Pinsent Masons continues European expansion with Paris launch
Pinsent Masons has planted its second flag in continental Europe by opening an office in Paris.
The new office will be comprised of a nine-partner team from the main Paris office of Marccus Partners, the legal arm of Mazars, with corporate partner Christoph Maurer heading the base. It will offer corporate, M&A, commercial, restructuring, finance, real estate, IT/IP, employment, litigation and arbitration advice.
According to the firm’s senior partner Chris Mullen, opening in France is a crucial step towards building strong links with clients in Asia and the Gulf.
“Opening in France has always been a key step in our international growth. Not only is it Germany’s major trading partner, France is also a conduit for investment in north and sub-Saharan Africa from the EU, China and the Gulf,” he said in a statement. “Central to our global sector approach, the new office puts us in a strong position to capture more in and outbound work across Europe and provides a key link with our clients in the Gulf and Asia.”
The announcement comes months after Pinsent Masons made its first foray into mainland Europe by opening an office in Munich with a team of technology lawyers. The opening followed an announcement last year that the firm was calling time on its strategic alliance with European firm Salans (12 December 2011) to open offices in France and Germany, two key jurisdictions for the European firm.
Pinsent Masons merged with Scottish firm McGrigors on 1 May, creating a firm with more than 1,500 lawyers (6 February 2012).
Readers' comments (2)
Bango | 31-Aug-2012 5:07 pm
It would have been so much easier if the Salans alliance had actually got anywhere. Had to marry the Scottish old maid in the end. Wonder how much this organic expansion is costing them in money to attract the French and German teams?
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Ben | 2-Sep-2012 9:37 am
Agree with "France is also a conduit for investment in north and sub-Saharan Africa from the EU, China and the Gulf." While this may seem ancillary today, securing access to African work will certainly become critical down the road. Paris appears to be the best hub - much better positioned than London, Casa or Algiers.
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