Logo gate avocats

GATE AVOCATS is dedicated to business law and supports its clients at decisive moments in their business, both in advisory and litigation matters.

The partners of GATE AVOCATS are business lawyers who share the same vision of their profession: a tailored, high added-value approach characterised by a strong commitment to their clients.

As a strategic partner to its clients, GATE AVOCATS advises them on mergers and acquisitions, competition law and dispute resolution.

Our expertise
The team
Contact us
Logo gate avocats

GATE AVOCATS is dedicated to business law and supports its clients at decisive moments in their business, both in advisory and litigation matters.

The partners of GATE AVOCATS are business lawyers who share the same vision of their profession: a tailored, high added-value approach characterised by a strong commitment to their clients.

As a strategic partner to its clients, GATE AVOCATS advises them on mergers and acquisitions, competition law and dispute resolution.

Our expertise
The team
Contact us
Logo gate avocats

GATE AVOCATS is dedicated to business law and supports its clients at decisive moments in their business, both in advisory and litigation matters.

The partners of GATE AVOCATS are business lawyers who share the same vision of their profession: a tailored, high added-value approach characterised by a strong commitment to their clients.

As a strategic partner to its clients, GATE AVOCATS advises them on mergers and acquisitions, competition law and dispute resolution.

Our expertise
The team
Contact us

Our expertise

Corporate law

We offer our clients a coherent range of business law services, covering the main business activity and the life of their company: mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic mergers joint ventures, strategic alliances, acquisitions, divestments and restructuring, divestments and restructuring. More generally, the partners at GATE AVOCATS assist their clients with all their corporate law corporate law issues.

VENTURE CAPITAL AND PRIVATE EQUITY

We advise company directors in their search for new capital, as well as private investors and professional capital funds. as well as private investors and professional private equity funds in fundraising transactions, negotiating funds in fund-raising, negotiating shareholders' agreements and monitoring their investments. and monitoring their investments.

STOCK EXCHANGE LAW

We assist our clients, the directors and shareholders of listed companies, with their strategic transactions (IPOs, takeover bids, squeeze-outs and waivers of mandatory offers, squeeze-outs and exemptions from the obligation to file a mandatory offer) and, more generally compliance issues related to their regulatory obligations, as well as their relations with the and in their relations with the Autorité des marchés financiers. We assist our clients in defending their interests in litigation concerning before the Enforcement Committee of the Autorité des marchés financiers and the appeal courts. Autorité des marchés financiers and the appeal courts.

COMPETITION AND ECONOMIC LAW

We assist our clients in merger control matters both in France and before the European Commission. We also coordinate the notifications required for a given transaction in other jurisdictions in conjunction with our local partners. We assist our clients in competition litigation, acting either alongside complainant companies in direct referrals to the competition authorities (the Autorité de la concurrence or the European Commission), or in defence of companies accused before the latter. We assist our clients at every stage of the dispute, from dawn raids to appeals before the competition authorities and national and European courts. and European courts. Finally, we assist our clients in monitoring alternative dispute resolution procedures (leniency, settlement, cooperation). Upstream, we help our clients to identify and manage their exposure to antitrust risks. In particular, we assist our clients in carrying out audits designed to take stock of agreements (vertical or horizontal) and ensure their compliance with competition rules. We also frequently set up compliance programmes and train internal teams in this area.

DISPUTE RESOLUTION

We assist our clients in defending their interests both at the pre-litigation stage and before all courts, arbitration tribunals and independent administrative authorities in business law (including business criminal law), banking law and insolvency law.

WEALTH TAXATION

GATE Avocats advises entrepreneurs and family groups on their structuring choices, particularly in the context of business transfers (reorganisation, pre-sale: contribution-sale, gift-sale) or family transfers (Dutreil pacts, dismemberment of ownership). (pre-sale reorganisation: contribution-assignment, gift-sale) or family transfers (Dutreil pacts, ownership dismemberment). She also has extensive experience of the taxation of trusts, estate planning (in tax and civil matters), international successions, real estate investments and tax planning. property investments and day-to-day tax management (IFI, income tax, etc.).

TRANSACTION AND BUSINESS TAXATION

The Tax Department advises the firm's clients on their business acquisitions and disposals (M&A, private equity, venture capital, leveraged buy-outs). It advises investment funds, companies, entrepreneurs and family shareholders on all tax issues relating to their transactions (structuring, tax audits, tax VDD) and their holdings (monitoring their tax position, restructuring operations and tax disputes). The tax team is also involved in setting up private equity investment funds. The firm also regularly advises management teams on in setting up management packages.

