Gide Loyrette Nouel


Gide Loyrette Nouel is an independent international law firm and the first to have originated in France. Its headquarters are located in Paris ). Though Pierre Gide's legal practice began as early as 1920, the firm was itself founded in 1957 by Gide, Jean Loyrette and Philippe Nouel after the Paris Bar amended its rules allowing lawyers to form associations and practice in a collective. The firm currently employs some 1,000 people, spread out over 12 offices in 11 countries. It numbers over 550 lawyers and legal consultants, including some 100 partners, covering 40 different nationalities. The firm operates as a limited liability partnership in London and as its French equivalent, an association d'avocats à responsabilité professionnelle individuelle in France.
The current Senior Partner is Xavier de Kergommeaux, the current Managing Partner is Stéphane Puel.

International strategy

In 1967, the firm launched its international practice with an office in Brussels. The firm currently maintains offices in civil law jurisdictions as well as in those financial centers where firm clients require legal services. To help build its international credentials, the firm retained former French foreign minister Hubert Védrine in 2003. Gide revised its international strategy in late 2010, closing its Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Dubai offices with immediate effect. The firm announced it would also close its Prague office and Belgrade offices.
Though the firm has a large roster of foreign and multinational clients, it has also remained a French operation, representing some 38 of the CAC 40 companies.
The firm is organised into international practice groups, covering the following practice areas: Banking & Finance; Competition & International Trade; Compliance & Corporate Investigations, Dispute Resolution; Employment; Insurance, Industrial Risk & Transport; Intellectual Property & Telecommunications, Media and Technology ; Mergers & Acquisitions / Corporate Law; Projects ; Public Law & Environment; Real Estate; Tax.
Gide Loyrette Nouel is a member of the international network Lex Mundi, which brings together more than 160 independent law firms.

Offices

Gide Loyrette Nouel has 12 offices in 11 different countries: Algiers, Beijing, Brussels, Cairo, Casablanca, Istanbul, London, New York, Paris, Shanghai, Tunis and Warsaw.

Notable clients and transactions

  • Advising Naval Group on the programme for 12 regionally superior submarines to Australia, together with Allens
  • Advising the Fnac Darty group on exclusive negotiations for a strategic ticketing partnership with CTS EVENTIM group
  • Advising Eurazeo Patrimoine on acquiring shares in Emerige.
  • Advising Swiss Life Asset Managers on the acquisition of 72% of Terreïs' assets, the largest real estate transaction in Paris in 2019
  • Advising the Organisation for Energy of CEPGL and the government of the member States, as well as their respective national utility companies on negotiating the agreements for the Ruzizi III hydroelectric power plant project.
  • Advising the French State on the concession of the CDG Express railway infrastructure.
  • Advising the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire on drafting the Code of Construction and Habitat.
  • Advising Casino Group on the sale of 26 hypermarket and supermarket properties worth EUR 501 million.
  • Advising CDC Habitat on acquiring in consortium 80% of Foncière Vesta. This is the most significant operation in 2018 in terms of volume on the residential segment of the property asset class.
  • Advising AccorHotels on the sale of 57.8% of the capital of AccorInvest.
  • Record fine for Google: Gide, counsel to Twenga, one of the complainants.
  • Represented Pernod Ricard in its €5.6 billion acquisition of the V&S Group including Absolut Vodka from the Government of Sweden.
  • Legal counsel to The Linde Group as to French law in its €4 billion sale of its forklift division to Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co and Goldman Sachs.
  • Counsel to AIG Infrastructure Funds LLC in its $230 disposal of a stake in Orascom Telecom Algeria.
  • Legal counsel to the government of France on corporate and antitrust matters in the €73 billion merger of Gaz de France and Suez.
  • Advised the Government of France as shareholder of Air France in its €784 million merger with Dutch airlines KLM.