Frederic Lalance
Partner
Paris
Frédéric Lalance, head of the Paris Office Litigation Group, has been advising and representing major French and international companies for over thirty years in complex pre-litigation and litigation proceedings, with a particular focus on Commercial Litigation and Compliance.
Frédéric assists his clients in litigation arising from commercial, industrial and financial disputes, corporate law and insolvency proceedings, both before the French courts and in multi-jurisdictional cases – notably in Africa before the OHADA jurisdictions.
He also assists his clients before arbitral institutions and in alternative dispute resolution proceedings.
Frédéric also advises French and foreign groups in investigations by administrative or judicial authorities involving bribery and corruption issues.
In this respect, he has broad expertise in internal investigations (national and international), the implementation of compliance programs and the prevention of cyber-crime risks.
Representative Engagements
- The Consortium de Réalisation (CDR) in the Executive Life Matter
- The Asian Development Bank (ADB), successfully arguing absolute immunity from jurisdiction as an international financial institution before the French courts
- DNCA, gaining approval by the commercial courts and the French Supreme Court of the CGG Safeguard Plan
- A French listed group as part of an international audit aimed at assessing the efficiency of its corruption prevention programme
Frédéric is ranked each year by the leading international guides as one of the best litigation practitioners in France. He is the author of several publications on current developments in litigation and anti-corruption regulations.
-
Assisting and representing the owners of the Dogan group that have been named, with 52 other defendants (including the Sabanci family members, whom we also represent), as co-defendants in proceedings brought by the Uzan brothers before the Tribunal Judiciaire of Paris where Claimants pursue €68 billion in damages claims.
Successfully representing Air Liquide in a wordwilde multijurisdictional product liability dispute involving three arbitral institutions and one judicial forum.
Representing the Consortium de Réalisation (CDR) in the Executive Life matter concerning the acquisition of junk bonds and the insurance business of the failed Executive Life Insurance Company of California.
Representing Arcoles Industries in securing the dismissal of claims of almost €400 million variously brought by the judicial liquidator, the AGS (the French wage guarantee organization), almost 1,000 former employees and two trade unions in relation to the insolvency of two Arcoles’ former subsidiairies Mory Ducros and Mory Global.
Representing DNCA in the various procedures initiated before the French commercial courts and the French Supreme Court to gain approval of the CGG safeguard plan.
Providing advice and litigation support on enforcement in France of judgments of the Moscow Arbitration Court against various third parties.
Representing a multinational company in defending enforcement measures initiated by longstanding opponent from Democratic Republic of Congo against assets based in Ivory Coast before the Courts of Abidjan.
Representing a multinational company bringing claims for losses arising out of a mining project in the Democratic Republic of Congo and recovering damages in various jurisdictions from successful English High Court award and defending counterclaims brought by oppposing party.
Representing African company Gécamines in a dispute with DRC based Forrest Group regarding the execution of a sales agreement. Representation included several procedures before the Brussels Commercial Court and Court of Appeal and commercial negotiations which resulted in the conclusion of a settlement agreement.
Advising an African state in the context of an ICC arbitration proceeding against another African commodities company regarding the development of an industrial park in the African state.
Successfully representing the Republic of Guinea in defending enforcement measures initiated in France further to an award rendered by the « Cour Commune de Justice et d’Arbitrage de l’Organisation pour l’Harmonisation en Afrique du Droit des Affaires » (CCJA).
Representing the Asian Development Bank (ADB), successfully arguing absolute immunity from jurisdiction as an international financial institution before the French courts.
Assisting a world leader in engineering in an internal anticorruption investigation in the context of the construction of the largest hydroelectric dam in South America.
Assisting a French listed group as part of an international audit aimed at assessing the efficiency of its corruption prevention program.
