BIGNON LEBRAY & ASSOCIES signs the Law Firm’s Mediation charter.

Mediation is an amiable means of resolving conflicts through which an independent and impartial third party, a qualified mediator, helps the parties to find a way of negotiating their differences, by adopting a consensual solution which will satisfy both parties. An excellent instrument for the resolution of commercial conflicts, mediation is still seldom used. To encourage companies to adopt it, the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry drafted a “inter-company mediation charter” with the help of CMAP (Centre for Mediation and Arbitration in Paris, association created from the law of 1901, by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry).

Under the impetus of Jean Paul Bignon, BIGNON LEBRAY & ASSOCIES signed on the 16th October 2006 the Law Firm’s Mediation charter. In doing this, the firm is aware that it is in the interest of her clients to anticipate claims and to resolve disputes amicably rather than via litigations; that there exists techniques and procedures which will help in finding amiable solutions, even after unsuccessful negotiations and the introduction of a claims procedure.

Jean-Christophe AMY Attorney-at-law, member of the Paris Bar Has joined our firm as partner.

Jean-Christophe Amy, 40, graduated from HEC and holds a DESS in International Tax Law from the University of Paris XI. He started his career in 1989 in a large American law firm before he co-founded in 1994 a law firm specialized in financial transactions.

He mostly intervenes in the fields of mergers & acquisitions, company restructuring, corporate finance operations and corporate law in relation to listed groups and investment funds, as well as midsize companies and start-ups. Jean-Christophe Amy also advises credit and financial institutions in the areas of banking law and financial matters. He is joining the Mergers & Acquisitions and Company law department.

Matthieu Lochardet joins the mergers, acquisitions & corporate law department of Bignon Lebray & Associés.

He advises French or foreign companies, as well as investment banks. He intervenes on every aspects of company law, with regard especially to tax and labor issues. His areas of intervention are company restructuring and long term financing transactions, transfers and acquisitions of companies, investments and LBOs. A former partner of a niche firm specialized in advising venture capital funds, Matthieu Lochardet has a Master’s Degree in private law, with a specialization in corporate law, and a D.E.S.S. in business and tax law.

Xavier Lebray, partner, is appointed for 5 years, until 2011, member of the Appeal Authority of UEFA which has 12 members. Other French members of the higher boards of UEFA include: Michel Platini (Executive Committee), Dr. Jacques Liénard (Medical Committee), Jacques Lambert (National Teams Committee), Marc Batta (Referees Committee), Aimé Jacquet (Technical Development Committee) and Bernadette Constantin (Female Football Committee). Xavier Lebray is a member of the Higher Appeal Commission of the French Federation of Football since July 1, 1993 and President of the Commission since 1995.

Lionel Hanachowicz, partner, has joined the IFPPC (the French Institute of Practitioners in Bankruptcy Proceedings), as member. The IFPPC is a professional association, founded in 1985, which is mainly dedicated to the study and defence of the rights of its members in their profession, it also works towards strengthening the relationships between fellow members, and to improving and standardizing professional practices.

Jean-Paul Bignon was elected on the Board of Directors of Meritas.

On April 22, 2006, Meritas elected 7 new members on its board of directors, among whom Jean-Paul Bignon, whose mission is to animate and develop the network; his mandate is three years, until 2009.

Meritas is an alliance of 200 law firms in more than 60 countries that cooperate with each other in virtue of a common charter, intended to ensure clients with the best quality standards everywhere in the world, in terms of techniques, deadline management and coordination of international matters.

Rémi de Gaulle is appointed member of the Board of Directors of BIGNON LEBRAY & ASSOCIES.

The partners of Cabinet BIGNON LEBRAY & ASSOCIES have appointed Rémi de Gaulle to the Board of Directors; he replaces Bertrand Debosque whose mandate expired, and who will be performing his duties as President of Lille Bar. The Board of Directors is from now on composed of Rémi de Gaulle, Christophe Cochet and Jacques Goyet - President.

Rémi de Gaulle, 54, graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Private Law - University of Grenoble II and a DEA in History of Law - University of Paris II. He was president of the National Federation of the Unions of Young Lawyers (1989-1990), member of the Bar Council, twice, and the National Council of the Bars (1996-1999). He became a member of the Paris Bar in 1978, and joined Bignon & Lebray in 1993 as the partner in charge of setting up the office of Aix-en-Provence, and developing the firm in the greater area of South-Eastern France. Under his impulse, the office of Bignon Lebray & Associés located in Aix-en-Provence, has built up a team of 15 lawyers including 4 partners, and is now part of the most important law firms of the region of Aix-Marseille.

Rémi de Gaulle assists and advises companies whose sizes and activities are very diverse. Due to his solid experience in procedural and negotiating techniques, as well as his strong familiarity with the local economic fabric, he is capable of intervening or coordinating teams which can provide expertise in different domains, either as counsels (transfers and acquisitions of companies, various contracts) or in litigation or arbitration (labor law, commercial law, construction law, white-collar crime, etc.).

Jacques GOYET, managing partner, is the author of chapter 71 ('Price and guarantees in the transfer of corporate rights') in the new 'Dalloz Action Ingénierie Financière, Fiscale et Juridique 2006-2007.'
The reference book, published in March 2006, is directed by Martine Boizard and Philippe Raimbourg.
It deals with shareholders equity, borrowing products, hybrid financial products, assets outsourcing, legal structures, shareholders control, restructuring and legal risks.

