Ariel Axler

Ariel is an associate in the Paris office's Dispute Resolution team of Herbert Smith Freehills, with a focus on the finance and banking sector.

Ariel has assisted numerous financial institutions, whether in civil or commercial litigation, or in disciplinary proceedings before the AMF (French Financial Markets Authority) or the ACPR (French banking and insurance supervisory authority). He also has extensive experience in conducting internal investigations for financial institutions, in particular in relation to suspected market abuse.

Before joining HSF, Ariel has previously worked in the Regulatory team of a Corporate department of a leading French law firm (Bredin Prat).

He is a member of the Paris Bar. Ariel is a native French speaker and is fluent in English.

Ariel's experience includes advising:

• assisting an international crypto-asset/NFT company during a judicial proceeding with a commercial partner with regard to a contractual dispute in the context of a NFT campaign ;
• assisting a French Bank in the context of an internal investigation in the context of potential breaches of an employee regarding market abuses and investment firms' regulation ;
• advising a major automotive group in the context of its internal reorganisation of its financial leasing activity in various jurisdiction and their respective regulators :
• advising a French mutual banking group in the context of its internal reorganisation, in the context of a simplified tender offer, with regard to its banking, asset management and insurance activities.

Ariel holds a Master's degree in Banking and Financial Law from University Paris II - Panthéon-Assas, a Master's degree in Civil Law from University Paris I - Panthéon-Sorbonne and was admitted to the Paris Bar in November 2019.