News | France

Wednesday 26th March 2008

SJ Berwin's European expansion continues with two new partner hires in France and Italy this month.

Antitrust specialist Davide Balboni joins as a partner in the firm’s Milan office, while insolvency expert Nicolas Theys joins the partnership in Paris.

Davide Balboni joins the firm’s Milan office from Baker & McKenzie. An expert in competition law, he has extensive experience on all aspects of EU and Italian competition law, especially on mergers, cartels and abuse of dominant position, in proceedings before the Italian Competition Authority and the European Commission. Davide also spent six months as an intern with the Italian Competition Authority. Davide is fluent in English, Spanish and French as well as his native Italian. His appointment brings the number of partners in the firm’s pan-European EU and Competition practice to 13.

Alberto Morano, partner in SJ Berwin’s Milan office, said: "We are delighted to welcome Davide to our expanding pan-European EU & Competition team. Davide’s arrival adds significantly to SJ Berwin Italy’s existing strengths in large scale M&A, private equity and corporate work, both within the Italian market and across Europe."

Stephen Kon, head of SJ Berwin’s European EU & Competition group and International Practice partner, said: "After an absolutely fantastic year in which our EU & Competition practice grew strongly, I am delighted that we continue to attract the brightest and the best to our pan-European team. We’re really pleased that a lawyer of Davide’s calibre is further adding to our capability in Milan and Europe as a whole."

Nicolas Theys has been a member of the French Bar since 1997 and joins SJ Berwin from Weil Gotshal. He specialises in advising companies in financial distress and, more generally, firms facing crisis situations.

His field of expertise encompasses out-of-court restructurings and workouts as well as court-assisted (mandat ad hoc and conciliation) restructuring proceedings designed to help firms avoid insolvency or bankruptcy. Such work has led him to advise French and International groups in selling off their underperforming subsidiaries or industrial units. He regularly serves as legal counsel for underperforming companies and also handles LBOs experiencing financial difficulties. He also advises clients in connection with acquiring financially troubled companies and LBOs, and he took part in the first debt-equity swap operations in France.

He was recently appointed as President of the French Chapter of the Turnaround Management Association - the US association dedicated to turnaround operations.

George Pinkham, managing partner of SJ Berwin Paris, said: "Nicolas’ arrival, and that of his colleague Stephanie Paget, brings the number of lawyers in our office to 55, of whom 14 are now partners. This symbolises the continuing growth of our team and enriches our existing expertise in the spheres of private equity and M&A."

Stephen Maffey, European head of reconstruction and insolvency at SJ Berwin, said: "It is really great to have a recognised expert like Nicolas on board, greatly augmenting our pan-European and indeed transatlantic capability."

For further information please contact: 
Jodie Yates, Business Development Assistant, SJ Berwin LLP +44 (0)20 7111 5907, jodie.yates@sjberwin.com

• Founded in 1982, SJ Berwin is a pan-European law firm with over 170 partners and 700 lawyers. We advise on a comprehensive range of legal services including Corporate, Commercial, Real Estate, Finance, Reconstruction & Insolvency, Financial Services, Litigation, Intellectual Property, Employment & Pensions, EU & Competition and Tax.
  
  
• Further information about the firm may be found at www.sjberwin.com and about the partners at www.sjberwin.com/people
  
  
• The EU & Competition Department of SJ Berwin LLP is one of the leading pan-European EU competition practices in Europe. It has been a core practice area of the firm since its establishment in 1982. Our lawyers have excellent working relationships with officials and key departments of the European Commission, the EFTA Surveillance Authority and governments and competition authorities in the EU Member States.
  
  
• The EU & Competition department of SJ Berwin advises on mergers and JVs; state aid, cartel and monopoly enquiries; national and  EC complaints and litigation; notifications to competition authorities; regulatory work; IP and competition interface issues; advisory and compliance work; trade and customs; lobbying and arbitrage. 
  
  
• Clients include Associated British Foods, AES, AKZO Nobel, Alcan, Apax Partners, Blockbuster, British Land, Carlton TV, Channel 4, Coca Cola Enterprises, CSFB, Diageo, Dixons, Gullane, Guardian IT, Hilton Group, JVC, Mediaset, Metronet, Mmo2, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, M&S, Pearson TV, Proctor & Gamble; Reckitt Benckiser, RBS/Natwest, Swedish Match, UCI/UGC Cinemas, Universal Pictures and William Hill.
  
  
• Our EU & Competition practitioners in the UK, Germany, France, Belgium, Italy and Spain are acknowledged leaders in their fields. The team won Competition Team of the Year in the Legal Business Awards 2006. This is the third time the team has been named Competition Team of the Year, more than any other law firm. Head of EU & Competition, Stephen Kon was awarded Best Achievement in Copyright Practice at the World Leaders European IP Awards 2005. Our EU & Competition practice was shortlisted by the German magazine Juve for Competition Team of the Year in 2006, and in the same year our Head of EU & Competition in Germany, Alexander Rinne, was listed as one of the ‘40 under 40’ top German lawyers for his achievements in the field of EU & Competition law.
  
  
• SJ Berwin’s Reconstruction & Insolvency group comprises contentious and non-contentious specialist insolvency lawyers, and is known for its expertise in acting for big investors, finance houses, venture capitalists and major accountancy firms.
  
  
• The Group advises on corporate reconstructions, turnarounds and rescue packages, re-financing, insolvent liquidations, individual and company voluntary arrangements, asset sales of insolvent companies, insolvency litigation, debt recovery and enforcement.
  
  
• On 1 June 2005, SJ Berwin became SJ Berwin LLP, a limited liability partnership. SJ Berwin LLP or an affiliated undertaking has an office in Berlin, Brussels, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Paris and Turin.