Clifford Chance‘s Paris office has won its tussle with a junior associate over his status as a trade union representative.
In January The Lawyer reported that the firm was taking Avi Bitton to court, alleging that Bitton’s appointment by the Confédération Fran-çaise des Travailleurs Chré-tiens was fraudulent and made solely to protect him from dismissal.
On 23 February a Paris court found in favour of Clifford Chance and judged the appointment invalid.
Bitton is appealing to the French Supreme Court on two grounds. He alleges that the Clifford Chance employee who filed the claim did not have written power of attorney to do so. He is also challenging the legal finding that his appointment was fraudulent.
Also, he says that because the firm did not challenge a second appointment of union representative to the firm’s personnel committee, he is still protected from dismissal.
Yves Wehrli, managing partner of Clifford Chance in Paris, said the firm will consider its position carefully, adding: “We consider this a success.”
