Jean-Luc Soulier

Jean-Luc is the managing partner of the Firm. He obtained an LL.M from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and worked as a foreign associate in the New York- based law firm Sullivan & Cromwell in the early 1980’s before getting back to France and developing the international practice of the Firm.

Jean-Luc has over 30 years’ experience in providing guidance and counseling to French and foreign listed and unlisted corporate clients operating in a wide range of sectors with respect to their operations and business dealings in France and Europe. His practice covers M&As and international corporate transactions, international contracts, competition & antitrust law as well as international litigation and arbitration. He also provides legal advice to associations, foundations and endowment funds.

Jean-Luc Soulier served as Director of the World Law Group and President of the World Law Group Marketing Committee from 2003 to 2005 and acts as ICC arbitrator since 2003. He is a member of several professional associations and the author, co-author or co-editor of numerous national and international publications.

Selected Operation Summary

Litigation & Arbitration

• Defended one of the largest manufacturers of fuel pipes in court-ordered expert investigations concerning alleged pollution in more than 100 gas stations across the French territory
• Defended a Japanese company in ICC arbitration initiated following incidents involving commercial aircrafts
• Represented and successfully defended a publicly traded Korean pharmaceutical corporation against claims brought by a multinational French pharmaceutical company before the ICC International Court of Arbitration, Paris, France
• Defended a French Ligue 1 football club before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in a dispute concerning the transfer of a Brazilian player

M&As

• Assisted a group specialized in the manufacture of silicon-based electronic products and chips in connection with the acquisition of a manufacturing unit in France; supervised the subsequent downsizing of the activities on site, structured and implemented a collective lay-off plan for more than 300 employees
• Acted as lead counsel, for the French part of the transaction, in the acquisition of a European business enabler by the global leader of domain name registration and protection
• Advised the owners of the world’s leading manufacturer of texturing machines in connection with the sale of their shares to a Swiss group

Contracts

• Assisted a US company in connection with the negotiation of an engineering and technology transfer agreement with the state-owned telecommunications operator for the installation of the first mobile phone infrastructure in France
• Advised a NYSE listed US paper manufacturer on structuring international exclusive supply agreements and general terms of sale for the marketing of industrial machines in Europe
• Assisted the global leading provider of cloud-based compliance, connected data and reporting solutions in connection with the preparation and review of commercial contracts

Infrastructure Projects

• Assisted a consortium of major electricity companies in negotiating and preparing construction agreements for the completion of a nuclear power plant in Slovakia
• Assisted leading chemical and glass companies in negotiating or renegotiating construction, operation and supply contracts for facilities supplying industrial gases such as hydrogen or oxygen, or for biomass steam power plants
• Assisted a US engineering company specialized in the construction of data centers on all issues related to the implementation of large-scale infrastructure projects in Saint-Denis and Marseille
• Assisted the Australian Government in connection with the construction of the Sir John Monash Centre on the site of the Australian National Memorial next to the military cemetery in Villers-Bretonneux

Health & Environment

• Defended the interests of one of world’s leading chemical companies accused of being responsible for the abnormally high death rate among the bee population in a high-profile public health case before criminal and administrative courts
• Defended the Chairman of an intermunicipal association that owned an incinerator before the criminal court in the highly publicized “dioxin” public health case
• Advised a world leading manufacturer of chemical products on the applicable requirements with respect to the classification, labelling and data safety sheet for phytopharmaceutical products following changes of classification of substances

Competition & Antitrust

• Assisted the leading producer of pay-tv channels in France in a dispute concerning unfair competition practices and breach of non-compete covenants against the former shareholders and officers of one of its subsidiaries
• Performed a competition due diligence investigation of fifteen French subsidiaries of an international industrial group from Northern Europe following prosecution of the officers of one of its subsidiaries in a cartel trial in the USA
• Defended a major overseas container handling company before the French Competition Authority against claims of illegal price fixing

Background

• Sullivan & Cromwell, New York, 1980 – 1981

Main Publications

• Getting the Deal Through: Government Relations, Law Business Research Ltd., 2021
• WLG 2021 Venture Capital Guide, World Law Group Ltd., 2021
• WLG Merger Control Guide 2020, World Law Group Ltd., 2020
• Getting the Deal Through: Government Relations, Law Business Research Ltd., 2020
• 2019-2020 Report on Global Trade Policy, World Law Group Ltd., 2019
• Getting the Deal Through: Government Relations, Law Business Research Ltd., 2019
• Getting the Deal Through: Government Relations, Law Business Research Ltd., 2018
• Unfair Trade Practices: A Global Comparative Law Survey, World Law Group Ltd., 2016
• International Securities Law Handbook, 4th edition, co-editor, Kluwer Law International, 2015
• International Business Acquisitions: Major Legal Issues and Due Diligence, 4th edition, Kluwer Law International, 2014
• WLG Merger Control Basics 2010, World Law Group Ltd., 2010
• International Securities Law Handbook, 3rd Edition, co-editor, Kluwer Law International,2009
• Confidentiality of Communications between Lawyers and their Clients, World Law Group Ltd., 2007
• Comparative International Business Acquisitions, 2nd edition, Kluwer Law International, 2007
• International Securities Law Handbook, 2nd Edition, co-editor, Kluwer Law International, 2004
• International Business Acquisitions, Kluwer Law, 1999
• Euro Handbook, France chapter, World Law Group Ltd., 1999
• Comparative Environmental Law and Regulation, Oceana Publications, 1997
• Securities Law in France, International Securities Law Handbook, Graham & Trotman/Martinus Nijohoff, 1995
• Creating and Structuring International Joint Ventures in France, International Business Lawyer, 1991
• Guide Juridique et Fiscal de l’exportateur, F.C.E., 1987

Credentials

• Lecturer, post-graduate degree program Juriste Manager International, EMLYON (one of France’s 4 top business schools), 2009-2011
• Former lecturer on International Trade Law and European Competition Law, University Lyon III
• Director of the World Law Group and President of the WLG Marketing Committee, 2003-2005
• ICC arbitrator since 2003

Professional Associations

• International Association of Defense Counsel
• European-American Chamber of Commerce

Education

• LL.M, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1980
• Master of Law, University Lyon III, 1977

Languages

• French
• English