CITIZEN AVOCATS is a 100% international law firm, renowned for its cross-border experience. Thanks to our partnerships and professional network abroad, as well as the backgrounds of our team members and their command of English, we work on a daily basis in the areas described below.

International Trade 

CITIZEN AVOCATS assists, advises or represents its Clients in relation to :

  • international sales contracts (sale of goods, commodities, or individual acquisitions abroad), 
  • e-commerce,
  • international transportation (specific import or export means, risk transfers…),
  • international private investments (direct investments, joint ventures, acquisition of shares in foreign companies, developing countries, etc.)
  • provision of cross-border services,
  • numerous contracts specific to international trade (distribution, intermediation, agency, and brokerage, etc.).

Arbitration and international dispute resolution

CITIZEN AVOCATS deals almost exclusively with cross-border disputes. We regularly represent foreign clients involved in cases falling within the jurisdiction of French courts, or private parties whose disputes are resolved by way of arbitration.

International arbitration is a specific method of dispute resolution involving cross-border interests or parties of different nationalities, whereby the parties submit their dispute to one or more private arbitrators rather than to state courts. It is characterized in particular by its flexibility, efficiency, confidentiality, the independence of the arbitrators, the technical nature of the procedures, and the binding authority of the arbitral award, which can be enforced in most countries thanks to international instruments such as the New York Convention.

CITIZEN AVOCATS represents its clients before arbitral tribunals, whether ad hoc or institutional, i.e., freely constituted on the basis of the arbitration clause alone and international arbitration law, or governed by specific arbitration rules and organized by a particular centre.

In litigation, before addressing the merits of a transnational dispute, specific treaties, regulations or international rules may be invoked to contest the jurisdiction of a court or to ensure that the appropriate rules are applied to the case.

One of our greatest strengths is our ability to quickly obtain legal opinions, expert witness statements, affidavits, or certified translations of the highest quality, thanks to our professional network for the purpose of French proceedings. We also prepare such documents ourselves, in support of proceedings initiated abroad which involve French law or interests.

You can naturally entrust CITIZEN AVOCATS with the enforcement of foreign decisions in France.

Private international law

This refers to the set of rules and methods used to develop activities, or resolve disputes, where the laws of more than one country are potentially applicable.

The situations are often complex. For example, a French SAS entered into a contract with an American LLC, but the latter does not honour its obligations; or two drivers – one French and one English – have a car accident in Italy…

The firm will advise on whether it is relevant to have the international contract governed by a particular law (should it be French law? Swiss law? English law?), depending on the normative framework best suited to its content. The agreement will then be drafted, taking into account the specificities of the designated law, in collaboration with colleagues from that country.

We adapt ourselves to international business rules; we can negotiate and draft contracts in both French or English.

— Contact our lawyer dealing with international business law matters, Maître Simon Deceuninck, Avocat Partner.