Gilles Bigot
Partner
Former Managing Partner of Winston & Strawn’s Paris office and co-head, alongside Julie Vern Cesano-Gouffrant, of the firm’s Healthcare Corporate practice in France, Gilles has over 30 years of experience advising and representing clients in both litigation and corporate matters within highly regulated sectors, foremost among them healthcare and defense. He advises and defends numerous leading French and European players, including public and private healthcare institutions, healthcare professionals at all stages of development or consolidation, across medical imaging (conventional, diagnostic and interventional), nuclear medicine, radiotherapy, medical biology, as well as specialized investors such as private equity and debt funds, professional associations, and manufacturers and distributors of medical devices and pharmaceutical products.
Widely recognized as one of the architects of healthcare law and economics in France, Gilles has been at the origin of major structural advances for key stakeholders in the healthcare sector. A visionary, he has consistently anticipated, integrated, and driven regulatory, case-law, and technological developments that have reshaped the healthcare industry. Consistently ranked among the leading lawyers in the market (Legal 500, Chambers Europe, Décideurs, Option Droit & Affaires, Best Lawyers), Gilles advises on a fully cross-disciplinary basis, covering acquisitions, disposals and restructurings, civil, criminal and contractual litigation, arbitration, as well as strategic advice on French and European regulatory matters. Described as a “brilliant and talented technician” with an “outstanding sense of client service” (Legal 500 France), he has also developed top-tier expertise in corporate litigation, representing French and international groups in complex disputes relating to M&A transactions, restructurings, and shareholder or management conflicts.
Over the past three decades, Gilles has advised leading industry players such as Vivalto, Ramsay, Point Vision, MNH, AFPA, Stingray, Evesio, Imapôle and Sevetys, among many others that have implemented benchmark growth models, particularly in medical biology, diagnostic imaging, radiotherapy, animal health, dentistry, ophthalmology, emergency care and retail pharmacy.
Beyond professional accolades, his leadership is also recognized at the highest institutional level. Winston & Strawn was one of only two law firms heard both by the French Senate’s parliamentary information mission and by the IGF/IGAS in connection with their work on the “financialization of the healthcare system,” an unprecedented acknowledgment of Gilles’s expertise and contribution to public policy and strategic healthcare thinking.
Gilles’s expertise extends beyond the healthcare sector. He also advises in the defense industry and in matters relating to data protection, digital technologies, big data and technological innovation, where he has secured landmark decisions that have helped shape these now-prominent fields.
Alongside his legal practice, Gilles Bigot serves France as a Reserve Navy Captain in the French Navy. He is a Knight of the National Order of Merit and a recipient of the Bronze Medal of National Defense and the Silver Medal of the Voluntary Defense Reservists.
- Le Sommet du Droit 2025 : Health Economics - Gold Trophy
- Gilles is ranked in Chambers France 2025 for Pharma/Life Science: Corporate
- Gilles is listed as a "Leading Individual" in the Legal 500 EMEA 2025 for Industry focus: Healthcare & Life Sciences
- Best Lawyers in France®: Litigation, Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice and Health Care Law.
Gilles is a member of Winston & Strawn’s Executive Committee, Financial Committee, Operation Committee and Compensation Committee. He is also a member of the Paris Bar (Avocat au Barreau de Paris) and a former auditor of the Institute of Advanced Studies of National Defense (IHEDN) in France. He moreover holds the title of Commander in the French Navy (Capitaine de Vaisseau) and he received the Silver Medal for Voluntary Military Services in 2014 as well as the National Defense Bronze Medal in 1984.
Gilles is a member of the Executive Board of several companies: CPH srl, Agiplast Italia srl and Castello Italia srl.
Among the best industrial expertise
The Legal 500 EMEA
He is always by our side for any questions
Chambers France 2025
Credentials
Education
Gilles received an MAITR from Paris II Panthéon-Assas University and a DESS from the University of Rouen.
