CJA Avocats Associes

What CJA Avocats Associes does

CJA Avocats Associés is an independent multidisciplinary law firm founded in 1988 through the merger of three specialized business law practices, headquartered in Saint-Étienne, France. The firm operates from three offices across the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region — Saint-Étienne (headquarters), Lyon, and Le Puy-en-Velay — and is structured as a société d'exercice libéral à responsabilité limitée (SELARL) with €70,704 of registered capital. It is partner-owned by ten associated avocats with no external institutional shareholders, and employs approximately 40 total collaborators organized into competency poles covering corporate law, tax law, and employment law.

The firm provides professional legal advisory services across company creation and restructuring, M&A and private equity, tax advisory and litigation, employment law, commercial contracts and intellectual property, and sector-specific work for healthcare professionals and agricultural / wine estates. Go-to-market is direct client engagement rooted in professional reputation, regional proximity, and referral networks, supplemented by membership in the LEXTEAM alliance of 20+ independent French law firms and by participation in CRA, CNPM, Initiative Loire, and Entreprendre en France. Client segments are primarily French SMEs and mid-sized enterprises (ETIs), with additional dedicated work for healthcare practitioners and wine/agricultural estates in Burgundy and the Rhône Valley.

Revenue is generated through professional services billing — typically hourly or fixed fees under quote-based engagements — with no publicly disclosed pricing or revenue figures. The technology stack consists of standard legal practice management tools and a secure web client portal (monespace.cja.fr) for document exchange with existing clients; no proprietary technology or AI/ML capabilities are identified in the available data. Recent activity has focused on lateral partner recruitment rather than geographic expansion, with two new partners coopted in January 2024 and the 2021 addition of a partner to lead the M&A / capital investment practice.

Name

CJA Avocats Associes

Legal name

C.J.A AVOCATS ASSOCIÉS

Website

https://cja.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CJA Avocats Associés is an independent French multidisciplinary business law firm founded in 1988, operating from three offices in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and serving SMEs, mid-sized enterprises, healthcare professionals, and wine estates with corporate, tax, employment, and M&A advisory services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships Advisory (JVs, Alliances, Carve-outs) (BPAHAOAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate Strategy Advisory (BPAHADAA)

Keywords

• Business law services
• Corporate legal advisory
• Tax law advisory
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Employment law services

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Etienne

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Advisory Services: Professional services revenue generated through legal advisory work across corporate law, tax law, employment law, M&A, and commercial contracts. Services provided to SMEs, ETIs, startups, and business leaders throughout France and internationally.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CJA Avocats Associés is an independent multidisciplinary law firm founded in 1988 that provides legal advisory services in business law, tax law, and social/employment law. The firm is organized into competency poles (corporate, tax, employment) and delivers counsel on company creation, M&A and private equity, tax audits and litigation, employment matters, commercial contracts, and intellectual property, with specialized expertise for healthcare professionals and the agricultural/wine sector.

Product overview

CJA Avocats Associes is a multidisciplinary independent law firm founded in 1988, offering a comprehensive range of legal services organized by specialized departments: Droit des sociétés (Corporate), Fusions-Acquisitions / Capital investissement (M&A/Private Equity), Droit fiscal (Tax), Droit social (Labor), Contrats / Propriété intellectuelle (Contracts/IP), and Activités spécifiques (Specialized activities for health and agricultural sectors). The firm also provides a client portal (Espace Client) for online access. The service modules work in synergy, with multidisciplinary teams combining corporate, tax, and labor expertise to address all client legal needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate Law Advisory (Droit des sociétés) Legal services covering company creation, ongoing corporate governance, restructuring, and dissolution for businesses across France. Designed for SMEs, ETIs, and startups seeking comprehensive corporate support.
• M&A and Private Equity (Fusions-Acquisitions / Capital investissement) M&A and private equity services including business transfers, acquisitions, capital investment operations, leveraged buyouts, and management packages for ETIs, SMEs, and investment funds.
• Tax Law Advisory (Droit fiscal) Tax law services covering executive tax advisory, business tax support, tax audits, and tax litigation assistance for businesses, executives, and wealth transfer planning.
• Employment Law Services (Droit social) Labor law advisory, litigation representation, and employment audit/training for regional and national employer clients, including strategic analysis of workplace conflicts.
• Contracts and Intellectual Property (Contrats / Propriété intellectuelle) Drafting and negotiation of commercial contracts, CGV/CGU terms, commercial leases, and trademark registration and protection for businesses.
• Specialized Activities for Healthcare and Wine/Agriculture Sectors (Activités spécifiques) Specialized advisory for healthcare professionals (physicians, pharmacists, dentists, veterinarians) covering practice structuring (SEL/SELARL formations), and for wine estates/agricultural enterprises covering transmission, SAFER transactions, and family succession.
• Client Portal (Espace Client) Secure web-based portal at monespace.cja.fr that enables existing CJA clients to access documents, manage their legal files, and communicate with the firm.

