Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton is skilled in handling cases for a stellar client base comprising many of the world’s leading companies across various industries, investment funds and even the French state and some CEOs. The firm handles many of the market’s most high-profile cases, spanning commercial, financial and corporate litigation and can cope with cases mixing together various criminal, securities, civil and corporate aspects. It is regularly retained to handle sensitive and emerging cases, including business secrecy and ESG issues, as well as fraud and breach of warranty disputes, shareholder conflicts, antitrust follow-on damages claims and insolvency-related disputes. The team acts both in domestic and cross-border cases. Jean-Yves Garaud and Delphine Michot are two excellent litigators, while senior attorney Aude Dupuis also stands out.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Excellent skills and experience in the field of international arbitration and litigation.’

  • ‘Jean-Yves Garaud is first rate . He has excellent judgment and thinks strategically.'

  • 'Aude Dupuis has excellent judgment, is very thorough and dependable.’
  • ‘Very renowned commercial litigation team, among the five best on the market.’

  • ‘The qualities of Delphine Michot's team are simply exceptional, they are extremely responsive, and give sound advice in record time whatever the subject discussed. She puts a lot of emphasis on the employees of her team, which is rare and very appreciable.’

  • ‘Responsive and competent.’

  • ‘Professionalism.’

  • 'Elise Goebel and Jean-Baptiste Combe are excellent.'

Key clients

  • ArcelorMittal
  • Bpifrance Participations
  • Canal + Group
  • Dupont
  • Garuda Indonesia
  • Google
  • IronSource
  • JCDecaux
  • Novasep and Henogen
  • Solvay
  • The French State
  • The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
  • Veolia / SARPI

Work highlights

  • Representing SARPI in interim proceedings brought by Lafarge Ciments in connection with the sale of SARPI’s stake to Nouveau Suez in the context of the remedies to the Veolia-Suez merger ordered by the European Commission.
  • Representing the French State in the challenge against, and the motion for a suspension of, its acquisition of Electricité de France (EDF) through a friendly simplified public tender before the Paris Court of Appeals.
  • Representing Google in numerous matters, including in connection with several follow-on damages claims worth millions of euros by several publishers and ad tech players on the basis of the French Competition Authority's 2021 Ad Tech decision.

Lawyers

Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Leading individuals: Corporate and commercial litigation
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Jean-Yves Garaud, Delphine Michot, Guillaume de Rancourt, Aude Dupuis