About

French company Électricité de France (EDF) is a major player in the global utility industry. Its revenue of over €70bn comes as a result of its extensive operations across the world. Considering the complexity of EDF’s business, it is no surprise that there are a number of highly competent in-house lawyers supporting business units, practice areas and subsidiaries. Chief legal officer Olivier Fauqueux ultimately holds responsibility for the legal matters of the company, but he is ably supported by exceptional general counsel across the organisation. These include Sylvie van de Geer who is general counsel for Citelum, and Amélie Ledoux-Godfroy who is GC of Dunkerque LNG. Other figures singled out by sources include Steven Wolfram, who is general counsel for development, and Francois Driesen, who is general counsel international and senior vice president for internal risk and control international. Driesen manages a team of 20 lawyers that are 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. Mathieu Aury, deputy general counsel for corporate, co-manages and co-ordinates 42 lawyers divided into six departments as well as overseeing external legal support with respect to a diverse range of matters. Finally, deputy general counsel international Delphine Jacquemont, who co-manages a team of 24 lawyers, handles matters concerning international power projects, EDF’s worldwide gas and LNG business and international arbitration and corporate activities. In terms of business development the team members assisted the company in late 2016 in signing an agreement for the purchase of Areva’s nuclear reactor unit, buying as much as 75% in a deal that valued it at €2.5bn. If the deal overcomes competition issues, EDF will rely on its legal team again when it plans to sell a 24% stake in the unit to other investors in the future.