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.
Gide was again delighted to sponsor Oxford University’s French Law Moot, which was held on Monday, 16 March 2015.
The event, now in its eighth year, brings together teams of “mooters” from some of Europe’s leading universities to debate a question of French law. The competition is organised by the university’s Institute of European and Comparative Law and the Institute’s Director, Stefan Vogenauer, said of the event: "The moot is an important part of the French law teaching that we provide for our undergraduate students. It also reinforces the leading role that Oxford has as a centre for the study of French law in the English-speaking world.”
Since its inception at Oxford University in 2008, the Oxford French Law Moot (“Concours de plaidoiries en droit français”) has developed from a national competition to a European event, made possible through the financial support of Gide, the first international law firm to originate in France, and the involvement of the Association Henri Capitant des amis de la culture juridique française. "The Oxford moot has now become a major event for students who study French law throughout the world; it also is a great example of the common achievements that Association Henri Capitant and Gide can carry together in the course of this special relationship", said Philippe Dupichot, Secretary General to the Association, Senior Counsel and member of Gide's Scientific Council.
This year, teams entered from the Universities of Birmingham, Bristol, Cologne, Essex, Exeter, Florence, Kent, Leuven, Oxford, Warwick, King’s College London and Trinity College Dublin.
The participants presented arguments in relation to a property dispute between an elderly landlady and a ferret-housing tenant. The finalists from the University of Leuven and the University of Cologne battled it out in front of a judging panel chaired by Alain Lacabarats, President of the 3rd Division of the Court of Cassation, France’s highest court for private disputes. Mr Lacabarats was joined by Muriel Fabre-Magnan, Professeur à l'École de droit de la Sorbonne (Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne), and Clotilde Lemarié, Partner in Gide London’s International Dispute Resolution practice group. Lord Mance, Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, assumed the role of amicus curiae.
The judges commended the teams for their courage, confidence and, in the case of Leuven, their entertaining responses. The level of both teams was very high and it was a close final, however, it was the University of Cologne that emerged triumphant. The team comprised mooters Morgane Cauvin and Paula Fischer and their mentor, Antonio Musella.
Clotilde Lemarié, Gide London Partner and Final judge, said of the event: "We were very impressed by the participants and thrilled to see them argue a case in French. We are delighted to support the event and to see it grow year on year."
