What August & Debouzy does

August & Debouzy is a French business law firm headquartered in Paris with a Brussels office, advising corporates, financial sponsors, and public-sector clients on corporate transactions, regulatory matters, public law, and cross-border mandates. The firm combines a core corporate and M&A practice (including mandates such as the Aura Aero / VoltAero transaction) with specialist desks including a German Desk for Franco-German work, the Start You Up program serving growth-stage companies, and the AD Positive think tank that shapes policy debate. Its revenue model follows the standard full-service law firm structure: hourly and fixed-fee billing on mandates, partner-led engagement teams, and origination through partner reputation and institutional client relationships.

The firm competes on senior talent and political-regulatory access, drawing partners and advisors with high-level public-service backgrounds — a former Prime Minister, a former Conseil d'État member, and a former French Permanent Representative — to anchor mandates in regulated industries and EU-facing matters. Marquee clients include Dassault, Engie, and Keolis, and the Brussels office reportedly serves more than 1,000 clients annually, giving the firm a credible cross-channel platform between French corporate law and EU regulatory/lobbying work.

Strategic positioning has shifted toward a dual-hub model (Paris headquarters plus Brussels EU platform) and toward building an ecosystem around the firm (think tank, startup program, cross-border desks). Recognition as "Law Firm of the Year – France 2025" at The Lawyer European Awards signals upward market positioning, though the firm remains mid-tier in headcount relative to French magic-circle peers, with the input indicating 150+ lawyers versus a separate firmographic range of 51–100 staff.

Name

August & Debouzy

Legal name

August & Debouzy

Website

https://august-debouzy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

August & Debouzy is a Paris-headquartered French business law firm with a Brussels EU platform, advising corporates, sponsors, and public-sector clients on M&A, regulatory, and cross-border matters through specialist desks and senior political-regulatory partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Law Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) & Securities Law (BPAHAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Financial Regulation, AML/CFT & Tax Transparency Cooperation (BPADANAL)

Keywords

• Business law services
• Corporate legal advisory
• M&A advisory
• Mergers acquisitions law
• Private equity legal

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Advisory Services: August Debouzy generates revenue through fees for legal advisory services across its practice areas, serving French and international clients in corporate transactions, disputes, and regulatory matters.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

August & Debouzy is a full-service French business law firm providing legal advisory and litigation services across 24 practice areas (including M&A, Private Equity, Restructuring, Employment Law, Tax Law, IT/Data Protection, IP, Compliance, and European Law) and 13 industry sectors. The firm also offers specialized cross-border offerings such as the German Desk (Franco-German legal advisory with trilingual lawyers) and the Brussels office for EU regulatory and public affairs work.

Product overview

August & Debouzy is a full-service French law firm with approximately 150 lawyers offering legal services across 24 practice areas and 13 industry sectors. The firm's core offering consists of traditional legal practice areas including M&A, Private Equity, Restructuring, Employment Law, and Dispute Resolution. The portfolio includes specialized services such as the German Desk (Franco-German advisory with 20 trilingual lawyers), the Start You Up startup program, and AD Positive think tank focusing on ESG and positive business transformation. The Brussels office provides EU regulatory and public affairs services. The firm also offers sector-specific expertise in Tech & Digital, Cybersecurity, Life Sciences, Energy, Banking & Finance, and Aerospace & Defense. The practice integrates specialized offerings in Web3/blockchain, data litigation, and environmental law to address evolving client needs in digital transformation and sustainability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• M&A / Corporate Practice Mergers and acquisitions advisory covering the full transaction lifecycle from due diligence to closing, including cross-border transactions, for large corporations, mid-cap companies, and investment funds.
• Private Equity Legal advisory for private equity transactions, fund formation, and portfolio company matters.
• Restructuring Operations Corporate restructuring and insolvency advisory, including distressed M&A, creditor negotiations, and court-supervised reorganization proceedings.
• Employment and Social Security Law Labor law services covering individual and collective employment matters, social security compliance, HR aspects of transactions, reorganizations, and senior executive retention/termination.
• IT and Data Protection Legal services covering information technology law, data privacy including GDPR compliance, and cybersecurity matters.
• Patent Law Intellectual property protection services for patents and technologies, including prosecution, litigation, and European patent attorney services.
• Dispute Resolution Litigation and arbitration services including commercial disputes, white-collar criminal defense, and international arbitration.
• Compliance Regulatory compliance advisory including anti-corruption (Sapin II), export controls, and sanctions compliance.
• Environmental Law / ESG Advisory Environmental, social, and governance legal advisory including climate litigation, duty of vigilance law, carbon offset regulations, and ESG compliance.
• European Law (Brussels Office) EU regulatory, compliance, and public policy advisory from the Brussels office, covering ESG, digital transition, competition law, and EU litigation.
• German Desk Dedicated Franco-German legal service with 20 trilingual lawyers (French, German, English), 5 partners, and specialists admitted to Berlin and Frankfurt bars.
• Start You Up (Startup Program) Startup support program providing legal advisory for early-stage companies, including seed funding rounds and growth-stage transactions.
• Tax Law Tax law advisory including tax planning, corporate tax, and tax aspects of transactions.
• Financing Legal advisory for financing transactions including syndicated loans, securitization, and other debt financing structures.
• Competition, European Regulation and FDI Competition law and foreign direct investment screening advisory including merger control and EU regulatory matters.
• Cybersecurity Legal advisory on cybersecurity matters, data protection, and cyber incident response.
• Web3 & Blockchain Legal services for distributed ledger technology, blockchain projects, and Web3 initiatives.
• Intellectual Property, Media, and Art Law Legal services covering intellectual property rights, media law, and art law matters.
• Public Law and Public Procurement Law Legal advisory on public law matters including public procurement and administrative law.

