Paris bar elections: Gide well-placed, Slaughters disappointed

Gide Loyrette Nouel partners Jean-Marie Burguburu and Olivier Cousi are in a strong position to be elected to the Paris Bar Council after they came second and third in the first round of elections.

Burguburu, president of the council for the past two years, received 2729 votes in the initial round of voting yesterday (23 November). Cousi was just behind with 2692 votes.

Another former president, Jean-René Farthouat, topped the voting with 3676 votes and was elected to the council.

However there was less good news for Slaughter and May partner Antoine-Audoin Maggiar. The only candidate from an Anglo-Saxon firm, Maggiar came 16th in the first round with 1438 votes and must wait until this evening (24 November) to find out if he has won one of the 13 remaining empty seats on the council.

Lefèvre Pelletier & Associés partner Pierre Lévêque had good support in the first round, racking up 2105 votes to come eighth.

All the other candidates are members of smaller independent Parisian firms. Representatives from corporate and international firms are a minority on the council, particularly following the end of the three year tenures of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer partner Yves Hughyé de Mahenge and LeBoeuf Lamb Greene & MacRae’s Alain de Foucaud.