notably handles strategic regulatory work in the energy sector, managing several high-end disputes regarding electricity and renewables tariffs. The group also has expertise in the media space and also regularly provides strategic advice to regulated professional bodies or authorities as well as to several major public and private operators. It is also retained to advise on public procurement contracts or to manage major litigation in that area. The highly regarded Emmanuel Glaser jointly heads the practice with Sandrine Perrotet.

Latournerie Wolfrom Avocats’ public law practice stands out for its ability to combine high-level public procurement and regulatory know-how in the telecoms infrastructure, data centre and technologies areas. The firm assists a prominent client base in those areas, made up of public and private sector entities including several blue-chip US companies. The team provides key support on the development of large network and infrastructures, regularly representing clients before the regulator or administrative courts. It is also advising on several strategic technologies projects and public procurement contracts concerning the defence area. The public law practice also works in many other areas, providing regulatory, urban planning and public procurement advice to public and private sector entities, notably in the railway and transport sectors. The practice is led by Jean Latournerie, Térence Cabot and Marion Delaigue.

McDermott Will & Emery AARPI assists a prominent client base and notably advises on large public infrastructure and utilities procurement including urban heating and gas supply contracts. The team also has strong regulatory expertise spanning the transport, energy, rail and telecoms sectors. The team is also increasingly involved in the healthcare industry, advising on regulatory issues linked to corporate deals (radiology and veterinary). The team also handles high-stakes regulatory disputes in the telecoms sector, while defence is another key area of work for regulatory authorisations. Sabine Naugès and Laurent Ayache co-head the practice, and counsel Charlotte Michellet provides additional support.

Orrick is often retained to advise on top infrastructure projects. The firm has a strong focus on energy, spanning renewables, nuclear and new alternative initiatives. It is notably advising the French state on its landmark offshore and floating renewables projects. The team also assists clients during brownfield transactions, notably in relation to electrical charging stations. The team also advises on various airport, port and motorways projects in France as well as in Africa. The team is co-headed by Geoffroy Berthon and senior counsel Noël Chahid-Nouraï. Associates Constance Boillot and Janina Dahmouh also provide strong support.

UGGC Avocats‘ public law practice benefits from a sizable and experienced team. The firm advises both leading private operators and public sector entities. It has a wide range of expertise, spanning public economic law, regulatory, litigation, public procurement and urban planning. Recently, the team has been busy challenging new French regulations in the areas of gaming and single-use plastics before courts. The team is also regularly involved in matters concerning the railway and transport sector. It is managing several construction issues linked to new metro lines in various French cities. The practice also advises on several public procurement contracts linked to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, and is also knowledgeable in the field of ethics and compliance. Practice head Thierry Dal Farra, Philippe Hansen, Franck Lepron, Benjamin de Sevin and Edouard Caupert are the names to note.

Adaltys Avocats fields one of France’s largest public law teams in France with a strong presence in Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux and Marseille. The practice has a broad range of expertise in general public law, public contracts, as well as public domain and urban law. The practice is frequently entrusted by public sector entities, especially large metropolis such as Lyon, but also regularly assists private companies. It assists with major urban renovation projects (in Lyon, Marseille and Lille notably), and also advises on several Summer Olympics 2024 projects. The team is also involved in several arena and sports stadium redevelopment projects. It also has a high-level expertise in the energy sector – for instance, the team advises on the renewal of one of France’s largest hydroelectric concessions. The practice is co-headed by Gilles Le Chatelier in Lyon and Laurent Sery in Paris, and also relies on the expertise of Lyon members Jean-Marc Petit, Clément Nourrisson and Philippe Nugue; Paris-based Guillaume Chaineau; Marseille-based Benjamin Boiton and Xavier Heymans in Bordeaux.

The well-regarded Etienne Amblard leads a solid practice at Aramis. The team assists several major French companies as well as public sector entities and is appreciated for its strong public procurement and litigation expertise. The practice notably handles work in the fields of energy, transport (rail) and telecoms. It has recently assisted several bidders in responding to tender offers regarding new major airport concessions. The practice also has solid regulatory expertise and advises on urban law issues linked to large transport infrastructure projects. Associate Kévyn Gillet provides additional support.

