Find Lawyers in France for Public Law
Practice Area Overview
The notion of public law directly refers to the dualistic structure of the French legal system. Whereas private law governs relations between private entities, public law traditionally defines the status of public entities (State, local authorities, public institutions), establishes their respective competences, sets their powers, defines the system acts they are called to make or actions they must take, and defines a specific framework for their responsibility.
Furthermore and spurred on by the European law, economic public law is also increasingly designed to regulate the intervention of private operators in the public sector and, specifically, to set all the rules governing legal relationships between legal entities governed by public law and private operators when these operators supply services, goods, and works to public entities.
These public law rules applicable to relations between national and local public authorities and their industrial and financial private partners are more commonly known as “public business law”.
Public business law is focused on several themes such as public procurement which refers to the rules governing procurement procedures and execution of contracts, the specific regime of public property - especially special procedures for their acquisition and their use - and finally the specific regulations for the issue, control, and transmission of administrative authorization, but also in every particular regulated sectors, such as energy and telecommunications.
Lawyers in Public Law advise public and private actors on all aspects of public business law (public contract, public property, expropriation, urban and country planning, public aid, intercommunality) and have a strong expertise in regulated activities (electricity, gas, telecommunications) and essential services (energy, water, waste, transport). They also provide advice and representation of their clients in all litigations related to public business law, mainly before the administrative courts, but also before the civil and criminal courts. They can be involved in arbitration and mediation procedures.
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La notion de droit public fait directement écho à la structure dualiste de l’ordre juridique français. Alors que le droit privé régit les rapports entre personnes privées, le droit public définit traditionnellement le statut des personnes publiques (Etats, collectivités territoriales, établissements publics), établit leur compétence respective, fixe leurs pouvoirs, définit le régime des actes qu’elles sont appelées à passer ou des actions qu’elles doivent poursuivre et détermine un cadre spécifique à leur responsabilité.
En outre, sur le plan économique, le droit public a également, sous l’impulsion du droit de l’Union européenne, de plus en plus souvent vocation à encadrer l’intervention des opérateurs économiques privés au sein de la sphère publique et, plus précisément, à fixer l’ensemble des règles qui régissent les relations juridiques entre les personnes morales de droit public et les opérateurs privés lorsque ces derniers fournissent, par exemple, aux personnes morales de droit public des services, des biens et des travaux.
Cet ensemble de règles de droit public applicables aux relations entre les acteurs publics nationaux ou locaux et leurs partenaires privés industriels et financiers est plus communément appelé droit public des affaires. Ce droit public des affaires s’articule autour de plusieurs thèmes : la commande publique, qui renvoie aux règles de passation et d’exécution des contrats et marchés publics, le régime spécifique des biens publics – et plus particulièrement les modalités de leur acquisition et celles de leur utilisation – et, enfin, les réglementations spécifiques visant l’octroi, le contrôle et la transmission des autorisations administratives dans tous les secteurs qui font l’objet d’autorisation délivrées par l’administration, mais aussi dans tous les secteurs particulièrement réglementés, comme par exemple celui de l’énergie et des télécommunications.
L’avocat en droit public assiste les acteurs publics et privés dans toutes les disciplines du droit public des affaires (contrats publics, propriétés publiques, expropriation, urbanisme et aménagement, aides publiques, intercommunalité) et bénéficie d’une forte expertise dans le domaine des activités régulées (électricité, gaz, télécommunications) et des services essentiels (énergies, eau, propreté, transports). Il assure également le conseil et la représentation de ses clients dans tous les contentieux rattachés au droit public des affaires, principalement devant les juridictions administratives, mais aussi devant les juridictions civiles et pénales. Il peut également intervenir dans le cadre de missions arbitrales et de médiation.
Partner of BG2V since 2023 - Member of the Paris Bar since 2000 Experience : BG2V, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Brandford-Griffith Baverez Cotty, Baker McKenzie. Education : Sciences Po Paris, Public Service Section, DESS in public law litigation, University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, DEA in European competition law, University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne. Practice areas : Nicolas Autet advises on public law (public contracts, town planning law, local authority l...
Benjamin de Sevin has been elected as a partner in 2020. There are three main aspects to his practice: First of all, public contract law (public procurement, concessions, occupation of the public domain, etc.). Benjamin assists French and international public entities and private operators in the conclusion and performance of their contracts, both as counsel and in litigation, with expertise in infrastructure concessions and PPPs (public-private partnerships). He is often involved in dealing ...
Paul Elfassi has been a lawyer since 2000 and a partner of BCTG Avocats since 2014. He is mainly involved in energy law, environmental law, mining law and public business law. He also assists private companies from the signing to the execution of public commission contracts. He advises them on public competition law and public property law to carry out complex operations. He also represents his clients in financial disputes with public persons. Paul has developed a transversal competence in e...
Hélène Gelas advises on public law, environmental law, urban planning law and energy law, in the field of energy and real estate. She holds a doctorate in law and assists her clients, from large listed groups and investment funds to small and medium-sized French and international companies, with advice and litigation before the administrative courts and in all stages of projects, whether for major real estate development projects or for renewable energy projects (wind, photovolt...
After having been Legal Director of a multinational group for many years, Julien Girard works in public business law, construction and real estate law in the context of major infrastructure projects, both in terms of advice and litigation, as well as in matters of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). His multidisciplinary training, his teaching activities as well as years of experience as legal director have enabled him to acquire very operational legal expertise, both with large industrial...
Philippe Hansen has been a partner since 2011. He’s specialized in urban planning, development law and became one of the most reknown experts in public property law. He also works regularly in the railway sector regulation and in art law, working both for public institutions and museums and for private collectors. He’s the author of a textbook on public property law (Propriété des personnes publiques en 100 questions, Le Moniteur, 2012). He also participates in sever...
Franck Lepron joined UGGC Avocats in 2003, after spending three years in the Public-Private Partnerships department at Landwell. In 2011 he became a partner of the firm. Since then, Franck Lepron and two other partners have overseen the Public Business Law department, whichi is one of the firm’s benchmark activities. Franck Lepron’s practice mainly focuses on public procurement law and public contracts (concessions; procurement contracts; partnership agreements) and his clientele ...
Agnès Macaire concentrates on public business law, as both counsel and litigator. As such, she handles issues relating to administrative law, public contracts, public land, financial public law and regulated sectors. Agnès Macaire has developed particular expertise in public-private partnerships and project finance. She assists public law bodies or private entities (sponsors, financial investors and lenders) within the context of award or performance of partnership contracts or ...
Alexandre Moustardier has developed an advisory and litigation activity, upstream and downstream, in environmental law and town planning / construction law with institutions, SMEs / SMIs, industrialists, developers, companies involved in particular in cement and quarrying, energy, agrifood, chemicals, waste treatment, etc. Managing Partner of the firm ATMOS Avocats (formerly named Selarl Huglo Lepage & Associés until December 31, 2017), Alexandre Moustardier has developed, for twen...
Bruno Richard is Partner in the Paris office. He has a recognised practice of administrative law, the construction of works, public buildings or infrastructure and of networks, both in France and worldwide, in both transactional and litigation matters. He has an extensive experience in EPC contracts and major public procurement contracts especially in the infrastructure sector in France. He advises private and public companies, French or international clients, as well as financial institution...
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