CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre is viewed by the market as a leading tax practice in France. The firm comprises around 170 professionals, which is much bigger than most of its competitors in the legal sector. This means it can offer expertise in addition ...
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CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre is viewed by the market as a leading tax practice in France. The firm comprises around 170 professionals, which is much bigger than most of its competitors in the legal sector. This means it can offer expertise in addition to the typical service lines, such as local tax department or what it calls a tax doctrine department to advise on changes in business law.
A number of its professionals are also leading figures in the market. Bruno Gibert is described as "very present on transfer pricing" and having "good client relationships". He has been recently reappointed chairman of the EU Joint Transfer Pricing Forum. Christophe Aldebert is described as a rising star in the field of VAT.
The transfer pricing group has continued to grow this year. The team, headed by Pierre-Jean Douvier, Stéphane Gelin and Gibert, has been active both in obtaining advance pricing agreements and also in handling disputes. Gibert is advising a client on the transfer pricing implications of their services and intellectual property, involving more than 150 jurisdictions. The transfer pricing group, unlike most other law firms, includes economists, which means that work does not have to be outsourced to the big-four or the niche consultancies in the field.
The tax team has also advised on many of the largest transactions in the French market over the last year. Edouard Milhac is advising on the completion of the cross-border merger of Nissan Belgium and the Netherlands into the French parent company, which is due to be completed in September. François Hellio also advised Media-Saturn Holding on the disposal of 34 of its stores.
The group advises major multinationals including many of the CAC 40 listed companies. Clients they have worked for this year include Foncière des Régions, SITQ-Caisse des Dépôts du Québec, Blackstone Real Estate, BNP Paribas, GE, Lafarge, Orange, Procter & Gamble and Fiat Group Automobiles.
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