EU, competition and distribution

BDGS Associés

Client Satisfaction

BDGS Associés houses a comprehensive EU and competition offering. The firm is widely recognised for its standout track record in complex merger control cases, routinely advising on the largest deals in the French market, and for its expertise in state aid, including assisting with recent high-profile investigations by the European Commission. Antitrust litigation and investigations are also a core area of strength. The sizeable team is headed by Antoine Gosset-Grainville, a well-regarded name for merger control and state aid matters, and Maria Trabucchi, whose recent caseload includes representing key players in the technology and retail sectors in sensitive abuse of dominance and cartel cases. Jérôme Fabre and François Gordon (who joined the firm from Baker McKenzie in January 2024) also have strong all-round competition practices. Camille Petiau, Florian Bosser and Maxime Treignat are also noted.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

"An excellent competition practice with good strength in depth. Super responsive."
"BDGS' exclusive positioning and closeness to major French CAC 40 groups stands out on the French market. Their very strong technical reputation and ability to work on the most complex strategic transactions and issues for their clients makes them a partner of choice to serve the goals and ambitions of their prominent clients."
"François Gordon is undoubtedly a great addition to the BDGS team. His legal abilities are no less than outstanding, he has a sharp business mind and displays an impressive thoroughness and attention to details. He is highly practical and very strategic in the way he defends his clients, and he is an entrepreneur with great work ethics and an impressive professional track record to show for."
"Maria Trabucchi is also clearly ahead of the pack on the French competition market."
"We have worked on several joint mandates for merger filings with BDGS team. They are a boutique firm with high quality work, similar to the big law firms, but partners are more involved in the discussions on the case, leading to more sophisticated discussions in cases that present some challenges."
"Partners Jerome Fabre, Maria Trabuchi and Mathilde Damon have deep knowledge on the clients' business, are very cooperative and responsive, and handle very well the issues that the Brazilian merger control rules pose to the clients."
"The team has strong expertise, excellent responsiveness, and a solid understanding of the business."
"The team is extremely effective and efficient in competition law, especially in strategic cases.

Key clients

CMA CGM
Meta
Publicis
Safran
Carrefour
SNCF
ENGIE
Thales
La Poste / La Banque Postale
BPCE
Crédit Mutuel
Société Générale
Crédit Agricole
BNP Paribas
Crédit Agricole Assurances/Predica
OpenGate Capital
Campofrío
Fédération du Commerce et de la Distribution
Séché Environnement
Agence des Participations de l’État
Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations
Bpifrance Investissement
LOV Group / Betclic
Sopra Steria
Lanvin
L’Oréal
Corsair
Soprel

Work highlights

Assisting CMA CGM with the acquisition of Altice Media (owner of the TV channel BFMTV and the radio station RMC Info), as part of the group’s expansion in the media sector.
Representing Meta in the context of an ongoing investigation launched by the French Competition Authority in the online advertising verification sector for alleged abuse of dominant position.
Advising Engie in the context of the in-depth state aid investigation opened by the European Commission in July 2024 in relation to the 10-year extension of the operation of two Belgian nuclear reactors.

Lawyers

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