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Public Law

The different forms of state intervention and, more generally, intervention by the national or local public sector in the economy are covered by public law.

Irrespective of the size of your business, whether you are a non-profit organisation or part of the public sector, we can advise you and defend you in any matter relating to public law.
For any public law issues or issues falling within other legal areas, such as tax implications, our highly technical team can offer you multi-disciplinary support, oriented towards the implementation of appropriate solutions.

With more than 25 associates including 6 partners, our specialists can assist you in all areas of public business law and public property law. We can help you respond to calls for tenders from public and private buyers and we can assist public sector organisations with their outsourcing policies, their implementation and their financing. We can also advise public authorities and their associated entities on the reorganisation of their intervention methods. We can assist you with knowing and understanding industry regulations applicable to you and your negotiations with regulators. We can help make your building projects possible in a climate where urban and environmental rules and land control (in the private and public sector) are becoming increasingly complex. We can also help you optimise costs: our work concerns the set-up of such operations, such as drafting and negotiating any related contract documents. Finally, with confirmed litigation experience in all public law disciplines, we can represent you, whether you are a claimant or a defendant, in all types of litigation before administrative, judicial, financial and European courts.

Quotes 2023

Chambers Europe

Public Law

CMS attracts attention for its presence in a significant volume of contentious administrative matters. The team advises unsuccessful bidders on appeals against the award of public contracts. The law firm has a broader non-contentious practice whose work extends from the award of public contracts through to advice on infrastructure and construction projects. The department advises on the compatibility of French law with EU regulations.

Legal 500 EMEA

Administrative and public law

CMS Francis Lefebvre is recommended for its strong expertise in the field of public procurement. The firm recently obtained a series of victories before courts in proceedings challenging the validity of several public procurement procedures. The practice also advises leading French companies on the awarding of large public infrastructure projects, notably in the public heating and healthcare areas. François Tenailleau takes a leading role on many of the firm's matters; he co-heads the practice alongside Claire Vannini, who is an expert in regulatory, public economic law and EU regulation issues, recently assisting clients with matters concerning rail and solar tariffs. Counsels Kawthar Ben Khelil  and Thomas Carenzi are other key team members.

Choose area

Organisation and financing of the public sector
In France the public sector is particularly vast: the Government, local public entities, public institutions, public and para-public bodies, as well a
Public Law Litigation
Whether you are asking the court to vindicate your rights or you are defending yourself, litigation is sometimes unavoidable in situations that involv
Urbanisme-925
Public real estate, urban planning and development
Carrying out a real-estate operation, whether it is in the housing, office, commercial or industrial sector, requires knowledge of all the legal tools
Regulated industries
Energy, electronic communications, transport, postal services, online gaming - all these industries are subject to specific, complex and constantly ev
Awards & Rankings
Find out why we are one of the top business law firms

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27/03/2024
LEGAL 500 EMEA 2024
The 2024 edition of the Legal 500 EMEA guide is out. We would particularly like to thank our clients for putting their trust in us! Our law firm’s rankings in France France 1 en Tier 1 : The Regions 7...
01/01/2024
Happy new year 2024!
We wish you all the best for the New Year. In 2024, we will continue to be guided by out values: commitment, excellence, team spirit and goodwill. Watch our wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year...
08/11/2023
CMS Life Sciences Vital Signs, Winter 2023
2023 has seen some significant legal developments impacting the life sciences industry, and as we look ahead to 2024, there are several important developments which we would like to keep our clients informed...
26/10/2023
CJEU ruling on exclusive licences for mineral water springs, weighing in...
On 21 September 2023, the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) ruled on an issue regarding Romanian policies on the exploitation of its mineral water springs, and clarified a matter that stands at the intersection...
21/04/2023
Key changes for companies related to the new General Product Safety Regulation
On 30 March 2023, the European Parliament adopted the General Product Safety Regulation for consumer products, which replaces the General Product Safety Directive of 2001 (2001/95/EC). The Council must...
13/04/2023
LEGAL 500 EMEA 2023
The 2023 edition of the Legal 500 EMEA guide is out. We would particularly like to thank our clients for putting their trust in us! Our law firm’s rankings in France France 2 in Tier 1 : Derivatives...
28/03/2023
European Parliament and Council ready to start negotiations on EU Data...
In February 2022 the European Commission presented its proposal for the EU Data Act, which – if adopted - will introduce a far-reaching legal regime on access to and use of non-personal data in the...
16/03/2023
Chambers Europe 2023
The 2023 edition of Chambers & Partners Europe guide has been published. We would particularly like to thank our clients for putting their trust in us! Our firm’s rankings Banking & Finance: Financial...
14/03/2023
Chambers Europe 2024
The 2024 edition of Chambers & Partners Europe guide has been published. We would particularly like to thank our clients for putting their trust in us! Our firm’s rankings Banking & Finance: Financial...
20/02/2023
Sunrise period of the Unified Patent Court to begin 1 March
After the final version of the UPC Rules of Procedure had been adopted and the judges of the UPC had been selected and appointed, the start of the Sunrise Period, originally planned for 1 January 2023...
03/02/2023
Supporting your infrastructure projects
Addressing your needs Regardless of the nature of your project, your interests are defended by our specialists, armed with in-depth knowledge of the sectors concerned and a real capacity for innovation...
23/12/2022
2023 Season's Greetings from CMS Francis Lefebvre
Watch our wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year 2023 in video below. mediumClick here to discover our Season’s Greetings card