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Leading Independent Law Firms InternationallycoreOthersAugust Debouzy collaborates with leading independent law firms internationally, selected for their excellence and market leadership in their local areas, to provide expertise tailored to each geographical context for cross-border transactions and disputes.
• Partner Network in Europe and the UScoreOthersThe firm activates its partner network in Europe and the US to support clients with EU regulatory matters, drawing on local expertise across member states and the United States.
• Partner Network in Germany, Austria, German-speaking SwitzerlandcoreOthersThe German Desk works closely with contacts in Germany, Austria, and German-speaking Switzerland, selected based on long-term cooperation for their ability to offer support at every stage of client development in German-speaking countries.
• Good Planet FoundationminorOthersAugust Debouzy was awarded the Good Planet Foundation's carbon offset certificate in recognition of its green initiatives. In 2023, the firm offset 72 tons of CO2 matching its business travel emissions.
• Reforest'ActionminorOthersSince 2020, August Debouzy has been involved in reforestation projects through non-profit Reforest'Action, planting over 4,000 trees in 2020 in the vulnerable Séguié forest in Côte d'Ivoire.
• La Comédie FrançaiseminorOthersAugust Debouzy proudly supports Paris' public theatre La Comédie française as part of its pro bono commitment to education through arts, culture and science.
• Sciences PominorOthersAugust Debouzy supports Sciences Po as part of its commitment to education and access to culture for all.
• Women's Forum for the Economy & SocietyminorOthersAugust Debouzy celebrates 20 years of partnership with the Women's Forum for the Economy and Society, participating in the 2025 edition held in Paris under the theme 'Courage – Bold'.
• ADay to Give Charity PartnersminorOthersAugust Debouzy's 'ADay to give' initiative supports pro bono charitable partners including: Hellen Keller International, Tout le monde contre le cancer, Avocats Sans Frontières, Charte de Paris contre le cancer, Amref Flying Doctors, Le Choix de l'école, Institut international de cancérologie, and others.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bredin Prat: Bredin Prat is a leading independent French business law firm headquartered in Paris with a comparable full-service offering across M&A, corporate, litigation, employment, and competition. It is the closest direct French-independent peer to August & Debouzy in scale, practice mix, and CAC 40 client base.
• Gide Loyrette Nouel: Gide is one of France's largest independent law firms with a full-service business law practice and extensive international offices. It competes head-to-head with August & Debouzy for French and cross-border corporate, M&A, restructuring, and regulatory mandates, but operates at significantly greater scale.
• Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier: Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier is a top-tier Paris business law firm widely regarded as France's leading M&A and large-cap transactional advisor. It directly competes with August & Debouzy's Corporate and M&A practices for premium CAC 40 mandates, with a similar boutique-partnership model.
• Lacourte Raquin Tatar: Lacourte Raquin Tatar is a leading French independent business law firm specializing in M&A, private equity, and corporate transactions. It is a direct competitor to August & Debouzy's Corporate and Private Equity practices, with a similar boutique partnership model and premium-client focus.
• Jeantet: Jeantet is a French independent business law firm with full-service coverage across corporate, M&A, employment, IP, and dispute resolution. It directly competes with August & Debouzy in the mid- and upper-mid-cap French market with a comparable independent partnership structure.

Broad incumbents

• Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (Paris office): Freshfields' Paris office is a Magic Circle competitor offering a comparable M&A, corporate, and disputes practice. As a global firm, it competes for cross-border mandates where August & Debouzy relies on referral partners, and serves many of the same CAC 40 clients.
• Linklaters (Paris office): Linklaters' Paris office competes with August & Debouzy across M&A, capital markets, banking, and restructuring matters. As a Magic Circle firm with global owned offices, it offers clients an integrated cross-border platform that August & Debouzy matches only through referral networks.
• Clifford Chance (Paris office): Clifford Chance's Paris office is a Magic Circle competitor offering M&A, finance, capital markets, dispute resolution, and employment law, directly overlapping with August & Debouzy's core practice areas. It competes for the same large-cap French and international clients with a larger global platform.
• Hogan Lovells (Paris office): Hogan Lovells' Paris office offers corporate, M&A, regulatory, and employment practices that overlap with August & Debouzy. As a global firm with strong sector practices (energy, life sciences, tech), it competes for the same enterprise clients with broader international reach.
• DLA Piper (Paris office): DLA Piper's Paris office is a global-law-firm competitor with a broad corporate, employment, IP, and technology practice that overlaps with August & Debouzy's full-service model. It competes on cross-border mandates with an owned-office international platform versus August & Debouzy's referral-based international coverage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AugustDebouzy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/august-debouzy
• Xx.com/augustdebouzy
• Facebookfacebook.com/augustdebouzy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about August & Debouzy