FTMS
FTMS Avocats is a Paris-based independent French litigation boutique founded in 1985 with nine partners and approximately 30 lawyers, specializing in business litigation, arbitration, criminal law, banking/finance, and labor law for large corporations, executives, and public figures across France and French-speaking Africa.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What FTMS does
FTMS Avocats is a French independent law firm (Société civile Professionnelle) founded in 1985 and headquartered at 67 boulevard Malesherbes in Paris's 8th arrondissement. The firm is structured around four practice areas: Business Litigation & Arbitration, Criminal Law, Banking & Finance, and Labor & Employment Law. FTMS employs approximately 82 staff including nine partners and around thirty lawyers, with credentials spanning three former presidents/vice presidents of the Paris Bar Association and six Secrétaires de la Conférence over the past decade. The firm serves large corporations, executives, and public figures requiring representation in high-stakes, cross-disciplinary matters in France and French-speaking Africa.
The firm's client base spans industry leaders across luxury, automotive, construction, hospitality, insurance, and security sectors, plus executives requiring defense in criminal, regulatory, and reputational-sensitive matters. FTMS operates with an extensive correspondent network across French-speaking Africa, providing local expertise particularly in OHADA-law jurisdictions. The Banking & Finance practice extends into Fintech and Regtech subsectors, while the Labor practice covers individual disputes, collective negotiations, restructuring, and criminal labor law. The firm is owned and managed collectively by its partners, with no external investors, and is led as of 2025 by Managing-Partner Tristan de Puget alongside Co-Managing-Partner Olivier Angotti.
FTMS generates revenue exclusively through professional legal services billing — hourly fees, retainers, and matter-based pricing — across litigation, arbitration, advisory, and compliance work. The firm markets through professional publications, media appearances in outlets such as Le Monde, Le Figaro, and RTL, academic involvement at Paris-Panthéon-Assas and Sciences Po, and a LinkedIn presence. FTMS has no proprietary technology platform, no app, no API, and no disclosed patents or trademarks; its competitive position rests entirely on partner talent, four-decade brand reputation, regulatory expertise, and the Africa correspondent network.
FTMS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- FTMS
- Legal name
- FTMS Avocats Société civile Professionnelle (SCP)
- Website
- https://ftmsavocats.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- FTMS Avocats is a Paris-based independent French litigation boutique founded in 1985 with nine partners and approximately 30 lawyers, specializing in business litigation, arbitration, criminal law, banking/finance, and labor law for large corporations, executives, and public figures across France and French-speaking Africa.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where FTMS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
FTMS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Legal Services: FTMS generates revenue through professional legal services billing, including hourly fees, retainers, and matter-based pricing for litigation, arbitration, advisory, and compliance services across business litigation, criminal law, labor law, and banking/finance practices.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Professional legal services - quote-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
FTMS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
FTMS Avocats is a Paris-based independent law firm providing specialized legal services in business litigation and arbitration, criminal law, banking and finance law, and labor and employment law. The firm serves industry leaders, executives, and entities in complex, high-stakes litigation matters in France and French-speaking Africa, with a cross-disciplinary approach combining strategic counsel, compliance, internal investigations, and representation before domestic and international courts.
Product overview
FTMS is a French law firm offering legal services through four core practice areas: Business Litigation – Arbitration, Criminal Law, Banking & Finance, and Labor and Employment Law. The firm provides specialized legal counsel to companies, executives, and individuals in complex litigation matters. FTMS is not a technology product company but a traditional law firm offering legal services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Business Litigation and Arbitration FTMS assists companies and individuals before French and international jurisdictions and in arbitration proceedings, with specific expertise in complex and strategic litigation matters across diverse procedural contexts. Partners serve as counsel or arbitrators in matters spanning France and French-speaking Africa.
- Criminal Law FTMS assists individuals and entities in high-profile criminal cases in France, abroad, and before international courts. The practice leverages over three decades of expertise to prevent and manage legal and reputational risks, with capabilities in media-sensitive cases and communication strategy.
