Bredin Prat to take over Slaughters Paris

Slaughter and May is ceding its Paris office to best friend Bredin Prat in a significant coup for the elite French independent.

The firms announced this morning (14 December) that they had come to an agreement. Details are still being confirmed, but Slaughters practice partner David Frank said the agreement is likely to see the firm’s French lawyers joining Bredin Prat, while the English lawyers will maintain a representative English law practice in Paris.

The news comes after a week of intense speculation about the future of Slaughters’ 30-year old Paris office, sparked by an article in the French business press suggesting the firms were about to merge.

The move will add bulk to Bredin Prat, which currently has 55 lawyers including 25 partners. Slaughters employs around 40 people in Paris, including eight partners.

Slaughters’ senior partner Tim Clark said the move was a logical step in consolidating the firm’s best friends approach in France.

Combining the two offices is likely to be completed by April 2006.