TAX DISPUTES

The firm assists its clients in their dealings with the French tax authorities, during accounting audits (contrôle fiscal) and adversarial examinations of the personal tax situation (ESFP): preparation of the audit, assistance during the audit operations, preparation of the response to the rectification proposal. The firm also assists clients with administrative appeals: complaints, hierarchical appeals, proceedings before administrative commissions (in particular the departmental commission for direct taxes and turnover taxes and the departmental conciliation commission) and before the civil and administrative courts in the course of contentious proceedings. administrative courts in contentious proceedings.

PARTNERSHIPS & INTERNATIONAL

GATE AVOCATS relies on a network of specialist law firms for matters that it does not handle directly or for international transactions. GATE AVOCATS relies on a network of specialist law firms. GATE AVOCATS then puts together and coordinates an integrated team of lawyers for the client's needs. client's needs.

Our team

The partners

JULIEN AUGAIS

Member of the Paris Bar

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TIMOTHÉE GIARD

Member of the Paris and Madrid Bars
 
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LOUISE-MARIE GUILLET

Member of the Paris Bar

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ARNAUD LARROUSSE

Member of the Paris Bar

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JULIEN MOUGEL

Member of the Paris Bar
 
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THOMAS VERDEIL

Member of the Paris Bar

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Counsels

JEAN BARROUILLET

Member of the Paris Bar

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CÉLINE RAYNAL

Member of the Paris Bar
 
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ALEXANDRE ZEITOUN

Member of the Paris Bar

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Employees

RAPHAËL BEAUD

Member of the Paris Bar

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FELIX BRIANT

Member of the Paris Bar
 
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ALIX BROUARD

Member of the Paris Bar
 
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MATHILDE EVENOU

Member of the Paris Bar

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Join us

We are looking for people to join the GATE AVOCATS team.

We offer formative, stimulating and rewarding working conditions: a team is formed for each new case, depending on its size. Our associates work directly with the firm's partners and are in immediate contact with our clients and, in litigation matters, are immediately at our side before the courts.

Paid internships are also offered throughout the year to law students and/or those enrolled in a law school.
Each application received will be examined carefully and confidentially.

Recruitment process :

Our recruitment approach is simple: it favours contact and meetings with several of the firm's partners to give you a better understanding of our structure and culture.

Would you like to join us? Send us your CV and covering letter to the following address: recrutement@gate-avocats.com

Candidate profile:

Candidates should have a solid legal background. Although not a prerequisite, a double degree from a business school and/or academic or professional experience abroad are particularly welcome.

We are looking for candidates with strong analytical and expressive skills, both written and oral. An excellent command of business English is essential. In addition, our team attaches great importance to the personal qualities of candidates, who must demonstrate curiosity, open-mindedness, flexibility and responsiveness. Finally, respect for the confidentiality of the firm's clients and files is fundamental.

Contact us

If you have any queries or questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Telephone

+33 1 82 83 22 11

Fax

+33 1 82 83 16 29

Mail

contact@gate-avocats.com

Address

11 rue de Téhéran 75008 Paris

Julien Augais practises business law as an adviser and litigator. Before co-founding GATE Avocats in 2012, he spent seven years with Willkie Farr & Gallagher, LLP and Davis Polk Wardwell LLP.

Julien Augais works for French and international clients, particularly in industry, banking, finance and distribution. His practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, contracts and distressed companies. In his litigation practice, he appears before civil, commercial and criminal courts, arbitration tribunals and the Autorité des Marchés Financiers.

Julien Augais taught the law of obligations at the Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris I). He is cited as a "best lawyer" in Litigation by the American magazine Best Lawyers. He is also recognised as 'excellent' in Mergers & Acquisitions - Distressed M&A by Décideurs Magazine. Julien Augais is a member of the Droit & Procédure association.

 

TRAINING :

- DEA in general private law, University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas
- Maîtrise (bachelor's degree) in business law, Université Paris II Panthéon-Assas

Timothée Giard has a dual background in law firms and companies. After working for several years as a lawyer at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP and Gibson Dunn LLP, Timothée Giard joined the LVMH Moët Hennessy - Louis Vuitton group as Chief of Staff to the Vice-Chairman.

Timothée Giard's practice focuses on European and French competition and consumer law, both as counsel and in litigation. Timothée Giard has also developed recognised expertise in issues relating to online distribution and e-commerce. He also advises on corporate law and mergers and acquisitions.

Timothée Giard's expertise is also based on his teaching and research activities. Since 2015, Timothée Giard has been teaching in-depth competition law at the Sciences Po Paris Law School. Since 2018, he has also been a Visiting Researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law.

