Freshfields turns to Gide for Paris property hire

Le Douce-Bercot will start work at Freshfields later this month, having previously been a partner at Gide since 2006.

He represents property companies, investment firms and financial institutions on all aspects of real estate law, particularly acquisitions. He also advises on contentious matters.

The hire follows last year’s news that King & Spalding had raided the magic circle firm’s Paris office for seven property lawyers, including partners Benoît Marcilhacy and Pascal Schmitz (1 May 2012).

Freshfields’ global real estate head Johannes Conradi said Le Douce-Bercot’s experience and “perfect understanding” of legal issues in the property sector.

Le Douce-Bercot added that the real estate investment market in France has not suffered as much as other European jurisdictions during the financial crisis and held plenty of opportunity for law firms in the future.

Freshfields made another partner hire for Paris in the autumn, picking up Weil Gotshal & Manges’ local finance head Emmanuel Ringeval and a team of associates (10 September 2012).

Meanwhile Le Douce-Bercot is the second partner to leave Gide this year, following the departure of restructuring specialist Olivier Puech to Bredin Prat in January (10 January 2013).