European Union

Building upon the firm’s acknowledged reputation throughout the United States as one of the leading trial firms—especially well known for acting as counsel in product liability and class action matters—Winston & Strawn Paris has developed a highly regarded litigation department whose lawyers appear before all French courts, both civil and administrative. They assist clients in all their litigation, both domestic and international, arising from their activities relating to, inter alia, labor law, the environment, construction, the pharmaceutical industry, distribution, product liability, insurance, transfers of shares and warranty clauses, banking and finance law, bankruptcy proceedings, and other issues.

The litigation team in Paris is made up of 12 lawyers, including four partners, who benefit from their broad experience handling complex disputes arising in widely differing industries and/or governed by the laws of foreign countries.

In the international arena, the litigation department also includes reputable arbitration practitioners. Working closely with other offices of Winston & Strawn when appropriate, these attorneys are familiar with all types of international commercial arbitration procedures, including:

• ad hoc procedures under the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) arbitration rules
• institutional procedures under the rules of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), and the American Arbitration Association (AAA)
• those relating to investments and investment protection treaties before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ISCID)

We also are frequently called upon to act as party-appointed arbitrator or as the chair of arbitral tribunals.