February.20.2017
Orrick announced today that prominent French antitrust adviser Patrick Hubert has joined the firm’s Paris office as a partner. Patrick joins from Clifford Chance, where he led the Paris Antitrust Group.
A leading authority on French and EU competition law, Patrick brings decades of legal experience, both in private practice and government. He served as deputy and then chief of staff to the French Minister of Justice [1995-97 and 2002-04] and general counsel and chief investigator with the French competition authority [1999-2002], among other roles. He also served as a judge with the Conseil d’Etat (French Supreme Administrative Court). In private practice, Patrick advises global tech companies and other multinationals in French and EU competition matters, including merger control filings, cartel investigations and compliance work, as well as private damages actions before the French courts. In addition, he serves as vice chairman of the competition commission of the International Chamber of Commerce and chairs its merger control working party.
“Patrick is a deeply respected practitioner in the international competition bar, and he will be a unique resource, in particular for our global technology company clients,” said Douglas Lahnborg, antitrust partner and leader of Orrick’s London and Brussels offices. “Our global antitrust team could not be more excited to have him join us.”
“We are delighted to continue the growth of our Paris office with a practitioner of Patrick’s quality and stature,” added Anne-Sophie Kerfant, head of Orrick’s Paris office.” Patrick is the eighth partner to join Orrick’s Paris team since 2016.
Band 2 ranked by Chambers and Legal 500, Patrick authored a book on competition law that was nominated for a legal book of the year award by the French General Counsel organization.
“I am delighted to join the Orrick team. The firm’s global reputation for excellence in serving the tech sector in both M&A and litigation, combined with the preeminence of Orrick Rambaud Martel in the French market, makes it a perfect platform for my practice,” Patrick said.
Marie-Laure Combet, a member of Patrick’s team at Clifford Chance, also joins Orrick’s antitrust and competition practice as Of Counsel.
Patrick’s arrival continues the growth of Orrick’s 100-lawyer Paris office, following the addition last month of private equity adviser Guillaume Kessler, formerly managing partner of Olswang’s Paris office. In 2016, the Paris office added a team of partners from Freshfields, including Herve Touraine, one of the preeminent structured finance practitioners in Paris; Emmanuel Ringeval, an authority on leveraged lending and debt restructuring; Emmanuel Benard, an advisor to international companies on complex French employment law issues; Patrick Tardivy, a rising star in M&A and private equity; and Olivier Bernard, a rising star in structured finance and debt capital markets. Other 2016 additions included Simon Ratledge, an infrastructure advisor focused on Africa and other emerging markets, and tech companies lawyer Olivier Edwards.
Other additions to Orrick’s European platform this year included Christoph Brenner in the firm’s M&A and private equity practice in Munich and Ylan Steiner in the tech companies practice in London.