Page swaps Withers for Penningtons

CITY firm Withers has lost its French-based partner Henry Page to the Paris office of Penningtons.

Page, who started work with the commercial practice last month after six years with Withers, has brought assistant Christian Couvrat with him to the three-member office.

A resident in Paris for more than 13 years, Page is qualified as an English solicitor and a French avocat. He moved to France to staff the office of litigation firm Holman, Fenwick & Willan.

Brought in to replace partner Charles Brooks, who has returned to London, Page says he switched to Penningtons "for a number of reasons", including the firm's emphasis on shipping law.

"Penningtons is committed to international work and expansion in different countries, which isn't really something that drives Withers.

"Also, Withers had decided to reduce the size of the Paris office, which wasn't consistent with my own personal aims."

Page will handle shipping and transport-related disputes and specialise in areas including the arrest of associated vessels in France, establishing convenient jurisdiction in international disputes, cross-border problems, and obtaining security and executing judgements against debtors.

"I remain in France because I have a large number of clients from many different countries who I encourage to use the jurisdiction here because it is approximately one-tenth of the price of English courts," says Page.