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LEXTEAMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCJA is a member of the LEXTEAM network, which brings together more than twenty independent law firms present throughout France. This membership enables CJA to offer broader geographic coverage and access to specialized expertise across the network.
• CNPM (Chambre Nationale des Praticiens de la Médiation)minorOthersMarc Chobert, partner at CJA, serves as Vice-President of CNPM, the National Chamber of Mediation Practitioners. This association focuses on alternative dispute resolution through mediation.
• CRA (Cédants et Repreneurs d'Affaires)minorOthersCJA is an active member of CRA, the association for business sellers and buyers in France, facilitating M&A transaction connections.
• Entreprendre en FranceminorOthersCJA is a member of Entreprendre en France network, supporting entrepreneurship and business development in France.
• Initiative LoireminorOthersCJA supports Initiative Loire, a local initiative network supporting entrepreneurs in the Loire region.
• M.I.A. (Marché Immobilier des Avocats)minorOthersEric Camus is a member of M.I.A., the Real Estate Market of Lawyers professional association.
• IACF (Institut des Avocats et Conseils Fiscaux)minorOthersFrédéric Teissier is a member of IACF, the Institute of Lawyers and Tax Advisors.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• EY Société d'Avocats: Big Four-affiliated French law firm with broad multidisciplinary capabilities and significant regional presence. Competes on cross-border and complex mandates that exceed CJA's scale.
• August Debouzy: Larger French business law firm with broader national and international footprint and wider practice coverage. Competes for higher-end mandates and acts as a destination for clients outgrowing CJA.
• CMS Francis Lefebvre Avocats: International law firm's French arm with offices in Lyon and other regional hubs. Competes for mid-to-upper market M&A and tax mandates where CJA is typically outbid on scale.

Direct peers

• Fidal: France's largest independent law firm with a nationwide network of offices serving SMEs, ETIs, and large enterprises across corporate, tax, and employment law. CJA competes head-on with Fidal's Lyon and regional offices for the same mid-market client base.
• Viajuris: Independent French law firm offering comparable business law services to SMEs and ETIs. Two recent CJA partners previously worked at Viajuris, indicating direct competitive overlap.
• Racine: Independent French business law firm with strong Lyon presence and similar practice mix spanning corporate law, M&A, tax, and employment. Direct competitor in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes market.
• Lamy & Associés (Lamy Lexel): Independent French law firm with strong regional presence and similar practice areas in corporate, tax, and employment law serving SME and mid-market clients.
• Fiducial Legal By Lamy: French business law firm with strong presence in regional markets, covering SME and ETI advisory work in corporate, tax, and employment. Direct competitor in the mid-market segment.
• Cornet Vincent Segurel: Independent French law firm with multiple regional offices covering corporate, tax, employment, and M&A practice areas serving mid-market clients. Comparable size and geographic model to CJA.
• Bignon Lebray: Independent French business law firm with similar multidisciplinary structure (corporate, tax, employment, M&A) and comparable mid-market focus, including regional offices. Direct peer for SME and ETI advisory mandates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cja-avocats

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 CJA Avocats Associes