- Banking and Finance Law FTMS provides domestic and international clients with expertise in banking and finance law, including contractual and regulatory aspects. The practice assists stakeholders in settling disputes in banking, finance, insurance, asset management, Fintech, and Regtech sectors, with representation before regulatory authorities such as AMF and ACPR.
- Labor and Employment Law FTMS assists French and foreign companies, business leaders, executives, and holders of delegated authority in all employment, labor, and social affairs matters at both individual and collective levels. The practice covers labor disputes, collective negotiations, restructuring, social plans, and criminal labor law.
Companies that use FTMS
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
FTMS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
FTMS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Network of correspondents in French-speaking AfricacoreFTMS operates with an extensive network of correspondents across French-speaking Africa, providing clients with local legal expertise and representation capabilities throughout the region.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
FTMS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Gide Loyrette Nouel: Major French-headquartered international law firm with broad practice coverage including litigation, arbitration, banking/finance, and labour. Larger and more international than FTMS, but competing for similar premium mandates.
- Freshfields (Paris): Magic Circle firm's Paris office, where Olivier Angotti previously worked. Competes for large cross-border litigation, arbitration, and labour mandates with significantly greater bench depth and geographic reach.
- Allen & Overy (Paris): Global firm's Paris office, also a former employer of Olivier Angotti. Competes for high-value banking/finance, litigation, and labour mandates with a much larger partner and associate headcount.
- Lovells / Hogan Lovells (Paris): Global firm with a Paris office, where Marc Henry was previously a partner. Competes for banking/finance, arbitration, and complex litigation work with deeper international reach than FTMS.
- Hughes Hubbard & Reed: US-headquartered firm with strong international litigation and arbitration practices and Paris presence, where Marc Henry previously worked. Overlaps with FTMS on arbitration, banking/finance disputes, and white-collar matters.
Direct peers
- Jeantet: Paris-based business law firm that lost its entire Labour Law department (Jean Néret's team) to FTMS in 2020. Competes directly with FTMS in labour law, M&A, and dispute resolution, and is the closest historical antecedent given the talent flows between the two firms.
- Bredin Prat: Paris-based elite litigation and arbitration boutique with comparable bench strength, top-tier Chambers/Legal 500 rankings, and a similar focus on high-stakes business disputes, white-collar crime, and arbitration. Closest direct competitor in the French litigation boutique segment.
- Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier: Paris-based independent litigation boutique ranked Tier 1 across business litigation, criminal, and banking/finance matters, serving a similar blue-chip French and international client base on complex, high-value disputes.
- August & Debouzy: Paris-based independent business law firm with strong practices in litigation, labour law (where Sabrina Kemel previously worked), and corporate matters — a comparable mid-sized French alternative for cross-disciplinary mandates.
- Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan: World's largest litigation-only firm with a Paris office; directly comparable to FTMS in its pure-play focus on complex business litigation, arbitration, and white-collar defence.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
FTMS social profiles
Digital presenceFTMS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
FTMS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
FTMS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
FTMS 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 FTMS
What does FTMS do?
FTMS Avocats is a Paris-based independent law firm providing specialized legal services in business litigation and arbitration, criminal law, banking and finance law, and labor and employment law. The firm serves industry leaders, executives, and entities in complex, high-stakes litigation matters in France and French-speaking Africa, with a cross-disciplinary approach combining strategic counsel, compliance, internal investigations, and representation before domestic and international courts.
Is FTMS a public or private company?
FTMS is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was FTMS founded?
FTMS was founded in 1985. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is FTMS based?
FTMS is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does FTMS make money?
One revenue line is on record: legal Services.
Who are FTMS's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Gide Loyrette Nouel, Freshfields (Paris), Allen & Overy (Paris), Lovells / Hogan Lovells (Paris) and Hughes Hubbard & Reed. Direct peers are Jeantet, Bredin Prat, Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier, August & Debouzy and Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan.
Does FTMS have an API?
No public API is recorded for FTMS.