Since December 21st 2005, our law firm has been certified by the AFAQ (a French agency which specializes in Quality Certification) according to the norm ISO 9001 version 2000.

Our principal objective is to provide our clients within the shortest terms with legal services adapted to their specific situation and offering a standard of irreproachable quality. This is the reason why we have decided to enter into a Quality Management process. Our clients must durably benefit from the result of our efforts as regards our services’ rigour, organisation and homogeneity, whether they consult us for juridical advices or within the framework of legal defence in case of a litigation. Besides, the harmonisation of our intern working methods must encourage a certain fluidity within the firm which must facilitate the files’ treatment, and enable our firm to provide the best services, according to our resources. We commit ourselves to implementing and regularly reconsidering this policy, in order to improve our organisation constantly to meet our clients’ expectations.

Catherine Leroy-Sauvat, Quality Coordinator, ensures the efficiency of the Quality Management system implemented by our firm.

BIGNON LEBRAY & ASSOCIES is developing its 'Distribution-Competition' department, with the appointment of Bénédicte de CARLAN as Partner.

Aged 34, Bénédicte de CARLAN is a specialist of distribution Law and competition Law.

She advises companies in the drafting of their contracts, notably in the fields of distribution, partnership, service provision, licences and mandates. She assists them in the elaboration of their commercialisation techniques (distribution networks, sales promotions, products regulations, advertising, and more…), and in the settlement of issues relative to competition Law’s application, notably concerning tariff openness, restrictive practices, unfair competition and anti-competition practices.

She also uses her expertise to help companies within the framework of merger operations notification. In addition to this , Bénédicte de CARLAN defends her clients’ interests in the same domains in case of controversy and in case of proceedings following to DGCCRF investigations.

Associate of Bignon Lebray and Associés since 1998, she will reinforce the recognised expertise of the Distribution-Competition department.

Our office of Aix en Provence has moved.

Its new address is: Bignon Lebray et Associés - Les Pléiades 3,C - 320 avenue Archimède - 13857 Aix-en- Provence Cedex 3 - FRANCE. Phone numbers, fax numbers and e-mail addresses remain unchanged.

Denis Lequai, Partner of Bignon Lebray et Associés, was elected on November 22nd 2005, as member of the National Bar Council, whose role is to represent Law professionals before public authorities. It is Denis Lequai’s third mandate.

Bertrand DEBOSQUE, Partner of Bignon Lebray & Associés, was elected as new President of the Bar of Lille on November 29th 2005.

Aged 45, Bertrand DEBOSQUE has belonged to the Bar of Lille since 1986.
A Doctor of Law, a specialist of Labour, Tax and Insolvency Law, he started his career as Associate in our office of Paris, before joining the law firm Caille Dhonte Lequai in 1986. He joined back BIGNON LEBRAY in 1990, to found the office of Lille and become Partner.

His mandate shall be effective on January 1st 2007, at the end of a period of “Dauphinat”, with Bernard Meurice, the current President of the Bar.

The President of the Bar’s role is to represent the lawyers of the Bar in the civil society, to guarantee a rigorous ethic line, and to manage the Bar Association. Besides, he must manage conflicts, which may arise among lawyers, or between lawyers and magistrates or clients…

A former member of the Bar Council, and a former President of the C.F.P.A (Lawyers Education Centre) of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais area, Bertrand DEBOSQUE is besides the first President of the Bar of Lille, who holds a diploma of an American university (New York University-School of Law).

Security and evidence in relation to computers : on Tuesday, 29 November 2005, the Aix office of BLA hosted a presentation on the theme of computer piracy, in cooperation with the Pôle d'Activités d'Aix-en-Provence and Celog.

Alain Vamour joins BIGNON LEBRAY & ASSOCIES as a partner, reinforcing the Public and Environmental Law Department.

Aged 40, Alain Vamour is a specialist in public and environmental law. A member of the Bar of Lille since 1989, formerly a director with EY Law, he has joined Bignon Lebray & Associes as a partner. In field of public law, Alain Vamour acts for clients who are local authorities, developers and investors, for missions of advice, audit, the setting up of complex real estate operations and for due diligence. He also assists clients in field of public procurement. He is also an expert in the area of legal management of the environment and is a member of the specialist group on polluted site. He teaches at the University of Lille II for the Masters courses “Droit public des affaires” and “Action publique locale”. Alain Vamour will contribute as a partner to the development of the Public and Environmental Law Department of Bignon Lebray & Associes. He is been joined by Guillaume Balaÿ, avocat (holder of a DESS in “Droit de l’immobilier, de la construction et de l’urbanisme” from the University of Paris II and a DEA in “Droit public” from Lille II).

Our model for future development. We have decided to build our new website around the values we have now pursued over almost thirty years : a personalised relationship between the business and its advisers, attention to the client’s needs in order to propose solutions which are appropriate in each case and an ability to accompany businesses in their development in France and abroad. After the creation of the international mobility department in 2004, Bignon Lebray & Associés has taken a further step forward with the arrival of a new partner : Alain Vamour, who completes the services we can provide in the field of Public Law and Environmental Law. This development is complementary to the activities of the other departments of the firm. Already well-established in Paris, we are pursuing our progression in the other major cities. On the international level, our collaboration with the Belgian firm Lawfort, of the Meritas network, will allow us to open a representative office in Brussels at the end of 2005.