Bredin Prat advises a prominent client base made up of leading companies as well as public law bodies, notably in the transport and energy fields. The team has strong regulatory expertise and also regularly assists companies with the analyses and drafting of law proposals, the challenge of legal provisions before courts and in managing their relationships with the public sector. The practice also assists major public bodies with their restructuring. It also provides support to the corporate department and advises on environmental and ethics issues. Yann Aguila heads the practice and is assisted by counsel Guillaume Froger.

CMS Francis Lefebvre is recommended for its strong expertise in the field of public procurement. The firm recently obtained a series of victories before courts in proceedings challenging the validity of several public procurement procedures. The practice also advises leading French companies on the awarding of large public infrastructure projects, notably in the public heating and healthcare areas. François Tenailleau takes a leading role on many of the firm's matters; he co-heads the practice alongside Claire Vannini, who is an expert in regulatory, public economic law and EU regulation issues, recently assisting clients with matters concerning rail and solar tariffs. Counsels Kawthar Ben Khelil  and Thomas Carenzi are other key team members.

De Gaulle Fleurance & Associés regularly assists governmental and local authority entities, as well as private clients. Its expertise extends to regulatory issues (notably in relation to the energy and defence industries) as well as infrastructure projects and public law contracts. The team is advising the Ministry of Justice on several public procurement projects and litigation linked to the penitentiary sector. The team is also handling major litigation, performance and execution issues in the rail sector. It also handles work in relation to the 2024 Summer Olympics. The team is a key adviser to several French overseas territories undertaking major development projects, notably in Guyana, concerning the transport, energy and telecoms sectors. Agnès Macaire, Frédéric Destal and Jean-François Vilotte are the practice heads.

De Pardieu Brocas Maffei is a strong choice for complex energy regulatory matters. Practice head Christine Le Bihan-Graf is a recognised expert in the field. Her team assists leading private and public operators in dealing with complex regulatory issues, including before courts, on matters such as renewables, nuclear and electricity tariff issues, as well as in the context of M&A deals and public procurement work. The team’s regulatory expertise is also sought after in other fields, including urban transport, and its experience also extends to public procurement contracts and large infrastructure projects. Counsel Laure Rosenblieh also provides key support. Anne Richier left the firm in 2022.

DS Avocats has a wide range of public law and urban planning experience and practitioners operating from the firm's Paris and Lyon offices. The firm has a large dedicated team that assists a broad range of clients, including public and private sector entities. The practice stands out for its high-level know-how in the field of urban planning and development. Large developers, companies and public entities are clients. The firm advises on several major urban renewal projects, notably around Paris, and also assists with the construction of large logistics and warehouse buildings. Recently, the practice has also been retained to advise on the completion of France’s first industrial carbon storage project. The practice is led by Frédéric Lévy and Jean-Marc Poisson; and also includes David Guillot, Laura Ceccarelli-Le Guen, Michaël Moussault and Nathalie Sultan.

Hogan Lovells (Paris) LLP’s public law team works in close cooperation with the firm's project finance department to assist public and private operators, as well as sponsors and lenders involved in infrastructure projects in France and in Africa. Domestically, the team advises on the awarding of public procurement contracts in the rail and healthcare sectors and on several energy-related projects. It also handles related performance issues. In Africa, the team has been involved recently in several road and energy projects in Senegal, Ivory Coast and Gabon. Practice head Bruno Cantier and counsel Perrine Limousin are the key contacts.

Joffe & Associés' expertise is particularly recognised in the rail sector, where the team assists key client SNCF with a range of strategic matters including new rail reforms and the awarding of concession contracts. The practice is also active in other fields, including telecoms and healthcare. It advises on public procurement, regulatory issues and some construction projects, as well as handling litigation. The practice is headed by Mathieu Gaudemet.

Lacourte Raquin Tatar combines strong urban planning and public law contract expertise. Building on the firm’s strong real estate practice, the public law team advises leading developers on public and mainly private real estate projects, consisting of major office, residential, commercial and industrial buildings, urban rehabilitation and development projects; Vincent Guinot and counsel Anne-Laure Gauthier have excellent expertise in that area. In Benoît Neveu, the firm also has strong capabilities in the field of public procurement contract and infrastructure projects, which notably includes litigation. Xavier de Lesquen also contributes.

