Described by peers as ‘one of the best group legal chiefs in France’ Olivier Fauqueux is a highly praised group general counsel in the country with a ‘real sense of business’ and ‘huge experience in many sectors’.

As the group general counsel for EDF, a major player in the energy industry, Fauqueux has assisted on its extensive operations across the world. Part of a wider international team and supported by other general counsel across the organisation, he is active in international projects in the power sector and international corporate activities such as M&A transactions and governance issues for EDF’s foreign investments. Assuming this position in 2014, he has since been central to matters concerning international power projects, EDF’s worldwide gas and LNG business and international arbitrations. In doing so he has been noticed by peers for managing the legal department ‘with efficiency’, skilfully and tactfully navigating large scale projects.

An example of this is EDF’s initiatives to launch a push into the solar energy market, as part of a shift towards using more renewable energy. Most notably he supported the company in signing an agreement for the purchase of Areva’s nuclear reactor unit, buying as much as 75% in a deal that is valued at €2.5bn.