Xavier Haranger is part of a litigation team that provides advice to clients facing business and corporate disputes, corporate investigations and criminal allegations, and international arbitration. Xavier also regularly handles national and international contract law issues.
For clients in the banking sector, Xavier contributes his broad experience in complex international debt collection matters in France at all stages of the recovery, including the research of foreign assets, assessment of the situation, freezing of assets, recognition and enforcement of rulings, and associated litigation.
He is also strongly involved in civil and commercial contractual disputes (termination, negotiation, breach of contracts) or liability disputes (unfair competition for instance) and the related French procedural issues (like, for instance, gathering and securing documented evidence and enforcing the rulings).
He also has deep knowledge of the issue of sudden termination of established business relationships (Article L. 442-6 I 5° of the French Commercial Code). Xavier regularly assists automotive clients on this aspect of French commercial law, which gives rise to numerous disputes and pre-litigation needs, especially for foreign companies that are not familiar with the legal provision. He is the author of numerous legal articles on sudden termination, and his writings have appeared in renowned French publications such as Revue Lamy de la Concurrence, Revue Lamy Droit des Affaires, La Gazette du Palais and Recueil Dalloz.
Furthermore, Xavier’s experience includes drafting and negotiating complex national and international commercial contracts for various industries. He regularly advises foreign companies that wish to enter into contracts (or general terms and conditions) governed by French law, and also helps companies assess whether an agreement governed by foreign law could be enforced in France or the influence of insolvency proceedings on the agreement. Naturally, he also reviews contracts and disputes in due diligence processes.
Xavier works on global (French and international) compliance issues involving, among other topics, internal investigations (to assess the facts, by reviewing documents and conducting interviews, and the related legal consequences/risk for the company), international investigations (like, for instance, DOJ’s investigations in FCPA related matters), the recent French law statute on anti-corruption (loi Sapin II) and obligations towards companies, and the taking of evidence abroad (including how to take evidence abroad while complying with the French blocking statute).
He is also developing new business strategies and solutions (such as the judicial or ad hoc mediation to prevent litigation, or resolve matters outside of court or arbitration).
In addition to French, Xavier is fluent in English and German. His law studies focused on law and globalization, and he trained specifically in French and German law as an undergraduate. Previously, Xavier was an associate in the litigation practice of another international law firm in Paris.
Recently, Xavier developed a practice in contractual Covid-related issues. In particular, he focused on force majeure aspects of the pandemic and on how it impacted ongoing agreements (see selected representations below). He was also part of the Morgan Lewis Covid-19 task force for Europe.
Recognized, Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration, France (Recommended), Dispute Resolution: Commercial Litigation, France (Highly Recommended), and Dispute Resolution: Financial Litigation & Equity Financing, France (Recommended), Leaders League and Décideurs (2021)
Recognized, Arbitration & ADR, Leaders League (2018–2019)
Recognized, Litigation & Competition, Leaders League (2018–2019)
Recognized, Litigation & Arbitration, Décideurs (2018–2019)
Recognised Litigation, Option Finance (2019–2020)
Recognized, M&A Litigation Option Finance (2019–2020)
Recognized, Litigation regarding damages and defective products Option Finance (2019–2020)
Recognized, International Arbitration, Option Finance (2019–2020)
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