Paris Office Opening Expands Morgan Lewis' International Reach And Bolsters Key Practices
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date:
05/04/2004 -
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Press Releases
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LONDON, April 1, 2004 - Morgan Lewis announced today that, upon the approval of the Paris Bar, it will open a Paris office. Jean Leygonie and 13 other lawyers from leading French firm De Pardieu Brocas Maffei & Leygonie plan to join Morgan Lewis. With top-tier clients and broad experience across industries, the new team would dramatically strengthen Morgan Lewis’s European services, particularly in the areas of
corporate, mergers and acquisitions, new technologies, antitrust/competition and labor and employment law.
Jean Leygonie, a corporate lawyer who brings more than three decades of experience and an active competition practice, would head up the proposed Paris office. He would be joined by three De Pardieu partners, all highly-rated attorneys in their respective fields: Anne Tolila, who focuses on mergers and acquisitions, private equity and securities law; Florence Guthfreund-Roland, who focuses on telecommunications, technology and ecommerce; and François Vergne, who focuses on labor and employment law. The group has been together for approximately 10 years, first practicing at the respected Paris firm Moquet Borde before moving to De Pardieu in 1999.
The Paris office would be Morgan Lewis’s fourth in Europe in addition to London, Frankfurt and Brussels. The Paris office, which would operate as a branch of the firm’s London Multinational Partnership, would bring the total number of offices worldwide to 18, with more than 1,200 lawyers.
“We are very pleased Jean and his outstanding colleagues have chosen to join Morgan Lewis,” said Francis M. Milone, Chair of Morgan Lewis. “They are an exceptionally well-balanced and cohesive team. Their broad capabilities and depth give us a team that can handle a broad range of our client’s needs in France and in Europe. We also look forward to offering the full range of our services to their very impressive list of clients.”
Said Mr. Leygonie: “We felt the time was right to explore new opportunities with a firm that can offer our clients a truly international breadth. Morgan Lewis has an established
reputation in the corporate world, a world-class competition practice, and is well known in Europe for its litigation practice. We share its leaders’ ambitious global vision and the
commitment to excellence and teamwork. This is a natural fit for us.”
The addition of these 15 lawyers and the opening of the new Paris office would continue Morgan Lewis’s strategic growth, which in the past two years has included the addition
of lawyers from the former Brobeck, Zevnik Horton and Pennie & Edmonds firms and has seen the firm open offices in San Francisco, Palo Alto, Irvine, Chicago and Boston.
About Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
With more than 1,200 lawyers in 17 offices, Morgan Lewis offers seamless service across practice areas and offices. A fully integrated, multipractice global law firm, Morgan Lewis assists clients with all of their legal needs, from day-to-day business decisions to the most complex global deals and litigation. To learn more about Morgan Lewis’s services and practice areas, please visit www.morganlewis.com.
About Morgan Lewis’s Corporate Practice
Composed of nearly 300 lawyers in 13 offices, Morgan Lewis’s B&F lawyers focus on mergers and acquisitions (including joint ventures, spin-offs and strategic alliances), finance and financial restructuring, securities (including public and private equity and
debt offerings), and tax. Clients range from Fortune 500 companies to investment banks to emerging market companies. Thomson Financial Securities Data’s most recent Equity and Debt league tables ranked the firm first in Worldwide IPOs by U.S. Issuers as Issuer Legal Advisor and first in U.S. IPOs as Issuer Legal Advisor. For 2003, Corporate
Control Alert ranked Morgan Lewis among the leaders in its M&A advisor scorecard for deals valued at $100 million or more.
About Morgan Lewis’s Labor & Employment Law Practice
With more than 200 labor and employment attorneys, Morgan Lewis’s Labor & Employment Law Practice offers clients proven knowledge and skills in dealing with virtually every type of labor and employment issue, from international counseling to
management relations and labor disputes. Attorneys include the former chair of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the American Bar Association, Fellows in the College
of Labor and Employment Lawyers, and partners recognized for professional excellence in Best Lawyers in America.
About Morgan Lewis’s Antitrust Practice
Morgan Lewis’s Antitrust Practice is one of the largest and most diversified in the world. Distinguished by its substantial scope and depth, extensive base of knowledge, and international capability, Morgan Lewis provides the full spectrum of antitrust services, from preventive counseling to advice on complex issues to defense of “bet the company” litigation.
The firm’s Antitrust lawyers guide clients on every kind of antitrust issue faced by Morgan Lewis’s clients involved in the European Union. The firm makes merger and other filings with, and obtain clearance from, both the European Commission and
national competition authorities, defend clients accused of antitrust violations, provide antitrust counseling, draft agreements, prosecute complaints against represented/third
parties in merger proceedings, negotiate with antitrust authorities, and generally ensure that clients’ business operations comply with, and are not unduly hampered by, the
applicable competition law requirements.
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