Lovells enters tie-up with France's Kuntz
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Lovells has formed a co-operation agreement with Paris-based insolvency boutique Kuntz & Associés.
The tie-up will see the firms, who have a longstanding relationship, form a closer bond without entering into a full-scale alliance.
Under the arrangement Lovells will gain access to Kuntz’s specialist insolvency expertise, while Kuntz will be able to draw on Lovells’ full-service French practice.
Lovells restructuring and insolvency head Robin Spencer said: “Most of the leading insolvency lawyers in Paris organise themselves into boutique firms that dominate the insolvency market. Kuntz & Associés is amongst the very best of these firms.
“We’ve worked extensively with Jean-Emmanuel [Kuntz, the firm’s founding partner] and his team in the past on the court-facing aspects of restructuring and insolvency in France.
“We know from having worked together that Jean-Emmanuel is technically excellent, and we know from having pitched together that he shares our commitment to delivering practical, quality advice to clients and our ethos of working as a close part of the client’s team.”
Four-lawyer Kuntz was formed in 2005 by former Foucaud Tchekhoff Pochet & Associés lawyer Kuntz.
Readers' comments (26)
ScoobyDooDoo | 9-Sep-2009 9:33 am
What a name.
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Anonymous | 9-Sep-2009 9:51 am
"Under the arrangement Lovells will gain access to Kuntz’s ...while Kuntz will be able to drawn on Lovells’ full-service".
Void for illegality, surely!?
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Anonymous | 9-Sep-2009 10:43 am
Fnaaarrr fnaaaaarrrrr
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Roger Mellie | 9-Sep-2009 12:05 pm
Lovells are obviously not beating about the bush with this liaison. How long before we see a similar tie up with Schmidtmayr Sorgo Wanke in Vienna I wonder?
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Anonymous | 9-Sep-2009 12:09 pm
You'd have thought their PR adviser would have got them to rebrand.
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G | 9-Sep-2009 1:28 pm
This is a magnificent tie-up. Congratulations to all. I wonder if they have an associate office in Tasmania?
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Investment Banker | 9-Sep-2009 1:34 pm
Who would want to work for a bunch of "kuntz"? lol
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Anonymous | 9-Sep-2009 1:53 pm
This has to win the award for the best legal story headline ever. Well done The Lawyer!
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Anonymous | 9-Sep-2009 2:40 pm
I've heard that Lowballs are about to get into bed with Sheikh Yerr Bootie in Saudi Arabia - that would make a great 3 way
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Anonymous | 9-Sep-2009 2:44 pm
Before today, who would have associated Lovells with Kuntz?
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Pervez | 9-Sep-2009 2:47 pm
Nice to see Lovells thrusting forward into virgin territory
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Anonymous | 9-Sep-2009 3:53 pm
Ah, a match made in heaven!
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Anonymous | 9-Sep-2009 3:54 pm
I commend the tie up and, given my rather long legal career hitherto, I vouch for their new partner for I feel like I’ve been working with Kuntz for quite some time.....
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Mark | 9-Sep-2009 3:54 pm
"Under the arrangement Lovells will gain access to Kuntz’s"
Surely it would have been cheaper to just go to Browns???
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Anonymous | 9-Sep-2009 3:59 pm
We are not talking about all French lawyers here are we?
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Anonymous | 9-Sep-2009 4:46 pm
What about the rumour that Kok (http://www.kokadvocaten.nl/) were chasing Kuntz?
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Anonymous | 9-Sep-2009 4:49 pm
I see that Kuntz started the firm up after leaving the only-slightly-less amusingly named Foucaud
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Stringer Bell | 9-Sep-2009 5:05 pm
What a fine advertisement for the English legal profession this stream of public schoolboy humour is creating. Clearly it must be a very slow Wednesday across the City?
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Anonymous | 9-Sep-2009 7:01 pm
Pete & Dud, eat your hearts out!
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Anonymous | 10-Sep-2009 9:39 am
I can see many merits in the tie-up.
Although the current climate is one in which many Firms are seeking to be defensive in order to avoid making the sort of "financial clanger" which is becoming all too common, one cannot help but applaud Lovells' bold move.
I think the timing (after the Bush era) is perfect for becoming more acquainted with Kuntz.
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Anonymous | 10-Sep-2009 10:12 am
Lovells' tie-up with Kuntz is a bold move, as the last comment states. Although from a PR perspective, the name of the newly-established firm is something of an "optical horror", the synergies between the firms make this risk worth taking. In this sluggish economy, one must seek to make one's business recession-proof, lest one be branded a "Sluggy Slug" by the rest of the legal industry. If a firm is able to weather the financial storm by flexing rock hard abs - it will fair far better than a firm with a midriff that resembles a "choppy sea" or has in fact no torso whatsover. Lovells are to be applauded in their endeavour to team up with Kuntz.
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Anonymous | 10-Sep-2009 10:18 am
Such an improvement over Private Eye made up names
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Anonymous | 10-Sep-2009 10:27 am
Surely a missed opportunity for Moon Beever to consolidate their position in the market?
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anonymous | 11-Sep-2009 3:20 pm
Why not go tripartite with these feisty fellows?
John A. Thomas Law Office
724 Front Street, Suite 600
Evanston, WY 82931
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playfootsieforme | 11-Sep-2009 10:43 pm
Other law firms who wanted to merge with Kuntz in France will be disappointed. However, any firm which wants to merge with Kuntz in the UK has a wealth of options available to it.
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Jean-Emmanuel KUNTZ | 17-Sep-2009 8:45 am
I have read with interest the editorial on our best friends’ partnership with Lovells and the buzz!
I ignored the devious meaning given in English language of my family name since its German origin is linked to the meaning of Art and the pronunciation you suggest is totally wrong.
Furthermore, I remind you that, for NY lawyers, it is the name of a famous real estate lawyer, partner of Shearman&Sterling!
Anyhow, for your information, as you seem not to know how the French market is organised, I give you, with the friendly authorisation of the author, our ranking into the latest classification of the French law firms made by Juristes Associés : for 2008, we are number 10 in terms of turnover increase (8 per fee earner), 17 for turnover/fee earners.
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