Orrick Adds Leading Life Sciences M&A and Private Equity Team in Paris

• Alain Decombe, a Top 3-ranking French M&A lawyer (MergerLinks, 2025) and a Chambers France Band 1 life sciences and healthcare practitioner, joins Orrick as a partner in Paris. He arrives with a team of four lawyers, including Vianney Toulouse, who also joins Orrick as a partner.
• Alain and his team advise multinationals, funds and high-growth companies on strategic M&A, private equity and venture capital investments, capital markets and all other types of corporate transactions – with a primary focus on life sciences and healthcare, as well as emerging and fast growing healthtech – in France and internationally. They join an Orrick M&A platform ranked No. 6 globally by deal volume in 2025 (Mergermarket).
• Alain’s leadership in the life sciences, healthcare and healthtech sectors and deep relationships with the French and international community in these sectors will further enhance Orrick’s service offering globally.
• With this move, Orrick has added eight partners in Paris over the past 24 months. It continues the firm’s momentum in life sciences and healthtech, where Orrick has hired more than a dozen partners since January 2025.

“Orrick has long been a leader in cross-border and domestic M&A in France. We are very excited to continue that tradition with the addition of this market-leading team focused on the life sciences, healthcare and healthtech sectors, which comprises a fifth of our global practice,” Orrick Chair Mitch Zuklie said. “This is a team of stellar quality, and we look forward to building together with Alain’s leadership in France.”

“Orrick has built a leading global platform for life sciences, healthtech and healthcare, and has a reputation for doing the most innovative work,” Alain said. “I look forward to bringing the firm’s global strength in these sectors to the French market and continuing to expand Orrick’s innovative offering here in Paris and the rest of continental Europe and the UK.”

“Alain and his team are at the top of their field. We are excited to attract more top talent as we grow our Paris offering and align it with the firm’s global strengths,” added Emmanuel Benard, Orrick’s Paris office leader.

Orrick acts for 12 of the 20 largest biopharma companies in the U.S. and 750+ venture-backed companies and investors in the life sciences & healthtech sectors.