Founded in Paris in 1920, Gide is a leading international law firm with 12 offices spread throughout the world.
Gide is physically present in six regions of the world, with 11 offices, enabling it to act on cases globally.
6 January 2022
Nomination | Counsels
Gide is pleased to announce the promotion to Counsel of thirteen promising young lawyers in its Algiers, Casablanca, London and Paris offices, in several practice groups. These appointments are effective as of 1 January 2022.
ALGIERS
CASABLANCA
LONDON
PARIS
The Counsel status highlights an excellent career to date within Gide. Each candidate was unanimously backed by his or her practice group, received individual sponsorship, and was approved by a commission comprising twelve partners. The Management Committee awards the Counsel status for an initial period of three years.
Partner Emmanuel Larere, member of the firm's Management Committee in charge of talent & diversity, says: "We are delighted to promote these thirteen promising lawyers to Counsel! The demanding process rewards their exemplary and highly technical professional career to date, and above all their ability to think outside the box. These high-potential lawyers will help guarantee the ongoing performance of our firm in the service of our clients."
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Xavier Lecomte, Counsel - Gide Algiers
Mergers & Acquisitions / Corporate
Xavier Lecomte focuses on mergers and acquisitions, investments (both domestic and international), and establishing joint ventures. Xavier has extensive experience in cross-border transactions in emerging countries, and spent four years practising in Gide's office in Algiers.
Prior to joining Gide in 2013, Xavier worked for six years at Cleary Gottlieb.
Xavier was admitted to the Paris Bar in 2004 and graduated from the ESSEC business school and Paris II - Panthéon-Assas University in business law.
Frédéric Pia, Counsel - Gide Casablanca
Projects (Finance & Infrastructure)
Admitted to the Paris Bar in 2012, Frédéric Pia began his career within Gide’s Projects (Finance & Infrastructure) practice group in Paris before joining the firm's Casablanca office in 2018. He works with governments, international financial establishments and sponsors on infrastructure and renewable energy projects in Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa.
Frédéric holds a Master’s degree in International Business Law and Management from business school ESSEC, and is a graduate of Paris West University Nanterre La Défense and of higher education institution Ecole des Ponts ParisTech (Master’s degree in project financing and structured financing).
Pierre-Antoine Degrolard, Counsel - Gide London
Mergers & Acquisitions / Corporate
Admitted to the Paris Bar in 2012, Pierre-Antoine Degrolard joined Gide in 2017. He specialises in mergers and acquisitions and acts primarily in acquisitions and divestments, corporate re-organisations and joint venture transactions and, more generally, on matters of corporate law.
In this regard, he assists both French and international clients in a number of sectors, particularly defence, pharmaceuticals, and companies with public shareholdings.
Over the years, Pierre-Antoine has also gained sound experience of the French regime for control of foreign investments.
Pierre-Antoine holds a Master's degree in corporate law from Paris Dauphine University and a postgraduate degree in international business law and management from ESCP Europe. He is a Foreign Registered Lawyer in London since 1 January 2020.
Aurélien de Castéja, Counsel - Gide Paris
Banking & Finance / Project Financing
Aurélien de Castéja joined the firm in 2012. He specialises in structured bond and bank financing, and acts primarily on acquisition and leverage financing (LBOs) and/or real estate financing. He advises both French and foreign investment funds, institutional investors, insurance companies and credit institutions on carrying out their investment projects, including their structuring and implementation.
He holds an LL.M. in international business law from King's College London, and a Master's degree in business law from Paris Descartes University. He speaks French, English and Spanish.
Matthieu Lucchesi, Counsel - Gide Paris
Banking & Finance / Project Financing
Matthieu Lucchesi is a specialist in legal and regulatory strategy in the field of digital transformation. He joined Gide in June 2018 to help develop "Gide 255", a new and multidisciplinary offer dedicated to innovation and FinTechs within the firm.
Matthieu began his career in 2011 as a lawyer within the New York office of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, before joining the French Financial Markets Authority (AMF) in 2012. In 2016, he became head of its Asset Management Regulation division. In early 2018, Matthieu became head of public affairs for BNP Paribas Asset Management.
Matthieu holds a Master's degree in business law from Paris II - Panthéon-Assas University (2009) and an LL.M. from Harvard Law School (2011). He is admitted to the New York Bar.
Charles Terdjman, Counsel - Gide Paris
Competition & International Trade
Charles Terdjman joined Gide in 2012. He specialises in French and EU competition law and acts in litigation relating to cartels and abuses of dominant position (in defence or as plaintiff), as well as in appeals against dawn raids.
Charles has recently developed solid expertise in merger control, particularly in multiple filing operations requiring several merger filing authorisations. Charles also acts in distribution and consumer law, as well as in commercial disputes.
Charles is a graduate of the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (2010), the Robert Schumann University of Strasbourg (EU law), and the Paris V - Paris-Descartes University (European business law). He speaks French, English and Spanish.
François Voiron, Counsel - Gide Paris
Criminal & Commercial Litigation
Admitted to the Paris Bar in 2014, François Voiron specialises in criminal and commercial litigation, in which he mainly assists and advises major French and foreign companies, in particular banking and financiing players, as well as their executive teams.