LPA-CGR avocats stands out its exceptional administrative and environmental permit expertise. The firm is retained by a wide range of clients undertaking major construction projects, particularly in the real estate and energy sectors, where the firm combines strong know-how. In the energy field, the team advises leading operators on strategic permit issues concerning many of France’s landmark offshore wind projects. It has recently been retained to assist with an ambitious construction project in the field of e-batteries. Fabrice Cassin and François Versini-Campinchi are key names in that area. Hélène Cloëz is another stand out member of the team and is sought out by several large developers for prominent real estate projects. The practice also has strong regulatory expertise and also provides assistance in various other areas, including public procurement matters.

OYAT is a public law boutique launched in January 2022 by the highly experienced Laurent de la Brosse, who was previously part of the team at Latournerie Wolfrom Avocats. The firm assists a prominent client base, comprising leading companies (notably in the engineering, construction, telecoms and aviation sectors) as well as multiple public sector entities (regions, departments, cities as well as universities and French state agencies). The team has high-level public law contract and procurement expertise. Since its launch, it has already attracted prominent mandates concerning large projects, including the renovation of a university campus, as well as prominent public procurement work, notably advising several public entities on the regional opening of the rail network. The team also advises on high-profile office tower construction projects and also handled litigation and regulation issues. Romain Canot is another name to note.

Seban & Associés stands out for its large regional network and its exclusive assistance to public sector entities; governmental entities, regions, departments and cities as well as various public sector bodies. The firm is able to offer a broad range of services thanks to its sizeable team of some 50 lawyers, and practitioners' knowledge of public, environment, criminal and corporate law. The team is advising several major cities or local entities on the awarding of large electricity, gas and heating contracts. The team has a good knowledge of the energy sector and regularly handles matters in that area. Transport is another key field of work and the team is called on to assist with major public transport contracts, particularly rail. Marie-Hélène Pachen-Lefèvre, Thomas Rouveyran, Guillaume Gauch are highly regarded. They co-head the practice alongside Didier Seban, Alexandre Vandepoorter, Lorène Carrère, Céline Lherminier, Anne-Christine Farçat Philippe Guellier, Marion Terraux and Audrey Lefèvre.

Bersay is the go-to-firm for public procurement and regulatory issues linked to major telecoms, digital and data infrastructure projects.  An expert in the aforementioned areas, Martin Tissier is retained by companies as well as cities and departments operating in France’s mainland and its overseas territories.

Cornet Vincent Ségurel's public law team has strong geographical coverage, operating from the firm's Paris, Nantes and Rennes offices. The firm is a popular choice for cities, departments, regions and their public entities and also advises private sector companies. The team is entrusted to deal with public procurement contracts and infrastructure projects. In recent work, it is advising on a major infrastructure telecoms project concerning Paris’ new metro lines, and is managing various matters dealing with port and stadium infrastructures. The team also regularly assists with the creation of new public entities and also advises on urban planning, real estate and construction matters. Frédéric Marchand, Christian Naux, Christophe Pichon and Pierre-Alexis Ramaut are the practice heads.

FTPA combines strong public procurement contracts, urban law and construction expertise. The firm assists several leading names in the rail, energy and culture sectors including museums. It is notably involved in several disputes concerning major construction projects, particularly in the rail sector. The practice also advises commercial and real estate developers on urban and hospitality projects. Raphaël Crespelle co-heads the practice alongside Bernard Cazin and Julien Marceaux.

Racine assists a prominent client base, made up of large French and international companies, as well as leading property developers. The sizeable and experienced team regularly advises on public procurement contracts, including managing related litigation; is active in the energy sector where it assists companies, investors and energy providers on diverse issues, including the development of solar panel programmes or energy supply contracts; and has solid regulatory and urban planning expertise, regularly advising on private property projects. The practice is led by Thierry Gallois and Sylvain Bergès in Paris, along with Damien Richard in Lyon.

Taylor Wessing has strong expertise in the infrastructure field. The team regularly advises on internet broadband and telecoms sector projects; recently it has been advising on a major satellite project in French Guyana. It also involved in several port infrastructure projects concerning various French cities and also in Africa. In other work, the group is advising on several urban heating and waste management concessions, and increasingly advising on projects in the energy sector (renewables and biomass). Practice head Sophie Pignon is the name to note.

ADVANT Altana

Bignon Lebray

Bird & Bird

Earth Avocats

Fiducial Legal by Lamy

Franklin

Magenta

Osborne Clarke

Pamina Avocats

Reinhart Marville Torre

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Wilhelm & Associés