What Vivienne and Associates does

Vivien & Associés is a Paris-based French business law firm organized as an AARPI (Association d'Avocats à Responsabilité Professionnelle Individuelle), co-founded in 1999 by Nicolas Vivien and Judith Fargeot. The firm operates across ten core practice areas — Corporate/M&A, Private Equity & Venture Capital, Tax Law, Employment Law & HR Compliance, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Competition & Consumer Law, Banking & Financial Regulation, Commercial & International Contracts, New Technologies & IP, and Restructuring & Insolvency — delivering partner-led advisory to multinational corporates, financial sponsors, mid-market companies, and fast-growing startups in France and cross-border matters.

The firm runs a traditional professional services model with no proprietary technology platform; its technology stack consists of standard case and document management, legal research tools, and a bilingual website (va-fr.com) using standard analytics and cookie consent tooling. Service delivery is fully partner-led: every engagement is run by named partners from inception to completion, supported by counsel and associates. The firm employs 45+ attorneys across approximately 20 partners, maintains a Paris headquarters (3 rue de Monttessuy, 75007), a Brussels office (led by Jacques Epstein), and a Lyon office (opened March 2025, led by Alexandra Arnould).

Revenue is generated on an hourly-rate basis determined by lawyer seniority, with expenses and disbursements billed at cost; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Clients are acquired primarily through reputation, legal directory rankings (Chambers Band 1 for Corporate/M&A Mid-Market, Legal 500 EMEA, Décideurs, Best Lawyers, Le Point, Option Droit & Affaires), referrals, alumni networks, and thought-leadership contributions (ICLG guides, Lexology, Mondaq). The firm reports handling approximately 50 transactions per year and serves a diversified client base spanning industrial distribution, automotive, beverage/luxury, energy, agribusiness, software, and consumer/media sectors.

Name

Vivienne and Associates

Legal name

Vivien & Associés AARPI

Website

https://va-fr.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vivien & Associés is a Paris-based French business law firm (AARPI) founded in 1999, employing 45+ attorneys across ~20 partners in Paris, Brussels, and Lyon. It delivers partner-led advisory across M&A, private equity, tax, employment, litigation, competition, and restructuring to corporates, financial sponsors, and mid-market companies in France and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Legal Advisory 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)

Keywords

• Mergers and acquisitions
• Private equity advisory
• Corporate law services
• Tax law advisory
• Commercial litigation counsel

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal advisory services (hourly fees): Fees are calculated on the basis of an hourly rate taking into account the degree of seniority of the lawyers involved. Hourly rates are provided to clients upon request. Expenses and disbursements are billed in addition to fees, without markup. This is the primary revenue stream for the firm.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Vivien & Associés AARPI is a partner-led French business law firm founded in 1999 that delivers comprehensive corporate legal advisory services across ten practice areas, including domestic and cross-border Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity & Venture Capital, Tax Law, Employment Law, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Competition Law, Banking & Financial Regulation, Commercial & International Contracts, New Technologies & Intellectual Property, and Restructuring & Insolvency. The firm serves multinational corporations, investment funds, mid-market companies, and startups primarily in France and across international jurisdictions through its Paris headquarters, Brussels office, and Lyon office (opened March 2025). Engagements are billed on an hourly-rate basis determined by lawyer seniority, with approximately 50 transactions handled per year by a team of 45+ attorneys.

