Career

The lawyer

I am a business lawyer with solid experience having worked for several law firms and as an in house lawyer within a private company. I am therefore particularly aware of the various legal problems encountered by General Managers as well as Administrative and Financial Managers.

  • Maîtrise in Private Law
    (University of Cergy Pontoise - 1996)
  • DESS in Banking and Financial Law
    (Paris 1 – 1997)
  • Professional Lawyer’s Certification
    (CRFPA Versailles – 1999)
portrait Olivier MICHEL

Career

courtyard Paris 3

After graduating in banking and financial law (Paris 1), I was admitted to the Paris Bar in January 2000.
Member of the Paris Bar until April 2003 within a law firm specialised in business law, I then worked for over 8 years as Legal Director for a French industrial group involved in a wide and diverse range of activities including (Industrial Trading, Agro-Food Industry, Real Estate, the Publishing Industry and Health Care).
Taking full advantage of these two invaluable experiences, I resumed my activity as a practicing lawyer in January 2012. My present activities include Business Law, Contract Law, Insurance Law as well as Commercial Leases.
I also have extensive knowledge in auditing (Internal audit and Due Diligence) and in transactions on business assets.

Frequently asked questions

Although the role of a lawyer is often seen as someone who pleads, if is important to note that a lawyer also plays a major role as an advisor.
In the majority of legal cases, a lawyer’s intervention often takes place after the event in question « a posteriori ». However, in the preparation of a major complex business project, lawyers take on the very important role of an advisor before any action is taken by the client.

The sooner the lawyer in contacted the quicker they can analyse the management and complexity of the case.
In the infrequent case where a client believes that legal action is necessary, the lawyer will advise a more appropriate course of action and possibly suggest a later date of intervention. These early stages of action on the lawyer’s part are vital and in the best interest of the client.

The number of lawyers in France and in Paris is such that it is sometimes difficult to make a choice.
Once the criteria of competence and location have been satisfied, you may contact several professionals in order to choose the one with whom you feel most assured.
Your lawyer is a legal professional, he or she is also someone that should be listening to your needs and in whom you must have complete confidence.

After the first telephone interview during which you will have been able to briefly state your problem, the lawyer will give you the list of documents required for the first face to face appointment.
At the end of that meeting, the lawyer will be able to explain the various possible strategies and the conditions for implementing each one.

The remuneration of a lawyer is composed of two parts:
- the emoluments, fees and disbursements which are regulated and due when the lawyer intervenes before the courts where his presence is mandatory,
- the fees, which constitute the unregulated part of his remuneration.
The question of the fees is discussed at the first appointment. Although there are several possible modes of remuneration (see « fees »), the same principle of transparency applies in all cases.