Follow us

International law firm Herbert Smith Freehills has announced the promotion of Laurence Franc-Menget, Of Counsel since 2014, to the partnership in its Paris international arbitration practice. 

A Doctor of Law, Laurence has over 15 years of experience in international commercial and investment arbitrations, either ad hoc or institutional (including under the auspices of the ICC, AFA, SCC and ICSID), conducted in French or in English. 

Laurence assists clients in all types of disputes that can arise in the life of a company, with special expertise in energy disputes as well as in arbitrations involving joint ventures, construction, and distribution matters. Her practice has covered the OHADA area in Africa and North Africa, most notably Algeria. Laurence has equally extensive experience in investment matters, assisting both investors and States in ICSID and UNCITRAL arbitrations. She also sits as an arbitrator.

Admitted to the Paris bar, Laurence represents clients before the French courts in arbitration-related litigation. In such cases, especially those involving the recognition and enforcement of arbitration awards, she has at times coordinated proceedings across multiple jurisdictions involving over 10 countries.

A graduate of the University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas, her doctorate was on the judicial review of arbitral awards under French and US law. She also regularly teaches arbitration law to trainee lawyers preparing their admission to the bar.

"Laurence's appointment confirms our focus on continuing to build our international arbitration practice in Paris, a process that began in October 2017 with the arrival of Thierry Tomasi and Emily Fox. Paris is a major centre for international arbitration and it is essential for us to expand our already solid position on the market. With her talent and wide-ranging expertise, Laurence brings key strengths to the firm's development in Paris and worldwide", commented Frédéric Bouvet, Managing Partner in Paris and corporate partner. 

International arbitration is one of the firm's most well-regarded practices on the legal market. The Paris team now consists of 3 partners: Andrew Cannon, Thierry Tomasi and Laurence Franc-Menget; Of Counsel Emily Fox, and around fifteen associates with common law as well as civil law backgrounds, and a combined 7 nationalities and 10 languages. 

The team handles top tier arbitration matters – for example, Laurence is leading part of the team in an ICSID arbitration against Algeria on behalf of a Spanish construction group, along with several OHADA area arbitrations in which hundreds of millions of euros are at stake, acting for oil and mining companies. She was also part of the team that recently won an ICSID arbitration for UP against Hungary. 

Her promotion is effective on the 1st May 2019, part of a class of 22 promotions to partner at the firm worldwide.

 


Media contact

For further information on this article please contact

Paris

Communications and Marketing Team

Paris