Interview with… Youssef Djehane, Partner, BDGS Associés AARPI

Which role will your firm play in the French legal market in the coming years? How does the coexistence of major international law firms and French firms, both with an international platform and with a distinctly domestic outlook, influence your firm’s strategy? 

After only seven years of existence, BDGS Associés has established itself as a leading independent law firm on the French market, handling the most high-end strategic matters. The firm has built up unrivalled expertise and a strong reputation that are unanimously recognised by our peers, market feedback, press coverage and legal rankings. 

In the coming years, BDGS Associés will strengthen its position as one of the most elite high-end law firms on the French market through the growth of its portfolio of clients in France and internationally and the development of additional practices (in particular restructuring and insolvency and finance), while always keeping its boutique growth model. 

BDGS Associés’s independence vis-à-vis international law firms is a major competitive advantage as it ensures that only the best practitioners are chosen for their expertise in a given matter, creating the highest benefit for clients. 

Which technological changes have you implemented at your firm to improve the legal services you provide to your clients? Which ones do clients take to the most?  

BDGS Associés implemented technological changes, notably in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. Indeed, BDGS Associés fully and swiftly adapted to lock-down in France and globally by (i) implementing immediately full remote working, (ii) improving electronic signature devices, and (iii) enhancing videoconference software. 

As a result of these measures, our services have consistently been carried out at the same highest standard throughout the Covid-19 pandemic with no impact for our clients or international correspondents, including when remotely closing complex international deals. 

How does your firm respond to the increasing appetite for arbitration in the market? 

BDGS Associés has responded to the increasing appetite for arbitration in the French market with the creation in 2018 of a dedicated dispute resolution practice. 

Our dispute resolution practice has significant experience in arbitration proceedings relating especially to corporate and shareholder disputes and in complex commercial litigation. 

BDGS Associés’s partners regularly represent major clients in their arbitration cases in respect of the non-performance by co-contractors of their contractual obligations, in particular in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on binding agreements.  

What is the biggest advantage you have as a French firm in the French legal market? 

BDGS Associés’s biggest advantage as a French firm on the French legal market is our deep knowledge of the French economic and financial environment in which transactions take place. This knowledge can play a decisive role in many deals that are sensitive or strategic in France or internationally. 

Given the high volume of lateral partners’ moves in France in 2018 and 2019, how do you make sure that your best lawyers stay with your firm? 

BDGS Associés favours in-house promotions and the training of up-and-coming associates over lateral recruitments. Except for the development of new practices, BDGS Associés prioritises the promotion of its associates to partnership. For instance, Lucile Gaillard and François Baylion, who were both promoted as partners in the mergers and acquisitions and corporate law practice, were former associates at BDGS Associés. 

BDGS Associés cultivates a strong entrepreneurship culture among its lawyers, who are encouraged to pursue business development initiatives. 

As a result of our policy, BDGS Associés benefits from an extremely low turnover rate for partners and very reasonable turnover rate for associates. 

 What do you do differently from other firms? 

BDGS Associés’s greatest differentiator from other law firms is its growth model, which was one of the many reasons leading to its creation. 

BDGS Associés believes that with a low associate to partner ratio (less than two associates per partner on average) and the strong implication of its partners providing high-quality commercial and tailored advice, it successfully offers an attractive alternative to the leverage-based model of many other firms on the French legal market. This model favours the training of young associates, who work directly with partners, and ensures the high quality of BDGS Associés’s legal advice. 

This model gives the firm great resilience and adaptability that BDGS Associés demonstrated throughout the lock-down period and its aftermath. Thus, BDGS Associés has throughout maintained a high level of activity, ensuring that services to our clients remained unaffected. 

In addition, contrary to most law firms, BDGS Associés’s lawyers’ remuneration and evaluations are not linked to hours recorded. 

What advice would you give to the next generation of partners ready to rise in the ranks? 

With more than 25 years of professional experience as a partner in a law firm, I can’t help but notice that commitment, availability, awareness, reliability and flexibility are essential qualities in our business. 

I would strongly recommend to the next generation of partners to remain fully and actively involved in their cases, to be dedicated to their clients whose requests can only be addressed with constant work and forward-thinking solutions, and to be focused on knowledge transmission in order to create synergies between lawyers. 

In my opinion, a successful law practice is a balanced mix between a privileged relationship with clients and efficient and fruitful teamwork, which is based on the strong implication of partners and a low associate to partner ratio.  

What has been your greatest achievement, in a professional and personal capacity? 

My greatest achievement in a professional and personal capacity is without a doubt the creation of BDGS Associés in April 2013. It was a challenging project and we were confident that we could offer a promising and valuable alternative to what was available on the French legal market at the time, and we were proved right. 

Now, BDGS Associés is one of the most elite high-end law firms on the French legal market. BDGS Associés can pride itself on having achieved this position in only seven years, an achievement which is unprecedented on most major markets.