TRAINING :

- Visiting Researcher, UCLA, Los Angeles, United States
- LL.M. McGill University, Montréal, Canada
- Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po)
- Licenciatura en derecho, Universidad Complutense de Madrid
- Master's degree in law, University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne

Louise-Marie Guillet Louise-Marie Guillet has been advising and litigating in mergers & acquisitions, private equity and securities law for over 10 years. Before joining GATE Avocats in 2018, Louise-Marie Guillet worked at Viguié Schmidt and then as a partner at Carmin Avocats, which she co-founded.

Louise-Marie assists its clients, both listed and unlisted companies, managers and shareholders, in the key stages of their development, mainly in mergers & acquisitions and strategic alliances, as well as in private equity.

Louise-Marie also advises clients at the pre-litigation stage and before the courts in the areas of equity litigation, shareholder disputes and commercial litigation. She also defends her clients in stock market and market abuse litigation before the Autorité des marchés financiers.

Louise-Marie Guillet taught company law at the University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas.

TRAINING :

- Essec Business School - grande école programme
- Master II in Business Law and Taxation, University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas

Arnaud Larrousse For over 20 years, we have worked with a wide range of French and international companies, giving us extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, stock market law and corporate law.

His practice covers a wide range of often complex transactions, and is underpinned by a solid command of business litigation. Arnaud has recently acted for clients in the construction, medical biology and wine sectors.

Before joining GATE Avocats as a partner in 2014, Arnaud was in charge of Bird & Bird LLP's Corporate practice in France. Arnaud began his career as a lawyer in 1998 at Rambaud Martel, where he was appointed partner in 2004, becoming Orrick Rambaud Martel in 2006.

Arnaud has been named Best Lawyer in Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law and Securities Law by the American magazine Best Lawyers.

TRAINING :

- Maîtrise (bachelor's degree) in business law, Université Paris II Panthéon-Assas
- Institut d'Etudes Judiciaires, University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas

Julien Mougel joined GATE Avocats as a partner in 2012. Prior to that, he spent more than 11 years with Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, where he was a partner, and 3 years with BNP Paribas as an M&A lawyer.

Julien Mougel's practice focuses mainly on M&A transactions (acquisitions, disposals, minority and majority investments, mergers and partnerships).

Julien has extensive expertise in fundraising, venture capital and private equity in general.

Julien's stock market law work involves investing in the capital of listed companies, taking them public, delisting them and issuing shares, bonds and complex securities. Julien also advises issuers on the drafting of their registration documents, prospectuses and offering circulars, and on their communications to the market.

For several years, Julien Mougel taught stock exchange law at the University of Nancy and international M&A practice at the Institut d'études politiques de Paris (Sciences Po Paris).

TRAINING :

- ESCP Europe (international course Paris/Oxford/Berlin)
- DESS in Business Law and Taxation - DJCE (University of Nancy)
- National winner of the Concours Général de droit privé

Thomas Verdeil joined GATE Avocats as a partner in charge of the tax practice in 2022. He specialises in the taxation of business acquisitions and disposals (M&A, private equity, venture capital, leveraged buy-outs). He advises investment funds, companies, entrepreneurs and family shareholders on all tax issues relating to their transactions (structuring, tax audits, tax VDD) and their holdings (monitoring their tax position, restructuring operations and tax disputes).

He has also developed expertise in asset taxation, the taxation of investment vehicles and tax litigation, and advises managers of companies undergoing LBOs on setting up management packages.

Thomas recently advised the Zouari family on the structuring of their acquisition of a 43% stake in Picard Surgelés, and on the acquisition of the Maxi Bazar and Stokomani groups. He has also advised Apax Partners, Chequers Capital, IN Group and Turenne Capital Partenaires on numerous LBOs and acquisitions or disposals. He also advised the founders on the sale of Sketchfab to Epic Games and Harwell Management to CGI.

Prior to joining GATE Avocats, Thomas had been a partner at Sekri Valentin Zerrouk since 2018, and practised at Freshfields, Bruckhaus, Deringer LLP and Lamartine Conseil as well as in the legal and tax department of Nestlé Waters Group.

Thomas is a lecturer at the University of Cergy-Pontoise (LBO taxation, taxation of restructuring transactions, tax implications of LBO transactions for managers and shareholders, taxation of equity interests). He also lectures in taxation at ESSEC Business School.

He is a member of the IFA (International Fiscal Association) and the IACF (Institut des Avocats Conseils Fiscaux).

