| France - Paris |
| Background Information |
| Paris, an exciting and vibrant city, is one of the largest European legal centres and is regarded as a major hub of pan-European business |
| Law Firms |
| The international firms, principally the English and American ones, lead the way and have been in the French market for decades. However, there are a number of very good French firms who have offices abroad as well. Although there are some resident ex-pat partners in the Paris offices, the majority of partners and fee earners will be French. |
| Principal Areas of Demand |
| The most significant areas of demand are in finance and international arbitration. The other practice groups tend to be dominated by the local lawyers. The key finance groups are banking, capital markets, structured finance, project finance, asset finance and securitisation. |
| Remuneration & Benefits |
| Law firms will take on lateral lawyers either as employees or as independent contractors. ‘Employees’ are a more expensive hire for the firms because there is an ensuing liability on the part of the firm to pay additional taxes and social security contributions. On an independent contractor basis, the lawyer picks up the tab on these expenses and is usually paid a higher rate as a result. |
| Once lawyers have taken the Paris Bar and become locally qualified, there would be an expectation of moving to the status of independent contractor, which is really the norm across continental Europe. Independent contractors are able to claim many expenses against their taxable income, thereby reducing their tax bill. |
| Outside the Office |
| The list of things to do in Paris is a long one and this guide could not possibly hope do it justice. While you should expect to work hard, the enjoyment associated with living and working in this beautiful city is difficult to overstate. Professionals tend to live in the heart of Paris, so after-hours they take advantage of the restaurants, nightlife, shopping and culture. |
| If you are interested in working as a Lawyer in the above jurisdiction, please contact us for a confidential and detailed discussion. |