Drawing on over 20 years' experience in the fields of dispute resolution and white collar crime, Sophie Scemla is a recognised expert admitted to the Paris and New York Bars who specialises in preventing and managing criminal risks, combating international corruption, and leading corporate investigations.

Gide is a major player in compliance and corporate investigations, drawing on the firm's cross-border expertise, developed through its international network, and multi-disciplinary skills, in particular white collar crime, banking and finance law, international trade law, economic and competition law, tax law, employment law and data protection law.

Gide Paris numbers over 20 lawyers who specialise in white collar crime, including three dedicated partners, making it one of the largest and most recognised teams in France. Together, they steer the firm's anticorruption / anti-fraud group, part of its Compliance & Corporate Investigations practice.

Senior partner Xavier de Kergommeaux and managing partner Stéphane Puel indicate: "We are delighted to welcome Sophie Scemla to our firm. Her international experience in the fields of white collar crime, management of corporate investigations, and preventing corruption, constitutes a real asset for our clients, as they are increasingly facing significant compliance challenges in France and abroad. The arrival of this team and this appointment are perfectly in line with our firm's development ambitions and our role as advisor to our clients, so that we may help them face in the best possible way the challenges and developments of tomorrow."

Sophie Scemla adds: "I am very pleased to join forces with Bruno Quentin and Jean-Philippe Pons-Henry, whom I have known for many years. Our complementary experience will enable us to offer our clients services that are dedicated to solving compliance issues and managing criminal risks, both in France and abroad. These fields are strategic and economic pressure points for companies and their leaders, as they are increasingly faced with the extraterritoriality of foreign legislations and must be defended by specialists. With its leading full-service offer and its multi-disciplinary positioning as an international law firm made in France, Gide was an obvious choice."

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Admitted to both the Paris and the New York Bars, Sophie Scemla focuses on white collar crime defence, with a particular emphasis on preventing and managing risk, and implementing compliance programmes. She has managed extensive international fraud cases, international money laundering, tax fraud and criminal proceedings. Sophie has been involved in several high-profile criminal matters such as the Eurotunnel and Madoff cases, in international money-laundering and corruption cases (some in connection with the "Oil for Food" case), in the negotiation of agreements with foreign authorities, as well as in complex tax fraud cases such as the Wendel case. Regularly involved in conducting corporate investigations in France, Africa and Asia, Sophie recently coordinated international investigations involving the United States, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, China, Angola and Brazil, and has implemented compliance programmes and risk-mapping for a number of French and international groups.

Prior to joining Gide, Sophie was a partner within Orrick Rambaud Martel (2009-2012), Heenan Blaikie (2012-2015) and Eversheds Sutherland (since 2015). She began her career as an associate within Rambaud Martel (1997-1998) then Danet & Associés (2000-2005), before being appointed counsel by Ayache Salama (2007-2009) and Orrick Rambaud Martel (2007-2009).

Sophie Scemla is Vice-Chair of the IBA Anti-corruption Committee and a member of the special committee on corporate investigations for the French Bar association (Comité National des Barreaux). She holds a Master's degree in international business law (1995) and a postgraduate degree in private law (1996) from Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne University, a postgraduate degree in industrial property (1997) from Paris II Panthéon-Assas University, and an LL.M. in comparative jurisprudence from the University of New York (1999).

Ranked by Chambers Europe, Legal 500, Best Lawyers and Who's Who Legal, Sophie Scemla has also been distinguished as one of "100 remarkable women in investigations" by Global Investigations Review.