Top 30 LB100 firm Nabarro has today (6 March) confirmed that French firm August & Debouzy has left its European alliance, which also includes Germany’s GSK Stockmann + Kollegen, Italian firm Nunziante Magrone and Spanish firm Roca Junyent.
Nabarro’s head of international Patricia Godfrey is now leading a team from across the alliance to find a new French partner, and exploring interest from firms in other parts of Europe. Although Paris-headquartered August & Debouzy shares its Brussels office with Nabarro, the priority, the firm stated, will be to find a partner with the right culture to complement existing member firms so that clients continue to receive consistent, high quality cross-border advice. Spanish firm Roca Junyent was the most recent firm to join the alliance in January 2012.
Nabarro’s senior partner Graham Stedman said: ‘I would like to thank everyone at August & Debouzy and in particular, Gilles August, Emmanuelle Barbara and Ferenc Gonter for their support and participation in the alliance over many years. Together with my colleagues in the alliance, I am confident and optimistic about its future and the ongoing benefits that it brings our clients and each member firm.
‘There continues to be a place for a strong alliance of mid-market, independent law firms with a common ethos which give clients access to our collective legal expertise and the specialised knowledge we have of our own cultures and jurisdictions.’
The French firm has blamed its departure in part on the desire to grow its own network and August & Debouzy founding partner Gilles August, said: ‘This decision allows August & Debouzy an opportunity to develop relationships with other law firms in jurisdictions already covered by alliance members. Circumstances and priorities change, but I know the positive relationships we have established between member firms across the alliance will continue even after our departure.’
Sarah.downey@legalease.co.uk
