English-Speaking Litigation Lawyer in Paris

Yes. I advise and correspond with my clients in English and represent non-French-speaking clients before French courts. You can write to me in English from your very first email.

In English terms, all of them. France has a single profession, the avocat, which covers what the United Kingdom divides between solicitors and barristers, and what the United States calls an attorney: advising, drafting, negotiating, and representing and pleading in court. Since 1 January 1992, it has replaced both the former avocats and the conseils juridiques (legal advisers), and was later joined by the avoués of the courts of appeal (loi n° 71-1130 du 31 décembre 1971, art. 1, as amended by loi n° 90-1259 du 31 décembre 1990 and loi n° 2011-94 du 25 janvier 2011).

As an avocat at the Paris Bar, I advise you and plead for you before any French court (same law, art. 5). Two limits concern formal filings only, never the argument of your case.

First, filing (postulation) is territorial. I file before the courts of the Paris court of appeal area and, by way of derogation, before the tribunaux judiciaires of Paris, Bobigny, Créteil and Nanterre (loi n° 71-1130 du 31 décembre 1971, art. 5 and 5-1). Before any other court, a local avocat files the documents; I instruct and coordinate him and remain your counsel. Second, before the Cour de cassation in civil cases, a specialist avocat au Conseil d’État et à la Cour de cassation is required (Code of Civil Procedure, art. 973).

A notaire, on the other hand, is not your advocate: he is a public officer who authenticates deeds (ordonnance n° 45-2590 du 2 novembre 1945, art. 1).

I work on a time basis: an hourly rate and a retainer, set out in a written fee agreement (loi n° 71-1130 du 31 décembre 1971, art. 10). You receive regular time sheets, and before the retainer runs out we discuss a top-up before any further work.

No. French law prohibits fees set solely on the outcome of the case; a success fee is only allowed on top of the fees for the work done (loi n° 71-1130 du 31 décembre 1971, art. 10).

It depends on whether you instruct me as a business or as a private individual, and on where you are established. Your nationality is irrelevant.

As a business subject to VAT, established outside France: the place of supply is where you are established, so my fees are invoiced without French VAT (Code général des impôts, art. 259, 1°). Within the European Union, you account for the VAT yourself under the reverse charge.

As a private individual living outside the European Union: my fees are invoiced without French VAT (Council Directive 2006/112/EC, art. 59; Code général des impôts, art. 259 B).

As a private individual living in France or elsewhere in the European Union: French VAT applies (Code général des impôts, art. 259, 2°).

Yes. My advice, our correspondence, meeting notes and all the documents in your file are covered by professional secrecy (loi n° 71-1130 du 31 décembre 1971, art. 66-5).

Collect the document quickly at the office indicated: the copy is kept there for three months only, and service is valid even if you never collect it (Code of Civil Procedure, art. 656). Then send it to me in PDF.

Before you reply to the other party, sign anything, pay, give notice or hand back keys, tell me first, so that we check how it affects your position in the case.

These costs are separate from my fees and are listed in the fee agreement (loi n° 71-1130 du 31 décembre 1971, art. 10). I tell you in advance when one is needed and what it will cost.

You receive a written update in English at each step. When nothing happens for a while, for instance while we wait for the other side, I tell you why and when the next step is expected.

Not for our work together: consultations by video call, documents by email, fee agreement signed electronically. I represent you at hearings; whether your presence is also required depends on the proceedings, and I tell you in advance.

Not automatically. The French language requirement applies to procedural documents only (Cass. 1re civ., 22 September 2016, n° 15-21.176). But the judge may rely on a document in English when he understands its meaning (Cass. com., 27 November 2024, n° 23-10.433): for a decisive or technical document, a translation is therefore the safer course. I tell you which ones need it, rather than having your whole file translated.

Yes. When your case also involves a solicitor, attorney, accountant or notary in another country, I can work with them directly, in English.