De Pardieu, a leading business law firm, is proud to announce the promotion of eight of its lawyers across its core areas of excellence, marking a new milestone in the deployment of its growth strategy:
These promotions are consistent with De Pardieu’s ongoing development strategy. By strengthening its core areas of expertise, the firm is enhancing its ability to offer a multi-disciplinary, flexible and structured approach, tailored to the ever-increasing complexity of economic and regulatory environments.
Through this dynamic approach, De Pardieu reaffirms its determination to nurture talents from within and ensure the highest standards of excellence and rigor across all its practice areas. The firm now comprises 42 partners, 2 senior counsels, 18 counsels and over 110 associates, thereby further enhancing its position as one of France’s leading business law firms.
“We are thrilled and proud to promote Sofia, Hugues, Mathieu, Élise, Alix, Vincent, Pauline and Enguerrand, whose exceptional commitment, unwavering dedication and rigor make a decisive contribution to the firm’s reputation. These appointments embody the core values that drive us: excellence, independence and loyalty. They also illustrate the growth dynamic we are pursuing, particularly within our strategic departments. By favoring internal promotion, we are affirming our commitment to supporting the development of our talents and consolidating the relationship of trust we cultivate with our clients every day”, said Emmanuel Fatôme, Managing Partner.
Sofia El Hariri has been appointed partner. Admitted to the Paris Bar in 2010, she started her career as an associate in an international law firm between 2009 and 2014 and holds a Professional Master 2 in European Law from the University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne and an LLM in European and International Law from the University of Leiden (the Netherlands). She joined De Pardieu in 2014 and was appointed as Counsel in 2019.
Sofia advises French and international clients across a variety of sectors (industry or services, including energy, bancassurance, telecommunications, transports, distribution and healthcare), and has a recognized expertise in French and European competition law with a particular focus on merger control/foreign subsidies, anti-competitive practices and restrictive practices. She has been involved in several high-profile and strategically significant cases, such as the litigation concerning the image-cheque exchange (EIC) or the representation of Paylib against Apple Pay; she has further contributed to complex transactions such as the acquisitions of the GBH group in the French overseas territories and the acquisition of Ecore by the Derichebourg group. She also serves as non-governmental representative of the French Competition Authority at the International Competition Network (ICN), and she is an active member of the Association des avocats pratiquant le droit de la concurrence (APDC).
Hugues de Fouchier has been appointed partner. Admitted to the Paris Bar in 2013, he holds a Master 2 in Business Law (DJCE) from the University of Rennes 1 and an LL.M in International Business Law from the University of Exeter. He joined De Pardieu in 2014 and was appointed as Counsel in 2023.
Hugues advises investment funds on private equity transactions, mainly LBOs and development capital and he also assists industrial groups in their acquisition, disposal or restructuring transactions, both in France and internationally. His practice is characterized by a multi-skilled and multi-sector approach tailored to the diverse business challenges faced by his clients, covering all complex transactions, mainly in the mid-cap segment, representing investment funds, their portfolio companies and industrial players.
Mathieu Rétiveau has been appointed partner. Admitted to the Paris Bar in 2014, he holds a Master 2 in Financial Engineering and Tax Strategy from the University Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, a Master 2 in Business Law and Management from the University Paris II Panthéon-Assas, and a Master 1 in Economy from the University Paris I. He joined De Pardieu in 2018 and was appointed as Counsel in 2023.
Mathieu advises a wide range of clients, including investment funds, founders, groups and family offices on high-stake strategic Private Equity and M&A transactions, both in France and internationally. His practice covers a broad spectrum of transactions, from smid to large cap, including transactions in highly regulated sectors. He has built up a recognized expertise in structuring and conducting complex transactions, particularly in environments subject to high legal and operational constraints. His ability to secure sensitive, high value-added deals positions him as a trusted advisor in the market.
Élise Bénéat has been appointed as Senior Counsel. Admitted to the Paris Bar in 2001, she started her career in a French law firm after having obtained a DEA in Labor and Trade Union Law and a DESS in Social Protection Law as part of the Magistère de Droit Social at the University of Paris X Nanterre. She joined De Pardieu in 2014 and was appointed as Counsel in 2017.
Élise advises French and international clients comprising large groups, SMEs, public institutions, associations and employers’ federations, operating across a variety of sectors including energy, construction, food-processing industry, telecoms and real estate. She has a recognized expertise in both individual and collective labor law, as well as social security law, handling both advisory and litigation matters. Her practice particularly focuses on restructurings, sensitive individual and collective disputes, risk prevention and management (particularly psychosocial and criminal risks), and departures of executive officers. She regularly works with clients such as Total Energies, Vinci, Bouygues Immobilier, RATP, BEL SA and SUBSEA 7. Deeply involved in professional training, she regularly conducts sessions on employment law and actively contributes to legal doctrine in her areas of expertise.
Alix Amaury has been appointed as counsel. Admitted to the Paris Bar in 2016, she holds a Master 2 in Business Law from the University Paris-Dauphine. She joined De Pardieu’s Corporate – M&A team in 2019, after an initial experience in a French law firm.
Alix’s practice focuses on mergers & acquisitions, private equity and corporate law, both in advisory and transactional matters. She advises a wide range of French and international clients, including investment funds, family offices, company founders and groups, mainly on smid and upper mid-cap transactions, including in a cross-border context. Alix also contributes to complex matters involving the firm’s other areas of expertise.
Vincent Langenbach has been appointed as counsel. Admitted to the Paris Bar in 2016, he graduated from Sciences Po Paris (Master 2 Finance), Oxford University (MSc Law & Finance) and University Paris II Panthéon-Assas (Master 2 in Business Law – DJCE). He started his career in an international law firm before joining De Pardieu in 2019.
Vincent advises industrial groups, investment funds, family businesses and management teams on their mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and corporate governance-related matters. Specializing in real estate (retail, logistics, hotel industry), he is involved in complex divestments, strategic partnerships and asset valuations, including in the energy and infrastructure sectors.
Pauline Larché-Dmitrieff has been appointed as counsel. Admitted to the Paris Bar in 2020, she holds a Master 2 in Business and Tax Law from the University Paris II Panthéon-Assas and a Master 1 in Business Law from the University of Bourgogne. She joined De Pardieu in 2020.
Pauline advises institutional lenders, debt funds, sponsors and borrowers on complex financing transactions, with a particular focus on private debt. She is involved in investment financing, including digital infrastructures (data centers), specific situations (distressed) and underlying real estate assets (real estate finance). Her technical expertise and international perspective make her a valuable asset in structuring high-value strategic transactions.
Enguerrand Maloisel has been appointed as counsel. Admitted to the Paris Bar in 2016, he holds a Master 2 in Business Law and Taxation from the University Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne and an MSc in Finance from ESCP Europe. After having started his career in an international law firm, he spent two years in Hong Kong before joining De Pardieu in 2020.
Enguerrand primarily advises French and international investment funds and groups on the tax structuring of their acquisition and financing transactions. His practice with a strong international dimension also includes expertise in financial and tax modeling expertise in support of transactions.