Solferino

What Solferino does

Solferino Associés is a Paris-based independent law firm founded in 2011 that provides specialized legal counsel in two practice areas: mergers & acquisitions and business litigation. On the M&A side, the firm advises companies, private equity sponsors, and financial institutions on business combinations, private equity and venture capital transactions, public tender offers, and acquisition financing; on the litigation side, it represents clients in post-acquisition disputes, shareholder conflicts, director liability matters, and proceedings before civil, commercial, criminal, financial, disciplinary, and ordinal courts. The firm also offers sports-law advisory as a niche competency. The practice is structured as a partnership led by six named partners (Bernard-Olivier Becker, Fouad Bellaaroussi, Guillaume Buge, Charlotte Plantin, Diane Hervey-Chupin, and Magali Carosso), most of whom trained at leading French and international firms including Bredin Prat, Gide Loyrette Nouel, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison.

The firm's commercial model is a pure professional-services revenue stream: partners and associates bill hourly or matter-based fees for legal counsel on individual mandates, with pricing set per case based on complexity, deal size, and team composition. Go-to-market is partner-led direct engagement rather than intermediated distribution; client acquisition depends on professional reputation, repeat mandates from PE sponsors such as Ardian, Bpifrance, and Montefiore, and third-party directory recognition (Legal 500 Tier 2 in France for M&A, Leaders League ranking, Trophées du Droit award). The firm operates from a single Paris office at 20 avenue de l'Opéra and serves French and European clients without disclosed international offices. There is no technology product, platform, or software offering — the underlying "technology" is legal expertise and partner availability rather than a proprietary system.

Solferino has grown modestly since 2011 to a team of approximately 19 lawyers and support staff, with notable headcount additions and counsel/partner promotions during 2021-2025. Notable client mandates include advising Qonto on its €486 million Series D, advising Mediobanca on the DBAY Advisors public tender for SQLI, advising Ardian Buy-Out and Biofarma Group on the acquisition of Nutraskills, and advising Bpifrance and Montefiore on their investment into Pierre & Vacances – Center Parcs. The firm is privately held as a partnership with no parent company, external investors, or capital structure disclosed.

Name

Solferino

Legal name

Solferino

Website

https://solferinoassocies.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Strategy Advisory (BPAHADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Capital Markets Advisory (IPO Readiness, SPAC, ECM/DCM Advisory) (BPAHAOAL), Debt & Capital Advisory (Debt Raising, Refinancing, Private Credit) (BPAHAOAD)

Keywords

• Mergers and acquisitions
• Business litigation
• Private equity law
• Corporate legal counsel
• Capital markets advisory

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Advisory Services - M&A: The firm provides legal advisory services for mergers and acquisitions transactions, including business combinations, private equity transactions, and stock market operations. Revenue is generated through professional service fees for legal counsel on strategic operations.
2. Legal Advisory Services - Business Litigation: The firm handles complex litigation matters including post-acquisition disputes, shareholder disputes, director liability, and representation before criminal, financial, disciplinary, and ordinal courts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Solferino is a Paris-based law firm (cabinet d'avocats) providing legal advisory services in mergers & acquisitions and business litigation. The firm advises companies, investment funds, and financial institutions on business combinations, private equity and venture capital transactions, stock market operations including public tender offers, and acquisition financings, and represents clients in complex commercial, criminal, financial, and disciplinary disputes.

Product overview

Solferino is a law firm (cabinet d'avocats) specializing in mergers & acquisitions (M&A) and business litigation (contentieux des affaires). The firm operates as a single-service legal practice with no technology products, platforms, or software offerings. Core practice areas include M&A transactions, private equity, capital markets, shareholder disputes, director liability, and commercial/corporate litigation. The firm also provides sports law consulting and representation before criminal, financial, and disciplinary courts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• M&A and Private Equity Legal Advisory Legal counsel for mergers, acquisitions, business combinations, private equity and venture capital transactions, stock market operations, and acquisition financings, primarily for companies, investment funds, and financial institutions.
• Business Litigation Representation of companies and individuals in complex business disputes including post-acquisition disputes, shareholder disputes, director liability matters, and representation before civil, commercial, criminal, financial, and disciplinary courts.
• Sports Law Advisory Specialized legal counsel and litigation services in sports law, developed by partner Fouad Bellaaroussi as an additional area of expertise within the firm.

Named customers10 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• FTPA Avocats: Mid-sized French firm with M&A, private equity, and corporate litigation practices. Comparable to Solferino in client profile (mid-market French corporates and PE sponsors) and partner-led boutique delivery.
• August Debouzy: Paris-based M&A and corporate boutique law firm with comparable mid-market and large-cap transactional practice, including private equity and equity capital markets capability. Closely aligned with Solferino on size, French market focus, and PE/VC client base.
• Racine Avocats: French mid-market firm with M&A, private equity, and litigation practices. Comparable to Solferino on dual M&A/litigation model, mid-market French client base, and partner-led service delivery.
• UGGC Avocats: Paris-based firm combining M&A, private equity, and business litigation serving French SMEs and mid-caps. Similar to Solferino in scope across transactional and contentious matters, with comparable practitioner base.
• De Pardieu Brocas Maffei: Paris-headquartered M&A and corporate finance firm with strong private equity and capital markets practice. Directly comparable to Solferino on French M&A focus, partner-led boutique model, and mid-to-large-cap transaction work.
• Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier: Elite French M&A boutique renowned for high-profile public tender offers and corporate advisory work. Peer to Solferino on M&A and capital markets focus, though operating at a larger scale and higher deal-value tier.

Broad incumbents

• Bredin Prat: Top-tier French M&A and litigation firm where multiple Solferino partners previously practiced. Competes with Solferino on M&A mandates but at a substantially larger scale and broader full-service coverage.
• Willkie Farr & Gallagher (Paris): US firm with a strong Paris M&A and private equity practice serving French and international clients. Competes with Solferino on cross-border PE transactions and growth-stage financings.
• Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton (Paris): Global elite firm with a major Paris M&A practice, particularly in public tender offers and large-cap private equity. Adjacent to Solferino's practice areas but operating at significantly larger deal scale.

Emerging players

• Argos Avocats: Paris-based M&A boutique co-founded by Solferino partner Magali Carosso. Closely comparable to Solferino on M&A focus and boutique scale, with overlapping client base in French mid-market transactions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/solferino-associ-s

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Solferino