Jean-Louis Fourgoux and Leyla Djavadi along with their team join Mermoz to build the firm’s antitrust & competition practice. With a strong transactional focus and recognised know-how in private equity in the mid-market segment, Mermoz consolidates its offering with an experienced and reputable competition law team.

Fourgoux and Djavadi have been partners for more than 28 years and are recognised for their expertise in economic and European law. With significant experience in anti-competitive practices (merger control, cartels, abuse of dominant position), distribution law (distribution networks, supplier-distributor relations, selective distribution, e-commerce, logistics agreements, etc.) and consumer law (consumer disputes, advertising campaigns, general terms, and conditions of sale, ....), they act as counsel and litigators before the French Competition Authority, the European Commission, and national commercial courts. 

Fourgoux and Djavadi act for a wide range of clients in a variety of sectors. They are the long-standing lawyers for media conglomerates, in particular Canal +, for all their consumer disputes, and represent key players in conventional and digital retail models. They have acted on high-profile cases namely the highly publicized matter of SFR against Free in the consumer credit case or alongside a major energy producer whose commercial practices were criticised.

This addition is aligned with the ambition of Mermoz, which aims to offer its clients a full set of services for their transactions and strategic projects. 

With Fourgoux and Djavadi, Mermoz’s headcount rises to 10 partners, 20 other fee earners and 6 support staff. The arrival of the competition team complements the experience and diversity of Mermoz, one of its key strengths. It also allows the firm to have a presence in Brussels, the epicenter of European competition law.

“This addition shortly after our launch is part of our ambitious growth plan to address in a comprehensive manner the rising development challenges of our clients. It also serves to consolidate the long-lasting relationship we want to nurture with our clients. Our clients appreciate being able to rely on integrated teams that are accessible, understand their operational challenges and have a thorough knowledge of the underlying market segments," says Catherine Nahmias Ferrandini, Managing Partner.

“We have known each other for a long time and have worked together regularly, which is a real token of efficiency for our clients. The synergies are natural with the corporate team, to whom we bring our know-how in merger control, and it is crucial to grow our activity in a full-service firm with complementary practice areas such as employment law, complex contracts and IP/IT", say partners Jean-Louis Fourgoux and Leyla Djavadi.

Both lawyers join Mermoz Avocats together with three associates - Vincent Roux, Jocelyn Goubet and Youri Florentin, Laurence Leseigneur, an assistant and a document management officer- Audrey Marty.