Clifford Chance adds judge to Paris tax practice

Clifford Chance has boosted its Paris tax team with the hire of French judge Laurent Vallée as of counsel.

Before joining Clifford Chance, Vallée was a judge in the Conseil d'Etat, the French administrative Supreme Court. Vallée will be in charge of the tax litigation group at the UK firm's Paris office. His practice will advise corporations and banks on their tax strategy.

Yves Wehrli, managing partner of the Paris office, said: "Laurent is a recognised expert in the field of taxation and we believe he will bring significant insights for our clients."

Vallée has worked as an adviser to government officials including the general manager of French customs and the general manager of competition. He joins a Paris tax department of four partners and 18 lawyers in total.