Desfilis Avocats

What Desfilis Avocats does

Desfilis Avocats is an independent French business law firm headquartered at 6 rue Clément Marot in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, founded in 1920 and operating under the A.A.R.P.I. (Association of Lawyers with Individual Professional Liability) legal structure. The firm is partner-owned and led by Senior Partner José Desfilis, who has headed the firm since 1990, alongside a current partner group of twelve. Desfilis delivers legal advisory and litigation services through seven practice areas: M&A – Private Equity, Governance and Family Business Succession Planning, Tax Law, Litigation, Employment Law, Real Estate, and Restructuring and Insolvency.

The firm primarily serves French family-owned groups, listed and unlisted companies, investment funds (including PE firms and institutional investors), and individual entrepreneurs and executives. Its core proposition centers on multidisciplinary teams that combine advisory rigor with litigation effectiveness, with particular specialization in family governance, business succession planning, mid-cap M&A and LBO transactions, and tax structuring for both domestic and cross-border matters. Recent flagship mandates include advising SoftBank on the French legal aspects of its $5.375 billion acquisition of ABB's Robotics division and advising a consortium led by UI Investissement, MACSF, and Covéa on the €525 million shareholding reorganization of Groupe ADIT.

Desfilis generates revenue through fee-for-service engagements, billed on hourly or fixed-fee arrangements depending on transaction complexity, with multi-year mandates common for governance and succession work. The firm employs 20+ lawyers and additional support staff (headcount range 11–50), cultivates clients through direct advisory relationships, professional referrals, and recognition in French legal directories (Décideurs Magazine, Legal 500, Le Point, Option Droit & Affaires, Best Lawyers), and does not publicly disclose revenue or financial results.

Name

Desfilis Avocats

Legal name

DESFILIS

Website

https://desfilisavocats.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Desfilis Avocats is an independent French business law firm founded in 1920 and headquartered in Paris. It serves family-owned groups, listed and unlisted companies, investment funds, and executives across seven practice areas including M&A, tax, and family governance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Law Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Offices of Lawyers (54111), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Capital Markets Advisory (IPO Readiness, SPAC, ECM/DCM Advisory) (BPAHAOAL)

Keywords

• Business law services
• M&A legal advisory
• Private equity law
• Tax law advisory
• Corporate litigation

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Legal Advisory and Litigation Services: The firm generates revenue through professional legal services including M&A transactions, corporate governance advisory, tax law, employment law, litigation, real estate, and restructuring. Services are billed on a fee-for-service basis typically hourly or fixed-fee arrangements for specific transactions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Desfilis Avocats is an independent business law firm providing legal advisory and representation services across seven practice areas: M&A and Private Equity, Governance and Family Business Succession Planning, Tax law, Litigation, Employment law, Real Estate, and Restructuring and Insolvency. Founded in 1920 and headquartered in Paris, France, the firm serves corporate clients, family-owned business groups, and investment funds through a 12-partner partnership structure.

Product overview

Desfilis is an independent French business law firm offering comprehensive legal services through seven complementary practice areas. The firm provides M&A and Private Equity advisory, Governance and Family Business Succession Planning, Tax Law, Litigation, Employment Law, Real Estate, and Restructuring and Insolvency services. Founded in 1920 and headquartered in Paris, the firm serves family-owned groups, listed and unlisted companies, investment funds, entrepreneurs, and executives. The practice areas combine advisory rigor with litigation effectiveness, delivering tailored, high-end legal solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• M&A - Private Equity Legal advisory services for mergers and acquisitions and private equity transactions, advising corporate clients and investment funds on deal structuring, negotiation, and execution across the firm's seven-practice-area coverage.
• Governance and Family Business Succession Planning Legal counsel on corporate governance frameworks and succession planning for family-owned business groups.
• Tax Law Tax advisory services for corporate transactions, restructurings, and ongoing tax planning matters for corporate clients, family-owned groups, and investment funds.
• Litigation Representation and advisory services for corporate and commercial disputes before the relevant French courts and tribunals.
• Employment Law Legal advisory on employment-related matters including individual and collective contracts, restructurings, and employment disputes for corporate clients.
• Real Estate Legal advisory on real estate transactions, leases, asset deals, and property-related matters for corporate clients.
• Restructuring and Insolvency Legal advisory on corporate restructurings, insolvency proceedings, and creditor or debtor representation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Recognized as excellent in restructuring and insolvency by Décideurs Magazine
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Goodwin Procter: International law firm with a Paris office focused on private equity, M&A, and technology transactions. Comparable on mid-cap deal profile and PE-driven LBO work that Desfilis services.
• Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer: Global law firm with a significant Paris office covering M&A, restructuring, tax, and employment. A direct competitor for cross-border mandates involving French targets or acquirors.
• Willkie Farr & Gallagher: International law firm with a notable Paris presence focused on M&A, private equity, restructuring, and tax. Overlaps with Desfilis's PE/LBO and restructuring practices, particularly for mid-cap deals.
• Gide Loyrette Nouel: One of France's largest independent law firms with a full-service platform spanning M&A, finance, tax, litigation, employment, and restructuring. Overlaps Desfilis across virtually every practice area but at materially greater scale.
• Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton: Global elite law firm with a major Paris office handling high-end M&A, antitrust, and corporate governance matters. Competes for the same French-side cross-border mandates that Desfilis handles, but with substantially larger resources.

Direct peers

• Bredin Prat: Leading independent French business law firm focused on M&A, corporate, litigation, and tax matters for major French and international corporates. Direct competitor for the same marquee transactional mandates Desfilis pursues.
• August Debouzy: Independent French business law firm offering M&A, employment, tax, restructuring, and public law services to corporate clients. Direct mid-market competitor with similar partner-led structure in Paris.
• Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier: Elite independent Paris-based business law firm specializing in M&A, restructuring, and high-stakes advisory. Comparable on boutique scale, premium positioning, and concentration on sophisticated corporate transactions.
• Hoche Avocats: Independent French business law firm of comparable mid-size, with parallel practice areas (M&A, tax, employment, restructuring, real estate) serving mid-market corporates and family-owned groups.
• De Pardieu Brocas Maffei: Independent French business law firm with comparable practice breadth (M&A, restructuring, tax, real estate) and a similar mid-sized partner-led model in Paris. Highly relevant as Desfilis's Real Estate practice lead previously worked here.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/desfilis-avocats

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Desfilis Avocats