Product overview

Vivien & Associés is a French business law firm (AARPI) providing comprehensive legal advisory services through partner-led teams. The firm operates as a unified legal services practice rather than a software platform, offering ten core practice areas spanning Corporate/M&A, Private Equity & Venture Capital, Tax Law, Employment Law & HR Compliance, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Competition Law, Banking & Financial Regulation, Commercial Contracts, New Technologies & IP, and Restructuring & Insolvency. Each practice area functions as a distinct service line, with teams collaborating cross-functionally on complex transactions and disputes. The firm serves clients ranging from multinational corporations to fast-growing startups across France and internationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate – Mergers & Acquisitions Advisory Legal advisory on domestic and cross-border mergers, acquisitions, disposals, and complex intra-group reorganisations for companies, investment funds, and entrepreneurs.
• Private Equity & Venture Capital Advisory Legal counsel for private equity transactions, capital investment, LBO operations, fund formation, and venture capital investments.
• Tax Law Advisory Tax counsel covering structuring, tax audits, fiscal integration, management packages, transfer pricing, VAT, and wealth management for both corporations and individuals.
• Employment Law, HR Compliance & Internal Investigations Employment and labour law advice including restructuring, mass redundancy, employee representation, negotiations, and outsourced internal investigations for harassment, discrimination, and ethics violations.
• Litigation & Dispute Resolution Representation in complex commercial litigation, shareholder disputes, acquisition disputes, and alternative dispute resolution including arbitration and mediation.
• Competition, Retail & Consumer Law Competition law advisory including antitrust, merger control, distribution agreements, consumer protection, and customs matters before French and European authorities.
• Banking & Financial Regulation Law & Compliance Advisory on banking law, financial regulation, AMF compliance, investment services, and financial market matters including representation before regulatory authorities.
• Commercial & International Contracts Legal counsel for drafting, negotiating, and advising on commercial contracts, strategic agreements, and cross-border transactions.
• New Technologies & Intellectual Property IP protection, technology contracts, data protection compliance, AI regulation, cybersecurity, and digital transformation advisory for enterprises.
• Restructuring & Insolvency Restructuring advisory, preventive procedures, insolvency proceedings, and representation for debtors, buyers, or creditors in distressed situations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Chambers France 2026 — Ranked Band 1 in Corporate/M&A: Mid-Market (firm and individual partner Judith Fargeot)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ICLG (International Comparative Legal Guides)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVivien & Associés partners contribute to the France chapters of ICLG publications, including the M&A and Private Equity guides. This is a thought leadership contribution rather than a commercial partnership. The firm's partners (Julien Koch, Lisa Becker, Chloé Canal, Julie Tchaglass, Marine Pelletier-Capes) have authored chapters of these reference guides, published by ICLG across 20+ jurisdictions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Racine: Paris-based French business law firm with a strong M&A, corporate, employment, and tax practice. Comparable to Vivien on mid-market French corporate transactions and a similar client mix of French mid-caps and PE sponsors.
• BCTG Avocats: Paris-headquartered French business law firm with strong M&A, private equity, and corporate practices. Comparable to Vivien on mid-market French M&A mandates and Chambers mid-market positioning.
• August Debouzy: Major French business law firm with strong M&A, private equity, and public law practices. Directly comparable to Vivien as a Paris-based advisor competing for mid-market French M&A mandates and serving similar corporate and PE clients.
• Reinhart Marville Torre: Paris-based French business law firm focused on M&A, private equity, and corporate advisory for mid-market companies and PE funds. Closely comparable to Vivien on the French mid-market M&A segment and in similar Chambers/Legal 500 mid-market rankings.
• De Pardieu Brocas Maffei: Paris-based French business law firm with a leading M&A, private equity, and restructuring practice. Closely comparable to Vivien on French mid-market and upper mid-market M&A work, often cited in the same Chambers/Legal 500 rankings.
• Bredin Prat: Paris-headquartered mid-to-large French business law firm with a leading M&A, corporate, and dispute resolution practice. Directly comparable to Vivien as a top-tier French M&A advisor serving corporates, PE funds, and financial sponsors on mid-market and upper mid-market transactions.

Broad incumbents

• Latham & Watkins (Paris): Global firm with a substantial Paris corporate/M&A practice competing for French mid-market and upper mid-market deals. Comparable in the M&A mid-cap segment where Vivien operates, with deeper cross-border capacity.
• Linklaters (Paris): Global Magic Circle firm with a significant Paris office covering M&A, PE, and corporate finance. Overlaps with Vivien on the upper end of the French mid-market and on cross-border mandates involving French targets.
• Herbert Smith Freehills (Paris): Global law firm with a Paris office covering M&A, disputes, and corporate. Overlaps with Vivien on mid-market French M&A and is a notable competitor for Vivien on cross-border mandates, including some served by former Herbert Smith partners now at Vivien.
• Gide Loyrette Nouel: One of France's largest and most established international law firms with a top-tier M&A, PE, and corporate practice. Operates as a broader incumbent that overlaps with Vivien on French mid-market work while also handling much larger cross-border transactions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vivien-associes/posts/?feedView=all

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Vivienne and Associates