Askesis
Askesis is a French business law firm founded in 2008 in Sophia-Antipolis with a Paris office, providing tax, corporate, contract, IP, finance, property, and litigation services primarily to technology/innovation companies and financial services providers across France.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersValbonne, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Askesis does
Askesis (legally Cabinet Askesis / Société d'Avocats Askesis) is a French business law firm founded in 2008, headquartered in Sophia-Antipolis (Valbonne) with a secondary office in Paris. The firm provides a full-spectrum business law offering organized around six practice areas: Tax Law, Corporate Law, Contract Law, Property Law, Intellectual Property, and Finance Law, plus Litigation. Its client base is concentrated in two verticals: technology and innovation companies (the primary segment, reflecting its Sophia-Antipolis tech-hub origins) and financial services providers (investment services, banking, portfolio management, crowdfunding platforms, FinTech). Named transactions include advising M Capital Partners on the OBO of GELAZUR, advising SEQUOIASOFT on a growth financing round alongside BNP Paribas Développement, BPI France, Siparex, and M Capital Partners, advising Wizishop on its seed round (€300k at €1.7M valuation), and advising EQUITIS/UPE06 on AMF approval for a €10M regional FCPR fund.
The firm operates as a partnership of lawyers led by three named partners — Yves Larue, Denis Koban (formerly of FIDAL with 6+ years of tax experience), and Bastien Bernard — supported by approximately 10-15 collaborators and jurists across specializations including IP, contract law, and corporate law. Revenue is generated through professional services billing, primarily hourly time-based fees, with fixed-fee and results-based fee arrangements available in specific matters. The first introductory consultation is offered unbilled, with formal engagement defined via engagement letter. Distribution is direct engagement only, with no intermediary or referral channels disclosed; client acquisition relies on the firm's website content, LinkedIn and Facebook presence, and professional network. The firm holds no patents, has no technology products, has no funding rounds, and operates entirely on partner-owned capital with no external investors.
Askesis firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Askesis
- Legal name
- Cabinet Askesis
- Website
- https://askesis.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Askesis is a French business law firm founded in 2008 in Sophia-Antipolis with a Paris office, providing tax, corporate, contract, IP, finance, property, and litigation services primarily to technology/innovation companies and financial services providers across France.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Askesis industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Business Law Services (Legal Advisory)
- NAICS
- Legal Services (5411), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54)
- SIC
- Services-Legal Services (8111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Corporate Strategy Advisory (BPAHADAA)
Keywords
Where Askesis is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Valbonne
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Askesis business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Legal Advisory Services: Professional legal services billed primarily by time spent (hourly fees). Fixed fee arrangements available depending on the nature of the assignment. Results-based (success) fees agreed in litigation matters.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Time-based billing (hourly rates) |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Fixed fee arrangements |
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Pay-as-you-go | Results-based fee (litigation) |
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Askesis product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Askesis is a French business law firm ("Cabinet Askesis") that provides legal advisory and representation services across seven practice areas: Tax Law, Corporate Law, Contract Law, Property Law, Finance Law, Intellectual Property, and Litigation. The firm serves companies (predominantly in technology, innovation, and financial services) at every stage of their development, from incorporation and governance through financing, contracting, restructuring, and dispute resolution. Engagement begins with a complimentary initial meeting, after which an engagement letter sets out the scope of work and the fee arrangement.
Product overview
Askesis is a law firm providing legal services in business law. The firm operates as a single-service practice offering multiple legal specializations rather than a platform with modular products. Their service offerings include Tax Law, Corporate Law, Contract Law, Property Law, Intellectual Property, Finance Law, and Litigation services. These practice areas work together to provide comprehensive legal support for businesses at all stages of development, from company creation to financing, restructuring, and dispute resolution.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Tax Law (Droit Fiscal) Tax advisory services for businesses and individuals, including tax planning, restructuring, acquisition audits, tax opinions, and tax litigation representation before administrative and judicial courts.
- Corporate Law (Droit des Sociétés) Corporate law services covering company creation, governance, financing operations, restructuring (mergers, demergers, partial contributions of assets), and ongoing legal secretarial services.
- Contract Law (Droit des Contrats) Contract drafting and negotiation services, including preparation of commercial agreements with customers, suppliers, lessors or tenants, with expertise in international contracts in English.
- Property Law (Droit Patrimonial) Asset transfer and wealth planning services including taxation of company directors, manager taxation, real estate investments, and trust-related taxation.
- Finance Law (Droit Financier) Regulatory and structuring services for financial activities, including assistance with financial certifications, creation of F.I.A., participative financing, and FinTech fundraising, with regular contact with AMF and ACPR.
- Intellectual Property (Propriété Intellectuelle) Intellectual property strategy and protection services including innovation structuring, IP formalization and valuation, trademark filing and management, and technology transfer negotiation.