TRAINING :

- LL.M. in International taxation - New York University School of Law
- DESS postgraduate diploma in international taxation - University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas
- DESS in Business Law and Taxation - University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne

Jean Barrouillet joined GATE Avocats in 2022 as counsel in the tax team.

He specialises mainly in assisting private clients and company directors, in France and abroad, with the structuring of their private assets (asset acquisitions and disposals, equity investments, estate planning, etc.) and business assets (choice of holding structures, structuring of directors' remuneration, reorganisation of groups prior to disposal, transfer of companies via Pactes Dutreil or shareholder foundations, etc.).

He has also developed particular expertise in advising senior executives on setting up management packages. He recently advised the managers of the ba&sh Group on their acquisition of a stake in the investment fund HLD, and the managers of the QIMA Group on their acquisition of a stake in the Caisse des dépôts et placements du Québec (CDPQ).

Jean also assists his clients with tax audits and litigation. He assists them during audits by the tax authorities and represents them before the civil and administrative courts, at first instance and on appeal. He has recently been involved in tax audits relating to the real estate wealth tax (IFI) and issues relating to trusts.

Prior to joining GATE Avocats, Jean was an associate at Sekri Valentin Zerrouk since 2020, working alongside Thomas Verdeil, and spent 6 years as an associate at Schmidt Brunet Litzler.
He is a member of the IACF (Institut des Avocats Conseils Fiscaux).

TRAINING :

- LLM in Law & Tax Management, EDHEC Business School (2012)
- Master 2 Pratique du Droit des Affaires, Faculté Libre de Droit de Lille (2012)
- Master Grande Ecole, EDHEC Business School (2012)

PUBLICATIONS:

- Pactes Dutreil: tougher conditions! (Revue Gestion de Fortune - October 2022)
- The Conseil d'Etat rules on the taxation of a capital gain on the sale of a US partnership,
(Le Monde du droit - 13 September 2022)
- Pacte Dutreil: a more secure system (Revue Gestion de Fortune - February 2022)

Céline Raynal joined GATE Avocats in 2022 as counsel in corporate law.

It is mainly involved in assisting managers, shareholders and investment funds with venture capital and private equity transactions, as well as acquisitions, disposals and restructuring.

Céline recently advised the BasicNet group on its acquisition of K-Way France and BK Consulting, its founders and managers, on the opening of its capital to Société Générale Capital Partenaires. Céline has also advised Turenne Capital Partenaires and iM Global Partner on a number of acquisitions and disposals.

Prior to joining GATE Avocats, Céline was an associate at Sekri Valentin Zerrouk since 2015.

TRAINING :

- Master 2 International Business Law, Université Paris-Saclay (2012)
- MSC in Management (Grande Ecole programme), EM Lyon Business School (2015)

Alexandre Zeitoun joined GATE Avocats as an associate in 2014.

His practice focuses on corporate law, particularly mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital.

TRAINING :

- Master II International Business Law, Université Paris V Paris-Descartes

Raphaël Beaud joined GATE Avocats as an associate in 2020.

His practice focuses on corporate law, particularly mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital.

Before joining the firm, Raphaël completed several internships in law firms and investment banks.

 

TRAINING :

- Master II Business Law - University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas

Félix Briant joined GATE Avocats as an associate in 2025.

His practice focuses on corporate law, particularly mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital.

Before joining the firm, Félix completed a number of internships in France and abroad with banks, courts and French, English and American law firms.

 

 

TRAINING :

 

- MSc International Law and Management - HEC Paris (2022)

- Master II in Economic Law, specialising in Business, Markets and Regulation - Sciences Po Paris (2021)

Alix Brouard joined GATE Avocats as an associate in 2023.

She advises and litigates on the taxation of business acquisitions and disposals, and on wealth tax issues.

Prior to joining the firm, Alix had been an associate with Tirard Naudin since 2021.

 

TRAINING :

- Master 2 in tax law, Université Paris V Descartes (2018)

- LLM International Tax Law, King's College London (2020)

Mathilde Evenou joined GATE Avocats as an associate in 2024.

 

A member of the Paris Bar since 2020, she acts in complex national and international commercial disputes before the civil, commercial, criminal and arbitration courts and before the Autorité des Marchés Financiers, both in the pre-litigation and litigation phases and in the enforcement phase.

 

Before joining the team, Mathilde practised in leading Parisian law firms in criminal business law and litigation.

 

TRAINING : 

 

Double LL.M Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne/Queen Mary University of London (2018)

Master II in Public Affairs - Sciences Po Bordeaux (2017)

Master I Business Law - University of Bordeaux (2016)