Admissions
- Paris, France
Related Insights & News
Publications and Speaking Engagements
- Moderation of a panel discussion, organized in partnership with Décideurs Magazine, focused on the role of private investment in the French healthcare system and its regulatory and economic challenges, December 2025
- "Cybersécurité en santé: ce que les vendeurs doivent garantir, ce que les acheteurs doivent exiger", MedInTechs, March 2025
- Author, "Financiarisation" de la santé, les bienfaits d’un phénomène décrié", Décideurs Santé, January 2024
- Author, “La consolidation à grande vitesse de l’industrie française de la biologie médicale”, NextStep, April 4,2022
- Author, “Santé et Big Data : un numéro d’équilibrisme ? ”, Décideurs Stratégie Finance Droit, September 6, 2021
- Interview,“Data de santé : les grands enjeux”, Décideurs Stratégie Finance Droit, July 28, 2021
- Interview, “La Crise sanitaire, un tournant pour la télémédecine”, Mag des Affaires, September 1, 2020
- Author, “Les médecins ont-ils le droit de prescrire de la chloroquine ? ”, Le Point, May 12, 2020
- Interview, “Avocats : comment communiquer en période de crise ? ”, Décideurs Stratégie Finance Droit, Avril 23 2020
- Interview, “Le droit et le contentieux de la santé”, Forbes France, March 10, 2020
- Author, “Construire la filière française des biothérapies innovantes”, LesEchos.fr, March 4, 2020
- Author, “Investir dans les réseaux de sante : effet de mode ou lame de fond ? ”, Décideurs Santé, 2020
- Author, “Soins de santé : pourquoi la France baisse dans les classements internationaux ?” Les Echos, January 29, 2020
- Author, “La France récolte-t-elle les fruits de sa recherche médicale ?”, LesEchos.fr, August 12, 2019
- Auteur, “Modernisation de l’exercice officinal : un traitement de choc en perspective”, LesEchos.fr, March 5, 2018
- “Roundtable, “Diversification & concentration : les acteurs du secteur de la santé à la croisée des chemins”, Décideurs, Santé, Pharmacie et Biotechnologies, February 2018
- Author, “Intelligence artificielle (IA) et santé : quel diagnostic ?”, LesEchos.fr, November 21, 2017
- Author, “Intelligence artificielle (IA) : la France en action”, LesEchos.fr, November 16, 2017
- Author, “L’e-santé, un enjeu majeur pour la Silver économie”, LesEchos.fr, Juilly 11, 2017
- Author, “La concurrence au chevet de notre système de santé”, LesEchos.fr, March 28, 2017
- Author, “E-santé : les défis de la régulation face à l'innovation”, LesEchos.fr, January 24, 2017
- Author, “Public authorities need to engage in e-health”, Le Cercle des Echos, May 13, 2016
- Author, “Consumption of medical care and goods: always more ?”, Le Cercle des Echos, April 21, 2016
- Author, “The globalization of health care: a challenge for France”, Le Cercle des Echos, April 6, 2016
- Author, “A crisis broke out”, Risques Magazine n°105, March 2016
- Author, “Deregulation: the future of our health care system,” Le Cercle des Echos, February 23, 2016
- Author, “Hospitals versus Paris Attacks,” Le Cercle des Echos, January 27, 2016
- Roundtable, “Attractiveness of the health sector: obstacles and opportunities for investors,” Décideurs Stratégie Finance Droit, December 16, 2015
- Author, “Healthcare Is a Sector That Continues to Attract Investors,” The Deal, December 14, 2015
- Author, “France does not benefit enough from its R&D,” Le Cercle des Echos, November 27, 2015
- Author, “Personalized medecine : toward a new health care culture,” Le Cercle des Echos, November 13, 2015
- Received the Silver Award at the “Plumes de l'économie et du droit” ceremony in the category “Articles combining legal and economic issues – mainstreem press.” This ceremony rewards the best press articles written by legal and financial experts
- Author, “The Personal Genomics Revolution,” Le Cercle des Echos, September 28, 2015
- Interview, “Le Monde du Droit,” September 21, 2015
- Author, “Healthcare in France/what are the areas of public/private cooperation?” Le Cercle des Echos, July 16, 2015
- Author, “Health care: a sector that keeps attracting investors,” Le Cercle des Echos, June 18, 2015
- Author, “Health care market: profit is not a disease,” Les Echos, June 1st, 2015
- Author of several articles published in specialist legal magazines (Option Droit & Affaires, Décideurs stratégie finance et droit, etc.)
- Co-author, “La RSE: enjeu majeur pour l’entreprise,” Option Droit & Affaires, April 30, 2014
January 7, 2026