- Litigation (Contentieux) Dispute resolution and litigation services covering urgent procedures, substantive matters, enforcement measures, settlement negotiations, and international litigation handling.
Companies that use Askesis
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Askesis technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Askesis partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- UPE06minorASKESIS advised UPE06 and EQUITIS in obtaining AMF (Autorité des Marchés Financiers) approval for a regional investment fund of 10 million euros (FCPR).
- EQUITISminorASKESIS advised EQUITIS and UPE06 in obtaining AMF approval for a regional investment fund (FCPR) of 10 million euros.
- CCI de ToulouseminorASKESIS presented the legal framework for crowdfunding at the CCI de Toulouse's first Crowdfunding rendez-vous in Midi-Pyrénées.
- Imprimerie NationaleminorASKESIS advised SPS in its acquisition by the Imprimerie Nationale, creating a major technological ETI (mid-size enterprise) for the French identity sector.
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Askesis competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- CMS Francis Lefebvre: CMS Francis Lefebvre is a major French member of the CMS international network, providing full-service business law including corporate, tax, IP, and finance. It targets French SMEs and mid-market companies, directly overlapping Askesis's client profile with greater cross-border reach.
- DLA Piper: DLA Piper is a global law firm with a substantial Paris presence covering corporate, finance, IP, and technology transactions. It competes for the same French tech and growth-company mandates Askesis pursues, with materially greater cross-border resources.
- Gide Loyrette Nouel: Gide is a major international French-headquartered law firm with deep corporate, finance, tax, IP, and litigation practices. It serves many of the same French and European technology, financial services, and corporate clients Askesis targets, but with a global office footprint that Askesis cannot match.
- Dentons: Dentons is a global law firm with a significant French practice spanning corporate, tax, finance, and IP. It targets many of the same mid-market and growth-stage French clients as Askesis, with a polycentric international footprint that enables cross-border engagements.
- Bredin Prat: Bredin Prat is a leading French business law firm with elite corporate, finance, tax, and litigation practices. It competes for the upper end of the same mandates Askesis pursues, especially on M&A and financing transactions, with substantially larger deal teams and international co-counsel networks.
- Fidal: Fidal is the largest French business law firm by headcount and the firm where Askesis partner Denis Koban previously spent more than six years in the Tax Law Department. It competes for the same corporate, tax, and M&A mandates across French SMEs and mid-market companies, but at substantially greater scale and geographic reach.
- Baker McKenzie: Baker McKenzie operates a major Paris office covering corporate, finance, tax, IP, and litigation for French and international clients. It overlaps with Askesis across core practice areas and competes for the same French corporate and tech-sector mandates.
- Bird & Bird: Bird & Bird is an international law firm with a strong focus on technology, IP, and finance sectors, including a Paris office. It directly competes for the technology and innovation clients that Askesis serves from Sophia-Antipolis, with deeper IP and tech-sector specialization.
Direct peers
- August Debouzy: August Debouzy is a Paris-based business law firm with strong practices in corporate, M&A, tax, IP, and finance law serving innovative and growth-stage French companies. It directly overlaps Askesis's core practice areas and target client base of French corporates and tech/innovation businesses.
- Bersay & Associés: Bersay is a Paris-based boutique business law firm focused on corporate, M&A, tax, and finance law for SMEs and mid-market companies. It is highly comparable to Askesis in size, practice mix, and target client profile, and competes for the same French growth-company mandates.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Askesis social profiles
Digital presenceAskesis financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Askesis leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles17 records
Askesis funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Askesis M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Askesis
What does Askesis do?
Askesis is a French business law firm ("Cabinet Askesis") that provides legal advisory and representation services across seven practice areas: Tax Law, Corporate Law, Contract Law, Property Law, Finance Law, Intellectual Property, and Litigation. The firm serves companies (predominantly in technology, innovation, and financial services) at every stage of their development, from incorporation and governance through financing, contracting, restructuring, and dispute resolution. Engagement begins with a complimentary initial meeting, after which an engagement letter sets out the scope of work and the fee arrangement.
Is Askesis a public or private company?
Askesis is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Askesis founded?
Askesis was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Askesis based?
Askesis is headquartered in Valbonne, France, in the Europe region.
How does Askesis make money?
One revenue line is on record: legal Advisory Services.
Who are Askesis's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are CMS Francis Lefebvre, DLA Piper, Gide Loyrette Nouel, Dentons, Bredin Prat, Fidal, Baker McKenzie and Bird & Bird. Direct peers are August Debouzy and Bersay & Associés.
Does Askesis have an API?
No public API is recorded for Askesis.
What industry is Askesis in?
Askesis's product category is Business Law Services (Legal Advisory). Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHADAA, Corporate Strategy Advisory. Its NAICS code is 5411 and its SIC code is 8111.