He works on criminal business law cases (breach of probity, criminal tax law, fraud, criminal financial law, etc.), as well as on civil and commercial litigation at the pre-litigation and litigation stages. He also participates in internal audits and investigations, mainly in connection with criminal allegations.
François thus handles complex cases with multiple parallel procedures (criminal and/or commercial, in France and abroad), which require an overall strategic approach and sound expertise in dispute resolution.
François holds a Master’s degree in European business law from Paris II – Panthéon-Assas University (2011) and a diploma in international litigation from Paris Est-Créteil University (2012). He joined Gide in 2014 after being admitted to the Paris Bar.
Astrid Westphalen, Counsel - Gide Paris
Dispute Resolution
Admitted to the Paris Bar in 2013 and a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales since 2017, Astrid Westphalen specialises in international arbitration and dispute resolution.
Astrid recently acted as counsel in commercial or investment arbitration proceedings, governed by the rules of various institutions (ICC, ICSID, SAC, CMAP) or ad hoc rules (UNCITRAL), relating to energy, public service concessions, construction, defence, insurance-reinsurance, shareholder relations and investment protection.
She is a graduate of Paris I – Panthéon-Sorbonne University (Master’s degrees in international trade law and French and English law) and University King’s College London (LL.B. in French and English law).
Marie-Ange Pozzo di Borgo, Counsel - Gide Paris
Intellectual Property, Telecommunications, Media and Technology
Admitted to the New York and Paris Bars, and a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales, Marie-Ange Pozzo di Borgo is a member of Gide's Intellectual Property practice group since 2013. She advises French and international clients on industrial property matters (patents, trademarks and designs), as well as copyright and unfair competition.
She has a strong focus on patent disputes. Her recent experience includes advising clients in the pharmaceutical and aviation industries on multi-jurisdictional cases involving patent or SPC invalidity and/or infringement claims, preliminary injunction and seizure of counterfeit goods. She also acts on regulatory issues pertaining to the marketing of products.
Marie-Ange holds an LL.M. from UCLA in entertainment and media law, a Master's degree in applied intellectual property from Paris XII, and a Master's degree in corporate law and management from Paris II – Panthéon-Assas University. She has also studied at Università Luigi Bocconi in Milan. She speaks French, English and Italian.
Pierre-Guillaume Sagnol, Counsel - Gide Paris
Mergers & Acquisitions / Corporate
Admitted to the Paris Bar in 2015, Pierre-Guillaume Sagnol began his legal career within the Corporate & Securities practice of Mayer Brown in Paris before joining Gide in 2021.
He specialises in Private Equity matters, and regularly acts on leveraged buy-outs and growth equity operations for French and foreign investment funds.
Pierre-Guillaume is a graduate of ESCP Europe and holds a Master's degree in business law from Paris II Panthéon-Assas University.
Ghizlen Sari-Ali, Counsel - Gide Paris
Mergers & Acquisitions / Corporate
Ghizlen Sari-Ali joined Gide in 2014. She specialises in mergers, acquisition and private equity. She acts on domestic and cross-border acquisitions, joint ventures, mergers and restructuring operations.
Ghizlen assists groups and investment funds operating in a wide variety of economic sectors (in particular industry, energy, banking, insurance, real estate and hotels). She regularly advises on cross-border transactions in Europe and the MENA region, and more generally on corporate and contract law issues. Ghizlen recently advised the Engie group on the sale of the Endel group to Altrad; Adeo on the sale of a pan-European portfolio of 42 real estate assets to Batipart and Covea; and the BNP Paribas group on the sale of its banking subsidiaries in Tunisia and Gabon.
Ghizlen holds a Master’s degree in corporate law from Paris-Dauphine University and an LL.M. in international business law from the University of Exeter (UK). She is admitted to the Paris Bar, and speaks French, English and Arabic.
Tiphanie Mareuse, Counsel - Gide Paris
Public Law, Energy & Environment
Tiphanie Mareuse began her legal career in 2012 at Gide before joining the legal department of Bolloré Transport & Logistics in 2016. She returned to Gide in September 2018 as a member of the Public Law, Energy & Environment and Projects (Finance and Infrastructure) practice groups.
She has developed strong expertise in public business law, with a primary activity in public contract law, especially in concessions and public procurement law. She assists public entities and private operators in the preparation and implementation of building and infrastructure projects in France and Africa.
Tiphanie holds a Master's degree in public economic law from Paris II - Panthéon-Assas University, and a Master's degree in international business law and management from ESSEC Business School.
Frédéric Colmou, Counsel - Gide Paris
Projects (Finance & Infrastructure)
Frédéric Colmou was admitted to the Paris Bar in 2014 and joined Gide's Projects (Finance & Infrastructure) team in 2019 after five years spent in leading French and English law firms. He specialises in infrastructure projects and Public-Private Partnerships.
He regularly advises sponsors, lenders and investors on infrastructure and conventional and renewable energy projects. He has developed particular expertise in the nuclear field and in the sovereignty sectors (aviation & defence).
Frédéric graduated from the University of Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne (Master in Public Business Law) and holds a Master's degree in Business Law and International Management from ESCP-Europe.
